Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-06-19
var. Kendall on the breaking up OF U'en'
.IacRson'E Cabinet.

35r. Kendall on the breaking up OF Seh'
Jac9son's Cabinet.
WAsuISGToS, juno T, 1860.
To the Editors of The Sun Your notice OF
the death of the Hon. S. D. 1nghatn, contained
in your issue Of this morning, does, inclden,,
tally. great injustice both to Gen. jackson ana
Mr.. Van Buren,. In relation to the causes
which broke up Gen. JackSon's first caoihCt,
your article saws: an 1851 occurred inc Ia
nous rupture between John G. Calhoun wee
President, and Martin Van Buren,, secretary
of State. This quarrel doubtless originated IN
large measure from tho conflicting political as
n;ro,;ons If those two celebrated leaders,
Much OF il. however, though it was then, and
* vet i1uuossible to say how much. WAS caused
nv tbe refusal Of the wives Of some members
nj the Cabinet, and Of other Washington dig
%nitaries, to recognize and visit Mrs. Eaton"
Your article then proceeds to say: "General
Jackson was a warm friend both Of that lady
and her husband, who was then Secretary OF
Var. Exercising his iron will OH this as on
all occasions, he determined that she should be
recognized. These two causes, the rivalry Of
Calhoun and Van Bnren, aud the quarrel about
Mrs. Eaton, in whatever proportions they may
have been combined, did, together, result in
breaking up the cabinet &c.
The rupture Of 1881 was not between Mr..
Calhoun and Mr.. Van Buren,, as here repre-
sentcd, but vas between Mr.. Calhoun and
Gen. Jackson. 1t is true that Mr.. Calhoun
and his friends attempted unsucccsStully TO
hold Mr.. Van Buren, responsible Tor the rupture
in face Of his own denial and Of conclusive ties.
timonv that it was brought about by Facts and
agencies over which he had no control.
As TO the Mrs. Eaton affair, it is not true that
| Gen. Jackson, determined that she AoHtd be
| rccoenized." She was not recognized by the
lady of his own household, nor did he require
that the wives Of his cabinet should recognize
her. II is true that he believed the tales circu.
lated about her to be false, and deprccaling the
discard generated between members OF his
! cabinet by this affair. he WAS extremely anx.
ions 10 convince them all that Mrs. Eaton was
not unworthy of the society Of their families.
| His object was harmony and unity in his cab!-
| net. 10 produce that he rcSorted TO no iron
/ will" but to the chiTalry and sense Of justice
| of the members of the cabinet and their !alnl-
lies. The refusal Of the aides to recognize Mrs.
Eaton would never of itself have broken up
the cabinet: but it was the personal hostility OF
the lurniiers towards each other, generated.
no doubt, in part, by the private quarreIs art
fully loStcred by designing politicians, which
produced that result. In short, it was the
quarrel Of the men and not of the tc0mea which
produced the catastrophe, though the former
was in Il degree the consequence Of the latter.
Mr.. lngllam was an upright and honest man.
with strong prcjudiccs and Il will as iron as
Gen. Jackson's. lie introduced soinc impor.
tant reforms into the Treasury Department
for which he has never received due credit.
write this 10 enable you, by its publica-
ton CT otherwise, to correct the error alluded
tn, and DO justice to two eminent public men.
AMOS KENDALL.