Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1841-09-28
THE EXPLODED CABlNET-EW-
ING'S CONpUCT.

The lFlaisoaian, speaking Of the dis
crediiable coudac OF Ewing TO Yards the
President, holds the following language:
"They lthe csbiDeD had no right 10
.,,noss mat the President should con
,nit them as TO the propriely of his own
conduct, any farther than he choose.
And therefore it is perfectly ridiculous
and absurd for Mr.. Ewing to affect TO be
personaly insulted because the Fres''
6ent did not show him his veto message
Kiss great pity that Mr. Ewing had moi
studied aud better understood bis own Of
fetal rirbts and duties, as we'll as those
Of the President.
The promulgation in the public press
ofcabinet secrets, bVO retiring Secretary,
!. uniustfiable and all but unprecedented.
lie who does il, proves by the act that
he was unworthy to sit at the cabinet
hoard. 1t is of itself sufficient TO throw
,he whole statement in'o discredit. Ii
ia an unfair advantage taken of the Pes.
ident: which cannot but. involve its au-
thor in no small share of disgrace. We
know not the merits of the opposite side,
and the public cannot know them, for tho
reason that the President OF the nation
cannot condsscend 10 ente the lists Of
personal controversy with an individual
Instrument Of faction. Mr.. Ewing knew
this. He seems TO have kept daily
record of his conversations, p4rh aps an
ticipatinC, if not prernedtaling, their
uossible use for himself or some favorlte
in an eectioueering campaign, for which,
unfortunately, TOO many persons seem to
have been preparing.
..There is but one example, that we
know Of in the history Of the 'GoVern-
ment, Of retiring Secretary, who has
undertaken to assiil and revis the Pres-
IDENTIFY means Of tho publication Of the
conf1etial conversations and acts which
have passed between him and the pres-
dent. In the year 1911, Robert Smith,
then Secretary Of State under Mt. Mldi.
son, pursued that Cou Sc. iia issued an
elaborate address TO the public, detailing
the causes of difference between himself
and Mr, Madison, which had grown up IN
their official private intercourse am
there is much analogy between some o
his grounds Of complaint and those o.
Mr.. Ewing. The whole country cried
out against tha gross breach of"lli iial de
corum. the violation Of the sacted conf
dsncs, which the highest interests OF the
Government require to exist in the 10
sam or the Clbnet. Ii 6as seen that i
such a mode Of attack on the President,
(no mater what iIs msrIls) we're lolera
lad there would be an end Of that free
and unresrliusd intercourse IN the cab
io,i. without which the public business
could not % on. II was a thing beyond
sll personal, and above all party consld-
eror;on. # was seen 10 be an act. not
OuIy fatal to the proper conduct OF the
busioos, or the coln,ry, but dlshon ,rabIe
nad ungonhemanly 10 the last degree
Accordingly, tho effect OF this acI OF
MI. Smith, was, that he fell 10 the ground,
and passed at once from the eyes OF nen,
orremaincd only Ike . stranded wreck
on The beach, beacon and warning TO
ali cabinet ministers never to aIlo" lh"lr
personal resentmenls OF purposes oIPar-
ty warfare to betray them into tho viola
lion Of the sacred confidence of the cab
met Mr.. Madison, taking no notice OF
Mr.. Smiths publication, allowed it and
him to sink into deSpiSed obscurty. Re,
Rardlsss Of this great lesson, unmindlnl
Of the obvious dictates Of common honor,
Mr.. Ewing has undertaken TO Lift the
veil from The most confidential proceed
inRs Of the cabinet Of which he was late
4 member"