The federal union. (Milledgeville, Ga.) 1830-1861, August 11, 1831, Image 2

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FEDERAL F\m precise reference to this subject the regret which he felt •'-t the want of harmony, or of social intercourse among ' he members of his Cabinet, and to announce his cicttr- mni&tion at any rate to liave it. Messrs. Ingham aiid Braiifh were present at this interview. The fact , was distinctly stated, that they and myself had successively •given very large parties to which Mrs. Eaton had not Oeeri invited. We were then told, that on such occasions at least, the President would expect in future a social in tercourse between our respective families. There were ■various other suggestions made during this conversation, but the recapitulation of them is not rendered necessary 'by your inotary, I answered to this communication for myself, that I would not permit tha President, nor any other individual, to regulate the social intercouse of my self or family—and that if such a requisition was per severed in, I would retire from the official situation which t held. In the interview to which I was invited by the President some few davs-afterwards, I frankly expressed to him my views on this subject, and he disclaimed any disposition to press such a requisition. I am not aware that any other occasion has occured in which the ques tion of an intercourse between your family and mine has bten presented to me or to my family. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN MACPHERSON BERRIEN. To J, H. Eaton, Esq. Monday Morning, 8 o’clock. Sir :—I have received your note of the 18th instant, it may become necessary for me to offer something in re ply. For the present l have engagements which prevent me from doing more than U> acknowledge that it has been received. ' 20th June, 1831. Mr, BERRIEN, Very respectfully, EATON. June 22d, 1831. Sim—I ha ve not had leisure to reply to your letter of l\V 18Ui until to-day. It involved matter which it be hoved me to give a full and calm consideration to. That s been given. 1 felt indisposed to believe that these^a'.tacks of General t'rroen could be authorized by you, or were made under your sanction. Your declaration is evidence bt’the cor rectness of what I Svas before impressed with. I take oc casion, therefore with pleasure, to acknowledge the frank ness with which you have disavowed an agency in this nefarious business. ’ Respectfully, your most obedient, J. M. Berrien, Esq. J. il. EATON. Washington, 23d June, 1831. Sjm: Your note of yesterday was received in the course cf the day. 1 was too much indisposed, however, to re ply to it at the moment, and do so now merely to prevent, misconception. * lu your note of the 17tli instant you called upon me to sanction or disa vow the statement contained iff a publica tion in the Telegmnn of that date. 1 could not recognize your right, to make this demand, but for the reasons mei - tinned in my reply, 1 thought it was proper to state to you wliat i had done, in relation to this matter. To do t^iis was tiie only object of that note. You are quite right, however, in believing that I had no agency in procuring (lie publication of the statement rtfcrtd to. And adverting to the spirit of your last note, I,have no hesitation in thus confirming the conviction '•’winch you have expressed. 1 am respectfully, ’ JN. MACPHERSON BERRIEN. To J. II, Eaton, Esq Shortly after this, 1 recciredja letter from Colonel Johnson, which, with ruy reply, i feel myself bound now to the public. I have anxiously desired to delay this thtil I could receive Colonel Johnson’s answer. Per haps I have waited long enough; for my reply, accor ding to the memorandum which 1 have of it, was dated on «te 7th instant. But it is not this circumstance which hp determined me. Col. Johnson has furnished to the editor of the Globe a statement full, or otherwise, of what passed between Messrs. Branch and Ingham end rnvstlf and himself, on the occasion so often refered to. Ex tracts from this statement are used to do me injustice.— This is done, to bo sure, without the authority of Col. Johnson, but he has furnished the means which are thus improperlv used, and I have no alternative but to give’lie Correspondence, or submit to continued misrepresentation. I publish C<>1. Johnsor/s letter; as an act ofjustice to him, t at the public may be in full possession ofihis statement. y rep)y follows; and after this the loiter and statement <ffMr. Ingham, to whom, as well as to Mr. Branch, I forwarded a copy of Mr. Johnson’s letter. From Mr. IJranch I have received no reply—owing, as I suppose, to his absceuce £cm home, rCdond it. M. Johnson to Messers. Berrien and Ingham. Great Crossing, 30th June, 1331. Gentlemen: Tlie Telegraph has alluded-to some com- Viunicaticn made to yon by a mend *r of Con toss, un- fhorized try the President—tiie substance oS v. inch is, t£a! the President wished to coerce a social intorcourre between your families and Mrs. Eaton. 1 see the G. die denies it. 1 have thought it barely possible that tiie al to s ion eotrid be made to me, because if I had ever commit* moated such an idea, I should l ave done the most palpa ble, gr osr, and wanton injustic to the President; for he disclaimed on a.l occasio. s, any right, or desire, or inten tion, to regulate l.he.*private or social intercourse ot hi- Oibinct. The President had been induced to believe that si part of his Cabinet had entered into a deep laid scheme 4c drive Major Eaton from his Cabinet, and of this hr timplained. 1 did not believe it, and as the mutual friend of all concerned, p'o-nosed that I should have the tip i ['unity to converse with that portion ol iiis Cabinet before nt had an interview with them, and lie acquiesced —and the interview which I had with you, resulted as I understood, in a better understanding, and in fact I con- aider it a reconciliation. Whatever came from me, on the subject of social intercourse, was the suggestion of my sjjiciludc to restore harmony among friends. My object was peace and friendship. I have never considered my- at liberty to say any tiling about, this interview ex cept to a discreet and confidential friend. 1 certainly should not think any of the parties justified in represen ting for publication or newspapers, what any of the other parties said, without submitting such statement for mutu al examination; for the plain reason that such conveisa- tiens are so easily misunderstood. I may well remem ber what I hav* said myself, but may not so easily rep resent whatyou have said, or intended to say. I have ac t myseif seen the necessity or propriety of any allusion ip newspapers, to our interview, which was among inti- I^tte and bosom friends, where the conversation was free add unreserved, and for the object of peace and friend ship. But if any should consider it necessary, then the great object should be, to state the conversation correctly; for there can be no motive to misunderstand the facts.— For fear that allusion should have been made to myseli, as the member of Congress, and believing it barely pos sible that I may have been misunderstood on the particu lar pcint alluded to, I have felt it my duty, and due to that perfect friendship which has ever existed be'ween us, to make known these views, that the proper correction may oe made, as a misunderstanding, without the neces sity of any formal publication from either of us, and with out even a disclosure as to what member of Congress al lusion was made. w Sincerely and truly your friend, RICHARD M. JOHNSON. Messers. Ing«am & Berrien, City of Washington. The abscence of Governor Branch has been the only • cause why this letter was not also addressed to him. the President had seen with pain the want of harmony a- mong die members of his Cabinet—that he was determin ed to have harmony, and that his determination would be announced to ua inHiie course of tiie week. ^ ou ad ded that you had in the mean time sought tliis interview with the approbat ion of the President, from motives of regard for all parties. You mentioned, as circumstances which had contributed to produce this impression on the mind of the President, that Messrs. Branch, and Ingham, and myself, had successively given large parties to which Mrs. E. had not been invited—and while you disclaimed 1 any disposition .on his part to require an intimacy be tween our families and that of Major Eaton, you added, that lie would in future expect that at least on such occa sions as that to which you referred, (that is to say, when large and general parties were given,) that Mrs. E. should be invited. I replied to you that not having been previously advised of the intention to hold this interview; having had no conference with the other gentlemen; I must be considered snjely responsible for what I was going to say. I then observed that I would not permit the Pres- identor any other man, to regulate the social intercourse of myself or family—and that if such a requisition was persevered in, I would retire from office. You express ed your regret at the terms of this answer—and I remark ed that it was indifferent tome in what terms it'was* con veyed, provided the substance was retained—but that from this I would not depart. I understood you to dis claim any intention on the part of the President to re quire an intimate intercourse between tire families of Messrs. Branch, and Ingham, and myself, and that of Major Eaton, but to express with equal clearness his ex pectation, that when we gave large or general parties Mrs. E. should be invited—and it was my purpose to deny altogether his right to interfere in this matter. The replies of the other gent lemen Were, according to my rec ollection substantially the same—but I shall enclose copies of your letter to them, and leave them to speak for them selves. The impression which this conversation made upon my mind is clear and distinct; and it is not probable that it could have been effaced from my memory. My own dis- position was instantly to have resigned my office. In consenting to retain it, I yielded to the opinion of those in whose judgement I had confidence, and to my sense of what was due to the interests of Georgia, at that particu lar juncture. My remembrance of tliis conversation is moreover con firmed by what occurred on my subsequent interview with the President, in which a particular reference was made to iL When he spoke of a combination between Messrs. Ingham and Branch and myself, to exclude Mrs. E. from society, 1 claimed, as matter of right, to know tiie names of the persons by whom such a representation had been made. He said the impression had been derived from the various rumors which had reached him ; spoke of tiie parties which had been given by those gentlemen and myself, to which Mrs. E. had not been invited—and added that the reports against her were foul calumnies.— I remonstrated against his having adopted an opinion dishonorable to any member of his Cabinet on mere rumor, but expressly declined to discuss the question of the truth or falsliood of the reports to which lie had referred —teiling him, that without undertaking to decide wheth er they were true or false, it was my purpose merely to conform to the general sense of the community of which I had become a member; and that I could not be induced to change that determination. The decision of the Presi dent not to pursue this matter further, I understood at the time to have been produced by the representations of some of his most intimate personal friends. Such is my understanding of the conversation refered to in your letter. I look to it as the origin and continuing cause of the distraction of the party, which has thus lost the means of doing much good which it might have ef fected. But I am not desirous to bruit it to the world.— If without imputing to me the alledged want of harmony in the Cabinet, my retirement is placed on the ground of the President's mere wiil, so far as I am concerned, it is well. I do not dispute his right to exercise that as he thinks fit; but, for the sake of my children, I will not submit to tLj: continued misrepresentations of the public journals. The best legacy l have to bequeath them is the untarnished reputation of tlieir father. I can easily conceive, also, that a state of things may exist, in wkicha scare of duty to the public will compel me to speak. But I hope such an emergency will not arise. I ought perhaps to add, that I have already stated to Major Eaton tiie substance of this, so far as it was neces- sa-y to answer a call which he made upon me to avow or uisarovv the statement of the Telegraph, that my family had r> fused to associate with his. It was not necessary, however, to mention your name, and It was consequently I not mentioned. I spoke ol the interview as having been | Lad with “a gentleman who represented himself as acting, and who I doubt not did act under the authority cf the j President.” Having now replied to your letter, I will ' only add, that, should our recollections differ, 1 shall re- . ret.But that 1 have taken great care not to put down an v ‘ ring which is not distinctly impressed upon mine.— 1 am. dear sir. r spent fully, yours, JOHN MACPHERSON BERRIEN, lion. R. M. Johnson* Mr. Berrien to Col. Johnsoji. Washington, 7th, July, 1831. Dvar Sir.—Yours of the 30th ult. addressed jointly to Mr. [ogham and myself, has been duly received.— liave noted your view of the occurrence to which it re fers, with a perfect disposition to meet you in the spirit of irankneSs and of good feeling, which is expressed in your letter. Il is an evidence of my reluctance to engage in controversy, that I h ive abstained from going before the public, notwithstanding the multiplied misrepresentations i^th which the newspapers are teeming. I still desire to avoid this necessity—but as circumstances beyond my control may render it indispensable, I acquiesce with the less reluctance, in tiie interchange of recollections which vru propose. jj l am speaking ofwhat occurred at the interview which Dbok place between you, Messers. Branch and Ingham, and myseli’at my house. The impression made by your annunciation was such as not to be easily effaced from my memory. You began by expressing the friendly regard which you felt for those gentlemen and myself and by stating that this was the motive for your interfer ence. You told us that an impression had been made Upon the mind of the President that a combination exist ed between. Messrs! Ingham, and Branch, and myself to exclude Mrs. Eaton from the society of Washington— that he was excited by tliis representation, coasidering it attempt to troujjdhjto through Major Mr. Ingham to Col. Johnson. Newhope, July 13th, 1831. Dear Sir: I have received a copy of your letter of the 20th ult. to Mr. Berrien and myself, forwarded, by him from Yv ashington, relating In an allegation made in the newspapers, that General Jackson had required, through a member of Congress, of Messcre. Branch, Berrien, and myself, that our families should associate w ith Mrs. Ea ton. I lmd also noticed the publication in the Telegraph to which you refer, and another of the same import in a New-York paper of ail earlier date, and supposing il probable, in the existing v ain of the public mind, that the discussion would tjdte such a range as to involve all the parties to that transaction in the necessity of making ex planations, Iliad o< mmenccd the prenaraiion of copies cf a statement of the conversation which you have lefeied to; as well that between you and me, as that between General Jackson and myself'on tfce same subject, intend ing, as soon as they could be coni} leted, to send one to him and another to yourself. Upon the receipt of your letter, I immediately wrote you a note, expressing an in tention to wait for the further comparison of our recollec tions before I made any determination as tathe disposi tion of my statement. But two articles in the Globe ol the lltli inst., which you have no doubt seen, reached me before my letter w as mailed, and arrested its progress,— These articles, as far as they relate to tliis subject, bear on their face the evidence of having been authorized by General Jackson and yourself, and leave me no choice as to the publication of my statement. The article which 1 suppose to have been authorized by you, shows that you have also taken a different view of tins maiter since your letter to me before refered to was written. I could not otherwise reconcile your remonstrance against a publi cation of what you then deemed a confidential conversa tion, with the authority alledged by the Globe to publish your previous interchange of recollections between all the parties concerned. I do not, however, concur with you in the opinion that there ever was any obligation of secrecy imposed on me, or those associated with me, to be implied from the friendly character of the conversation refered to. The communicatiQn made to me by*you that my continu ance in office would depend upon-the consent of my fami ly to visit Mrs. Eaton arid invite her to their large parties, I considered at the time, though not so intended by you, as in its nature offensive. It could not therefore, carry with it the confidential obligation which belongs to the usual course of frienship. I regarded tiie proposition as wounding to my feeling's, and had determined to resign my office even after yen informed me that Gen. Jackson h^d changed his ground, from which I was only dissuad ed by t iie earnest remonstrances of tiie friends I consulted, who urged among other considerations, tha: although my personal respec tor fix President might be impaired, my services in the Department were for ihe country, and while it was faithfully served, I could not be unfaithful to the Adminis.’ ration. A proposition thus disj*osed of, could be regarded as any thing rather than imposing an obligation of friendly confidence. But I find an audit mn- al reason for pub! cal ion growing out cf your letter; its apparent disagreement from my statement, and its admo nitory suggestions could not fail, whenever the whole matter shall be brought out, which is inevitable in the present state of the public mind, to expose me to the im putation of having shrunk from doing what “duty to my own character, if not to the country, setemed to demand. I cannot therefore accord in your desire that no pubiica- tion shall be made, any more than I can in the views of the obligation of secresy which you have suggested. I would prefer, however, to arc « >pany the publication with that of your letter of die 30th ultimo, but not I vine- re ceived any intimation of your wishes on that subject, it will require some deliberation to determine what is most proper to be done m this particular. I can assure you that this determination will be exclusively governed by a desire to do what, under all circumstances, may apnear most likely to meet your own w ishes. I have liow only to arid, that qiafcffig tfce KtatemaH of th«c cravere*. tions, I have relied not merely on tiie moeiiiiie impres sions made on my memory, but on memoranda put on pa per at the time. I have not the slightest recollection, or any note, of your having adverted to any fact or circum stance alleged by General Jackson or yourself, as evi dence of unkind" feeling for, much less hostility to, or a conspiracy against Maj. Eaton on the part of Mr. Branch, Mr. Berrien, cr myself, or of any w ant of harmony in the Cabinet, other than the simple and isolated fact, that ottr families did not visit Mrs. Eaton and invite her to their parties. Nor Lave I any note or recollection of any proposition gjade by you to me individually, or jointly with the other gentlemen, as a means of removing the al leged difficulties, other than that our families should visit Mrs. Eaton, and invite her to their large parties. I can not but persuade myself that my statement will call to mind maVters which may have escaped your recollection, and satisfy your judgment that, whatever may have been the nature of your instructions, I could not have under stood them differently from what I have. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, Your obedient servant. S. D. INGHAM. Hon. RicnARb M. Johnson, Mr. Ingham’s Statement, a copy of which was encloeed in his letter to Col. Johnson. On TV edneSBay, the 27ihof January, 1S31, Col. John son of Kentucky, waited on me in the Treasury Depart ment, and after some preliminary conversation, in which he expressed his great regret that my family, and that of Mr. Branch and Mr. Berrien, did not visit Mrs. Eaton,* he said that it had been a subject of great excitement with the President, who had come to the determination of having harmony in his Cabinet by somqraccommoda- tion of tliis matter. Pie, Col. Johnson, was the friend of us all, and had now come at the request of the President to see whether any thing could be doite: who thought that when our Ladies gave parties, they ought to invite Mrs, Eaton, and as they had never returned her call, if they would leave the first card, and open a formal inter* course in that way, the President would be satified, but unless something was done of this nature, he had no doubt, indeed he knew, that the President was resolved to have harmony, and would probably remove Mr. Branch, Mr. Berrien, and myself. I replied to Col. Johnson, that in all matters of official business, or having any connec tion therewith, I considered myself bound to maintain an open, frank, and harmonious intercourse with the gentle men I was associated with. That the President had a right to expect the exertion of my best faculties, and the employment of my time, in the public service. Asio the family of Mr. Eaton, I felt an obligation on me not to say any thing to aggravate the difficulties which bela bored under, but to observe total silence and neutrality in relation to the reports about his wife, and to inculcate the same course as to my family, and if any other represen tations had been made to the President, they were false. Having prescribed to myself this ride, and always ac ted upon it, I had done all that the President had a right to expect. That the society of Washington was liberal ly organized ; there was but one circle, into which every person of respectable character disposed to be social was readily admitted, without reference to the circumstance of birth, ibrtune, or station which operated in many oth er places. That we had no right to exert official power to regulate its.social intercourse. That Mrs. Eaton had never been received by the society here, and it did not be come us to force her upon it; that my family had therefore not associated with her, and they had done so with my approbation, and that the President ought not, for the sake of his own character, to interfere in such matters. But if he chose to exert his power to force my family to visit any body they did not choose to visit, he was inter fering with that which belonged to me, and no human power should regulate the social intercourse of my fami ly, by means of official or any other power w hich 1 could resist. If I could submit to such control, I should be un worthy of my station, and would despise myself. That it w as eminently due to the character of the President, to have it known that lie did not interfere in such matters, and that the course we had pursued was preservative of his honor and political standing. 1 had taken my ground <•» mature reflection, as to what was due to my family, to my friends, and to the Administration, without any pre fers. Tfce power cf’%j Adm in, rati -n could not hanvr the opinion of the community, even if it could in proper ly used to control the relations of domestic life in any case. Tiie society of 'Washington must be the best judges of whom they ought to receive. I regretted the difficulties which Maj. Eaton labored under, and had felt it to be my duty not to aggravate them. I had in tended at an early day to have had a conversation with him on the subject, with a view to have our social rela tion defined, but no opportunity hud offered, without volunteering one, and it had not beer done in that way. The course I had taken was, however, adopted with great care, to save his feelings as much as possible, con sistently with what was due to my family, and the com munity with which we were associated. 1 considered the charge of my family to be a sacred trust, belonging exclusively to myself, as a member of society. The ad ministration had nothing to do with it, more than with that of any other individual, and political power could not be properly exerted over their social inter course, and it was important to his reputation to hate it understood that he did not interfere in such matters.— That I was not aware of any want harmony in the cabinet; I had not seen the slightest symtom of such a feeling in its deliberations, and 1 was perfectly certain that my official conduct had never been influenced in the ^tightest degree by a feeling of that nature. I saw no ground, therefore, for the least change on my part in this respect. To which the President replied, in a changed tone, that lie had the most entire confidence in my integ rity and capacity in executing the duties of the De partment, and expressed liis perfect satisfaction, in that respect, with my whole conduct; he had never sup posed for a moment, that my official acts had been influ enced in the least degree by any unkind feelings towards Maj. Eaton ; and he did not mean to insist *on our fami lies visiting.Mrs. Eaton: He had been much excited, for some time past, ky the combination against her, and he wished us to aid him in putting down their slanders, ad ding that she was excluded from most of the invitations to parties; and, wfcciAivited, she wasffinsulted; that the lady of a foreign minister before refered to, had insulted her at Baron Crudener’s party. I remarked, that some injustice might be done to that lady on that occasion ; al though she might not choose to associate with Mrs. Ea- FED12RAL union. MII.LEDGEVILLE, AUG. 11, 1831. OCTOBER ELECTION. FOR GOVERNOR, WILSON LUMPKIN* GEORGIA LEGISLATURE. Candidates to represent Baldwin county} * FOR THE SENATE, JAMES C. WATSON. FOR THE HOUSE, EZEKIEL E. PARK, WILLIAM W. CARNES* THE MiHLS.—We are continually harmssed bj< complaints of the failures of our paper to reach their des tination. How and why this is so, we cannot tell. They are regularly mailed, by the firs*mail for each office, to which" they are destined. Yet we have complaint on complaint, of tardy arrivals, and total failures of our pa per, while others reach their patrons. We request our friends to give us information on tliis subject—and we will stand by it,' and endeavor to correct this insulierablfe neglect which exists somewhere. have supposed that there was some design, not altogeth er respectful to herself, in the offer of the attendance to j sorted to abuse. judice against Major Eaton or wife, and had fully deter mined not to change it, whatever might be the conse quence. Col. J. raid that he had been requested by the Presi dent to have a conversation with, the Secretary of the Navy and the Attorney General also; but, from w liat 1 had said, be supposed it would be of no avail. The Pre sident had expressed a hope that our families would have been willing to invite Mrs. Eaten to their large parties, to give the appearance of an ostensible intercourse,wadding that he was so much excited that he w as like a roaring iion. lie had heard that the lady of a foreign minister had joined in the conspiracy against Mrs. Eaton, and he had sworn that he would send her and her husband home, if he could not put an end to such doings. I replied, that it could hardly be possible that the President con templated such a step. Col. J. replied, that lie certainly did; and again rernaiked that it seemed to be useless for him to see Mr. Branch and Air. Berrien, I told him that each of us had taken our course, upon our own views of propriety, without concert; anti tiiat. he ought uot to con sider me as answering for any but m\ seif. He then pro mised that I should meet him at Mr. Branch’s, and invite Mr. Berrien, Jhat evening at 7 o’clock; which w as agreed to. Col. J. came to my house about C, and we went up to Mr. Berrien’s, having first sent for Mr. Branch. On our way to Mr. Btmcn’s, Col. J. remarked that the Pre- sklent had informed him that he would invite Mr. Branch, Mr. Ben icn, and myself, to meet him tin the next Friday, when he would inform us, in the presence of Dr. Ely, of his determination; and drive did not agree to comply with his wishes, he would expect us to send in our resigna tions. Upon our arrival at Mr. Berrien’s, Coi. J. renew ed tiie subject in presence of him and Gov. Branch, and repeated substantially, though, I thought, rather more qualiftedly, what he had said to me. lie did nor go so much into detail, nor ciol recollect whether he mentioned the President’s remarks as to the lady above mentioned and Dr. Ely—those gentlemen will better recollect. Mr. Branch and Mr. Berrien replied, as unequivocally as 1 had done, that they would never consent to have the so cial relations of their families controlled by any power whatever but their own. Mr. Branch, Mr. Berrien, and myself, went the same evening to a party at Col. Tow- son’s, where a report was current that we were to here- moved forthwith, of which I had no doubt at the time. The next morning, Col. J. came to my house, and said that he ought perhaps to have been more frank last, eve ning, and told us positively that the President had finally determined on our removal from office, unless we agreed at once that our families should visit Mrs. Eaton, and in vite her to their large parties; and that he had made up his mind to designate Mr. Dickins to take charge of the Treasury Department, and Mr. Kendall to take charge of the Navy Department, and would find an Attorney General somewhere. I observed that my course was fix ed, and could not be changed for all the offices in the Pre sident’s gift; and it made no more difference to me than to any other person, whom the President designated to take my place. In the evening of the same day, Col. J. called again, and informed me that he had just been with the President, who had drawn up a paper explanatory of w hat he had intended and expected of us; that some of his Tennessee friends had been withhimfoi several hours: that liis passion had subsided, and he had entirely chang ed his ground 1 : He w ould not insist on our families visit ing Mrs. Eaton; he only wished us to assist in putting down the slanders against her; that he believed her inno cent, and he thought our families ought to do what they could to sustain her, if they could not visit her; and that lie wished to see me the next day. Col. J. added that the President had been exceedingly excited for several days, hut was now perfectly calm and mild. The next day 1 waited on the President, and opened the subjectUy sta ting that Col. Johnson had informed me that he wished to see me; to which he assented, and went into a long argu ment to show how innocent a woman Mrs. Eaton was, and how much she had been persecuted, and mentioned •he names of a numi*cr of ladies who bad been active in • his persecution, and that the lady of a foreign minister was also one of the conspirators; adding that he w ould send her and her husband home, and teach him and liis master that the wife of a member of liis Cabinet was not to be thus treated; that Mrs. E. was as pure and chaste as Mrs. Bonelson’s infant daughter, but there was a com bination here among a number of ladies, not those of the Heads of Departments, to drive her out of society, and to drive her husband out of office; but he would be cut into inch pieces on the rack, liefore he would suffer him nr his wife to be injured by their vile calumnies; that he w as resolved to have harmony in his. Cabinet, and lu wished us to join in putting down the slanders against Mrs. Eaton. I observed to thp President, that I had n*> ver considered it incumbent cn me to investigate the cliar- aeter of Mrs. Eaton; such a service did not, in my judg ment, come within the scope of my duties to the govern ment; it belonged to szzxr? alooe to determine sach heat ed to, and his wife, home immediately. After some fur ther conversation on this and ot! .r matters, in which I considered the President as having entirely waived the demand made through Col. Johnson, that my family must visit Mrs. Eaton, as the condition for my remaining in office, and in w hich he expressed himself in terms of personal kindness towards me, I took my leave. He did not. show me, or read, any paper on the subject. The public wiil now, I think, be at no loss to determine upon the true state of the facts cf this case. Mr. Ing ham’s very full statement is taken from notes made at the time, and wltich were shown to me shortly after they were made. In repeated conversations with Mr. Branch, our recollections were found to concur. The transaction was of a nature calculated to awaken all my attention, and to impress itself indelibly upon my memory. I claim no benefit, therefore, from any supposed imperfection of this faculty, and expect to be believed, because I speak the truth. In relation to the statement that the paper drawn up in the hand-writing of the President was shown to me, the denial of which I most explicitly repeat, if charity is to perfoom her holy office in reconciling these conflicting assertions, it is much more easy to believe tiiat the memo ry of the President may have failed on this occasion. Pie saw and conversed with various persons on this subject, and has to rely upon his memory for the fact of having shown this paper to different individuals. Each of Hose individuals is required cnly to speak for himself The na ture of tiie tran action was such that it could not have es caped the recollection of either of them. It was impossible if such a paper Lad been shewn, not to have demanded, and to have j-ersevered in the demand to have the names of the persons, on whose information the requisition was made. No one would have consent ed to iiave the conditions on which he should continue in office prescribed to him, on the ground of a combination, the evidence of which rested on mere rumor. An inquiry must have been the consequence, and tiie transaction could not only not have been forgotten by the parties, but would thus have liccome known to others. I would not myself have retained my office a moment after such a pa per was exhibited tome. 1 will not question the inten tion of the President to have shewn this paper to me, nor In’s belief that he did so; but that lie did not do so, is cer tain. Those w ho know me will not doubt the sincerity of tliis declaration, and an impartial community will, I trust, perceive no sufficient motive to be deduced, either from my character, or the circumstances of this transac tion, for the belief of intentional misrepresentation on my part. At any rate, I have discharged my duty, by bearing this testimony to the truth. I know to what it subjects me; but I rely upon the discernment and the integrity of my countrymen, and will abide the result. JOHN MACPHERSON BERRIEN. Washington, July 22, 1S31. From the Ba!''more .Marylander. INDIAN WARS. Rumours have been circulated of a defeat, by the Indians in Missouri, of the troops under Gen. The mode of choosing the Governor.—Tho. Journal Juts vented one of its common tirades a gainst what it pretends to be the federalism of the Clark party: because certain distinguished members of that party proposed in the Legislature, that the t let*, tions of Governor, and of Electors of the Pu sh dent, and Vice President, should be decided by a plurality of the votes of the people; that is, by the highest number of votes given by the people. W-e are content with the mode of deciding these elec tions, which has been established by the Legisla ture:—their transfer from lire Legislature to the. people, was a signal triumph of republican princi ples. But if we deliberately and candidly exam ine these proposedmodificationsjwhichare so harsh ly censured by the Journal, we shall find them sus tained by reasons so strong, as at least to exempt from censure, those by whom they were recoiqs, mended. There were three principal reasons for transfer* ing those elections from the Legislative Depat tj meat of the Government, to the people. The first was, to prevent the intrigue and corruption, which Gaines. The following letter from the General himself, published in the Nashville Republican, fur- i attended those elections, especially that of Govern, nislies the latest and most authentic account of the j or, when confided to the Legislature. On this sui*- operations in that quarter. | ject, our experience had been painful and mortifv- inre. ~ f' 1 l a Extract of a letter from General E. P. Gaines, da- * l< d Bock Island, 20th June, 1831. “I have visited the Rock River villages with a view to ascertain the localities, and as litr as possi ble, the disposition of the Indians. They confirm ed me in the opinion I had previously formed, that whatever may be their feelings of hostility, they ing. When a Governor was to be elected 1 hv the Legislature, the number ol voters was small,* they were all assembled at the seat of Government, win re- the candidates and their friends could have access to every one of them, to the moment of the election? the sentiments of every friendly, of every hostile, of every wavering or doubtful voter, could hr as* are resolved to abstain from the use of their toma- i certained; it could sometimes be known, that the* hawks and fire arms except in self-defence. But! change of one, two, or three votes, would incimo few of their warriors were to be seen—their wo-! the scales in favor of the weaker candidate. Unde-F men and children and their old men appeared nnx- ! such circumstances, and when the prize to be gain- ious, at first somewhat confused, but none attempt- e<l was so great, the Legislature became a scene of ed to run off. Having previously notified their • intensely anxious, and sometimes, of corrupt elec- chiefs tiiat I would have nothing more to say to J tioneering: negotiations lor the barter of votes to them, unless they should desire to inform me of their intention to more forthwith as I had directed them; I did not speak to them, though within filly yards of many of them. I had with me on board he used in other elections, promises of appointment to office, and other modes of bribery^ were frequent? ly employed. To transfer these elections to the people, was essential to the reputation, the charafe- the steam boat some artillery and two companies oft ter, the purity off the Legislature. Infantry. ; The second reason for the transfer of these elc.c- Their village is immediately on Rock River, and tions from the Legislature tothe people, was drawn so situated, tiiat I could from the steam boat des- from'that fundamental principle of republican <rot> troy all their bark houses (the only kind of houses j eminent, that the three departments of the govern?, they have) in a lew minutes, with the force now ; nient- should he distinct from, and independent o£ with me—probably without the loss of a man.' But j each other, ahd immediately dependent on the pey* I am resolved to abstain from firing a shot without pie. some bloodshed, or some manifest attempt to shed blood, on the part of the Indians. I have already induced nearly one third of them to cross the Mis sissippi to their own land. The residue, however, say, as the friendly chiefs report, that they never will move, and, what is very uncommon, their wo men urge their hostile husbands to fight rather than to move and thus to abandon their homes. Should the appearance of Gov. Reynolds’ mounted men fall to move them—their chiefs will then be arrested and kept in confinement until disposed of by the civil authorities; and the others will he landed on the opposite bank of the Mississippi, and notified that if they return they wiil be punished. The re ports of other tribes having engaged to assist this band in defending themselves against us, are enti tled to but little credit. Several other tribes, such as the Winnehagpes, Pottawottomies and Kicka- poos, have been invited by these Sacks, to assist them, but I cannot positively ascertain that more than two hundred have actually joined, and it is ve ry doubtful whether these wifi remain true to their offending allies. I w T as assured by Gov. Reynolds, in liis last letter, that he w*ould he here on the 19th ot 20tkt I therefore look for him momently*.” The third reason was founded on that other fun? damental, republican principle, that the peophi ought to delegate no power, which they can them; selves conveniently exercise. Those who maintained the opposing opinions, agreed on this point, that in a course of years it will frequently happen, that no candidate will ob tain a majority, (more than half) of the votes of the people. If in these cases, the elections are to return to the Legislature, then viill be violated eve ry principle which induced their withdrawal from the Legislature. Then do we provide for the per? petuation of those very evils, which we seek to des troy. We again open the fountains of corruption. We again contaminate the purity of the Legisla tive body, by making it a scene of midnight elec tioneering; of secret, skulking visits in tire dark; of those various modes of bribery, direct, and indirect, against which the country had raised a voice of in dignant reprobation. We make the Executive^ t!ic» creature of the Legislative Department, rather than of the people. We withdraw from the people, the power of choosing their Governor: and dele?* gate it to agents, to members of the Legislature, ) wh* m&y be*i%g«ce< t» oppose ffee wish ei fbejpc*- THE VERACITY OF THE JoCRNAI#, AGAIN.—In r^* ton, I did not think she intended to insult her; die might lation to its veracity, the Journal lias been driven ogeth- «q’rom the field of argument? What then? It Las ro In performing a high duty to the- I seit entitled to. I was present, and saw most.'ofwhat had f habitual disrega happened: She evidently thought herself aggrieved at: charge, the uoumal set. up a defence so mmsy, time something, but acted with much dignity on the occasion. ! wc tore it away as easily as vve would have sw ept He replied that he had been fully informed, and new all 1 the cobwebs from a neglected corner of our office, about it; and but for certain reasons which he mention- j The Journal then changed its ground, and set up ed, he would have sent the foreign Minister before refer- a ne w defence, in which it accused us of making j...»..i \. ..... garbed quotations, and false statements. To this we made a reply, in which ive disproved the accu sations of the Journal; and established our charge so conclusively, as to leave no room for reasonable doubt, supporting it by additional evidence dedu ced fromthe second defence attempted by the Jour nal. Why uid our neighbours, at this point, aban don the argument? Why does any uncandid itj.u, whose argument has been refuted, fly to ridicule, or abuse? Because argument can no longer avail him—Because the light of reason condemns him. In this desperate extremity, he endeavours to sus tain his pride, by expressions of contempt and ha tred far liis accusers; and he endeavours to console himself with the hope, that a part of the public who see only one side, will perhaps belie ve him. In-a temper perfectly calm, and with evidence as clear as the light of the meridian sun, we have de monstrated that the Journal does not adhere to the truth: and that its statements, and its arguments founded on those statements, are not worthy of confidence. "We were not so rash, as to suppose that the Journal would confess its fault: we were sure tiiat it would be exasperated by the humilia ting exposure of its character: and we believed that it would seek for revenge, by discharging floods of angry abuse at the editors of the Federal L T nion. Such has been the resort of the neighboring press; and we desire to lay before the public, no higher evidence, that the- Journal feels that it has ’been publiclv convicted of disregard for the TRUTH. W e invite tiie friends of truth to examine bufo sides.