The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-06-12
HISTORY OF A REMARKABLE
WOMAN
Personal "reminiscences Of Nrs. Edt0n-Hoa7
Cabinet acas Dtssotced--Bo Bourganani s
Financieriay Secrets, &c.
FEom the New York Tribune.

Cabinet acds Bourgahdna s
Financieriny Secrets, &c.
From the New York Tribune.
The recent remarkable elopement of an Italian
adventurer (who seven years ago welded the
widow Of eneral Eaton) with the granddaugh h
ter of his wife has created a sensation III polit-
cal and fashionable circles both in this city and
10 " Washington. 1t has also revived the public
interest in the unfortunate wife, who at one
time may have been said to have controlled the
fate of the country, or at least have been the
chief cause OF change in some OF its most i'm
portant political relations 1t will be, therefore,
appropriate at this present time to give resume
of the leading facts in the biography Of the
party in this singular case with whom the pub
lie are naturally most concerned-namely,
Madame BOurgananl, formerly widely known as
Mrs. General Eaton.
The father Of this lady a gentleman OF
wealth and position, and the lady herself was
possessed of great personal attractions, remains
OF which are visible even to this day. She was
well educated, and was gifted with singular
fascination of manner while not the least i'm
portant element in her character was a strength
Of will, a power of fixed determination, which
has sustained her throuShou all the vicissitudes
Of her eventful career. In the height of her
triumph as a belle at Washington she married a
member of the Timberlake family, who was a
purser in the United States navy. The nuptials
were lebrated with eclat, and the father of the
bride presented her with well furnished house
(Which in after days passed into the hands Of
the Italian drawing muster Bcurganani) BY
her first husband the lady had several children
Purser Timberake, was an intimate personal
friend of General Eaton and is said to have felt
preSentlment that his life was not destined to
be Of great duration, and also to have expressed
the hope that, in the case Of his deeease, his
widow would unite herself to his friend After
the death of Timberlake, General Eaton, in due
course Of time, forwarded an eplstle to the widow,
expressing his sentiments Of admiration for her,
having, as he expressed it, ~''known her and ap-
preciated her alike as daughter, wife, and
widow, and desiring permission to visit her. The
permission was granted, and Mrs. Timberlake
became Mrs General Eaton
Her second husband enjoying relations of the
closest intimacy with President Jackson, bis
wife in consequence assumed a high position
among the female notabilites Of the national
capital She was received in the kiudest man
ner by the President, aud was soon numbered
among tire circle Of his mos przed acquain-
tances, while her husbands position as Minister
of War still further tended to enhance alike
her notoriety and her influence. According to
the usual law which governs success in this
world, Mrs. Eaton did not escape scandal Rumor
busted itself with her name, aud President
jackson himself did not fail to receive bis share
of social gossi p. The opposition newspapers of
the day could not afford to dispense with any
such excellent opportunity for sensational items
and the stories which ''linked 10 wrong, the
President and Mrs. Eaton began to assume a
political sgnfcance
Calhoun, at that time Vice President and
President of the Senate, was bitterly opposed to
the policy and person of General Jackson and
having failed to share the national confidence in
bis superior by attacks on the management of
the Seminole war, looked around him Tor more
available material. The Eaton scandal was ac-
cordingly skilfully, though delicately, mani
pulated by him, and was brought into practical
shape With the truth. or falSehood of the
scandal itself we have naught to do; neither is
it our province to undertake to decide what real
credence Mr. Calhoun in his own mind attached
to the report. Suffice it to record the facts.
Mr. Calhoun, through the ''female element" in
Washington, and especially by his influence
with the wives Of the various members Of the
Ssbinet, so arranged it that~Nirs General Eaton
Was socially ignored by the ladies Of the Cabinet
circle, thus increasing the scandal, and calling
to its internal personal dssensions the untavor-
able attention of the nation. President Jackson,
pegceiving this, wrote in his direct way concern
iug the matter to Mr. Calhoun, who replied oy
a very diplomatic note, stating that the quarrel
was emphatcally ''ladies quarrel" with which
men could not successfully interfere that ''the
laas of the ladies were like the laws of the
Medes aud Persians and admitted neither OF
Argument or amendment - with much more in
a similar strain. On.the recei pt of this epistle
Q eneral Jackson determined at once to act. He
accordingly sent for Mr. Van Buren, then Sec
relary of State his political favorite, and, ex-
plaining6is Riews, requested him, as personal
favor, to send IN his resignation. Mr. Van
Buren, at once complied with the rather singu-
lar request, and OF course his resignation was
Immediately followed by that of each AID every
member of the Cabinet
1t is stated that at one stage OF the proceed
ings the President was willing to compromise
with the enemies Of Mrs Eaton withdrawing
any claim of his to the prieate social reeogni-,
tion Of the lady, desiring only her public recog-
milton at receptions and great occasions. But
as this compromise was rejected, he acted as we
have above stated. And thus Mrs General
Eaton proved the direct cause of the dissolution
of Cabinet
Directly subsequent to this event the Presl
dent who never torsoQk a friend, accredited
General Eaton as Usited States Minister to
Madrid and in brief period his WE, directing
her social talents to the Old World became
almost as noted there as she had already rendered
herself in the New She visited. London, and
Paris, and inally setting at Madrid, established
herself as decided favorte.
General Eaton died, and bis widow became
the posscssor of his large estate. She also as-
sumed the guardianship of four or i've grand
children, who were by In ter marriage cloSeiy
connected with the Randolph family CT Virginia