Newspaper Page Text
I Momiav Morning, 8 o'clock.
Hih: 1 hive received your note of tlie lbth
mutant. It mny become necessary tor me to
* iiiit to distort itH meaning Tho public j offcr •omeUimg in reply. For the present
anil )«i.lffp of the whole cnrrrH|Hjndenee for I I. , '* v " •Ogsgcments which prevent me from
lliemfelvett. I hail no disposition to publish
thin correspondence. Perfectly witiHliod that
it would ut nil times speak for itself, and not
emulous of reputation to Ire acquired in such
controversies, I have resisted tiio numerous
calls which have been made upon ine through
different Journals to g»vo it to the public. —
Hot the Editor of the Globe is in possession
of it. and by the publication of an isolated,
extract attempts to do me injustice. I exor
cise a right, therefore, which belongs to me,
when I take from him, this unfair moans of
annoyance, by giving the whole to the pub
lic:—
Friday Niout, 17th Juno, 1831.
Fir : I have studied to disregard the sbu-
sivv slanders which have uriseu through so
debased a source ah the U. 8. Telegraph. I
have been content to wail for the full dovcl-
opmneut of what ho had to tray, and until
persons of responsible character should be
brought forth to endorse hut vile abuse of mo
hihI of my family. In that pnpor ofthisevon-
mg is contained the to lowing remark of my
wife : “ It is proven that tho Secretaries of
the Treasury and of the Navy, and of the
Attorney (loners], refused to associate with
her." This publication appears in a paper
winch pretenses to lie friendly to you, and is
brought forth under your immediate eyo. 1
desire to know of you, whether or not you
sanction this statement; or disavow it. The
relation we have sustained towards each oth
er authorizes ino to demand an immediate
answer.
Very respectfully,
J. 11.
Jao. M. Berrien, Esq.
Mr. Berrien.
JcNr.22d.ia31.
Sir : I have not had leisure to reply to
your letter of the 18th until to-day. It ill
ness and of good Iccimg, winch in expressed
m your letter. It is an evidence of pw re
luctance to engage in controversy, that lirave
Mr. Ingham to Col. Johnson.
New Hope, July 13th, 1831.
Dear Sir—I have received a copy of your
abstained from going before the public, Dot-1 letter of the 30th ult. to Mr. Berrien and my
withstanding tne multiplied mrarepreseata-‘self, forwarded by him from Washington, re.
nation on mo noltoaay ony thing to aggra- j Uom of domwtto life in any c»«i. J ho ae
rate the difficulties which he labored under, ciety of Washington must he the best jud ges
hut to ob-erve total silence and neutrality ill of whom it ought to re 00 '”’ I.HSf ™A.®
relation to tho reports shout his wife, snd to difficulties which Major Eaton labored under,
neulealo the sa/no course a. to my family'j and had felt, t to bo my duty not to aggravate
ind if any other representations had been made ] them. I had intended at an early day to have
to the ('resident they were false. Having had a conversation with him on tho subject,
prescribed to myselflhU rule, and always act- j with a view to have our social relation defin
ed upon it, I had done all that tlm President ] ed, but no opportunity had offered, without
had a right to ejpoct. That the society of, volunteering one, and it. hadI not been dono m
Washington wi3 liberally organized; there .that wav. Tho course 1 had taken was, how-
wos but on* circle, into which every person J ever, adopted with great care, to save nis
of respectable character disposed to be social ; feelings as much as possible, consistently
was readily admitted, without reference to with what was due to my family, and the
the circumstance of birth, fortune, or station I community with which wo were associated,
which operated in many other places. That 1 considered the charge of my family to be a
we had no right to exert official power to re- ’ sacred trust, belonging exclusively to inyseli,
gulate its social intercourse. That Mrs. Ea-1 as a member of society. 1 he administration
Ion had never been received by the society ! had nothing to do with it, more than with
here, and it did not become us to force her j that of any other individual, and political
upon it; that my family had therefore not as- j power could not be properly exerted over
eociated with her, and they had done so with i their social intercourse, and it was important
mv approbation, and that the President ought to his reputation to have it understood that
not, lor the sake of his own character, to in- j he did not interfere in such matters. That
terfere in such matters. But if he chose to I was not aware of any want of harmony in
exert his power to force iny family to visit any : the cubinet; 1 had ^ not seen the slightest
body they did not choose to visit, he was in-1 symptom of such a feeling in its deliberations
terfering with that which belonged to me, and \ and 1 wus perfectly certain that my official
no liumun power should regulate the social 1 conduct had never been influenced in the
doing more than to acknowledge that it has tions with which the newspapers are toem- Hating to an allegation made in the uewspa-
been received. Very respectfully, ing. 1 still desire to avoid this necessity— per*, that Gen. Jackson had required, through
JOth Juno; 1831 J. 11. EATON. hut as circumstance* beyond my control may j r Member of Congress, of Messrs. Brandi,
render it indispensable, 1 acquiesce with the ' Berrien, and myself, that our families should
less reluctance, in the interchange of recol- associate with Mrs. Eaton. I had also no
lectionB which you propose.
I am to speak of what occurred at the in
terview which took place between you, Mrs-
VO r V M <1 which !‘ bt ' h, ’ v '" 1 ln ®‘° B' vn I uni. Brunch umi Ingham, and myaclf, at mv
afullandcaJin consideration to. That hi
boon given.
1 felt indispoacd to believe that these at-
tacks of General Green could lie authorized
by you or were made under your sanction.
Your declaration is evidence of the correct
ness of what 1 was before impressed with.
1 tako occasion, therefore, with pleasure, to
house. You had,us I afterwards understood,
held previous conversations oil the same sub-
ject with one or both of those gentlemen, but
I was perfectly unprepared for the interview,
until the moment when you announced its
object st my luiuso. The impression mude
by yourjmminciation was such as lot to b*
liced the publication in the Telegraph to
which you refer, and another ofthe same im
port in a N«w York paper of an earlier date;
and supposing it probable, in the existing
stale ofthe public mind, that the discussion
would take such a range as to involve all the
parties to that transaction in the necessity of
making explanations, I had commenced the
preparation of conies of a statement of tho
conversation which you have referred to ; as
well that between you aiid mo, as that be
acknowledge the frankness with which you by expressing the friendly regard which von
ensily effaced Irorn rny memory. You began tween Gen. Jackson and myself on the same
hove disavowed an agency in this nefarious
buxines.
Respectfully,ynur most obedient,
J. II. EATON.
J. M. Berrien, Esq.
felt for those gentlemen and myself, anu by
slating that this wus the motive fur your in
terference. You told us that an impression
had bcun made upon the mind of the Prasi
subject, intending, ns soon as they could bo
completed, to send one to him and another
to yourself. Upon the receipt of your letter,
I immediately wrote you a note, expressing
an intention to wait for the further compari
dent that a combination existed be»ween |"°» of our recollections before 1 madu any
Wanhi*oton,23.1 June, 1831.
Sib : Your noto or yesterday wua receiv j Wuliingloii—Hut Ire was excited by tliia re-
ed in tho course of the diiy. 1 wos too presentation, considering it as an attempt to
much indisposed, however, to reply to it at wo und him through Major Eaton—that the
tho moment, and do ao now merely to prevent .president had seen with pain the want of
misconception. | harmony among the members of Ins Cabinet
In your note of the 17th instant you cal-1 —tlmt ho was determined to have harmony,
led upon inn to sanction or disavow the ntul thnt his determination would liuannouric-
Messrs. Ingham, and Branch, and myself, determination as to the disposition of my — r B . -- - . e .. ,
to exclude Mrs. Eaton from the society of statement. But, two articles in the G obe of 1 intercourse oi my family, by means ot official j slightest degree by n teeling ot tn.it nature.
... . . . . . . • ; * .. i. i. i . __ l ..... .......... —i, i ,.„,.i.i Tr. T emu .... there fnro. For the Ini
EATON.
statement contained in a publication in the I C( | l0 UH m the course ofthe week. You ad
Telegraph of that date. 1 could not recog. | ,|ed that you had in the mean time sought
iiizo your right to make tins demand, but for l this interview with the approbation of the
Washington, 18th June, 1831.
Sir : I received to day your noto of last
night, in which you call inv attention to an
article in the U. States Telegraph ofthe 17th
instant, relating to your wife—and desiring
to know whother I will sanction or disavow
that statement, you add, “ the relation wo
have sustained towards each other, authori
zes mo to demand an immediate answer.
To tins inquiry preferred tin a matter of
right, und presented in the form of a demand,
my answer must ho brief. It consists in tho
simple denial of the claim which you ussert.
1 cannot recognize your right to interrogate
me, concerning the statements of the 'Iolo
graph, or of any other public journal, which
are made without my agency. You might
with equal propriety select an article from
any newspaper in the Union, for the purpose
of putting mo to tho auestion—and if the
claim which you assert bo well founded, 1
might bo required at the instance of any per
son aggrieved to give my confession of'fnith,
in relation to the various statements to bo
found in any of tho journals, in which iny
namo may chance to ho mentioned. Such a de
mand, therefore,cannot bcuduultcd fur a mo
ment. But although 1 cannot recognize your
right, either as derived from the relation
winch wo have sustained tuwards each other,
or from any other source, to inako tho de
mand presented by your note, I am not quits
sure, looking to the position in which we
si and before the public, that I cun acquit
myself to thu community or to myself for du
el ling to answer your inquiry.
In the progress of those events which have
nt length resulted ill the dissolution ofthe
Cabinet, iny determination Inis been not to
to do any act which was calculated to pro
voke controversy, nor to deviate under what
ever urgency from that line of conduct,
winch my own sense of propriety prescribed.
Acting upon this determination, I have ne
cessarily put sued u course, which a refusal
to unswer your inquiry, might seem to indi
cate an unwillingness tu avow. 8uch an in
ference would lie unjust ns it regards myself,
and delusivo in relation to the public. Al
though therefore I have the most unaffected
reluctance to enter upon such a subject, and
certainly do not acquiescent your right todo-
mand it, it scorns to mo that you have by ma
king the inquiry, imposed upon ino the obli
gation to do so, from a just consideration of
the reasons mentioned in my reply, I thought
it was proper tostutc to you what 1 had done,
in relation to this matter. To do thi6 wan
the only object of that note.
You are quite right, however, in believing
that I had no agency in procuring thu publi
cation of tho statement referred to. And
adverting to the spirit of your lust note, I
have no hesitation in thus confirming the con
viction whicli you hnvu expressed.
I un rcepoctlully,
JN. .MACPHERSON BERRIEN.
To J. II. Eaton, Esq,
Shortly ufter this, I received a letter from
Col. Johnson, which, with my reply, I feel
mvsolf hound now to give to tho public. I
have anxiously desired to delay this until I
could receive Col. JoIiiihoii’h answer. Per
haps I have wailed long enough; for my re
ply, according to the memorandum winch 1
nave of it, was dated on the 7th instant.
But it is not this circumstuncc which has
determined me. Col. Johnson has furnished
to the editor ofthe Globe a statement full or
orthorwise, of what passod between Messrs.
Branch and Inghum und myself and himself,
on the occasion so often referred to. Ex
tracts from this statement are usud to do me
injustice. This is done, to be sure, with
out the authority of Col Johnson, hut he has
furnished the moans winch urethua impm,-
rriy usud and I have no alternative but to
give the correspondence, or submit to con
tinued misrepresentation. I publish Col
Johnson's letter, ns an act nt justice to him
that the public may be in ftill possession of
his statement. My reply follows ; and af
ter this tho letter and statement of Mr. leg-
ham to whom, as well as to Mr. Branch,!
forwaided a copy of Col. Johnson's letter.
From Mr. Branch I have received no reply—
owing us 1 suppose, to Ins ubscucu from
homo.
Colonel II. ill. Johnson to Messrs. Berrien
und Ingham.
Great Crossing, 30th June, 1831.
Gentlemen: Tho Telegraph has alluded
to some communication made to yon by a
member of Congress, authorised by the
President—the substance of winch is that
the President wished to coerce a social in
tercourse between your families und Mrs
Eaton. I see the Globe denies it. 1 have
thought it barely possible that the allusion
could bo made to me, because if I had ever
communicated such an idea, I should have
done the most palpable,gross, and wanton in
justice to the President ; for he disclaimed,
President, from motives of regard for all par
ties. 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 suc
cessively given lari/e parties to’ which Mrs. E.
had not been invited—and while you dis
claimed any disposition on his part to require
an intimacy between our families ami that of
the 11th inst., which you h «vc no doubt seen, or any other power which I could resist,
reached me before my Jotter wus mailed, and ; I could submit to such control I should be un-
arrested its progress. These articles, as far worthy of my station, and would despise my
they relate to this subject, bear on their self. That it was eminently doe to the char*
fuco tne evidence of having been authorized
by General Jackson nud yourself, and leave
mono choice as to the publication of my state
ment. The article, which I supposed to have
been authorized by you, shows that you have
also taken a different view of this matter since
your letter to iac before referred to was writ
ten. I could not otherwise reconcile your
remonstrance against a publication of what
you then deemed a confidential conversation,
with the authority alleged by the Globe, to
publish your denial ofthe statement alluded
to; at least, without a previous interchange
of recollections between all the parties coil-
corned. I do not, however, concur with you
Major Eaton, you added, that lio would in in the opinion that there ever was any tbli-
on all occasions, any right, or desire, or in
future expect that at least sn such occasions
ad that to which you had referred, (that is to
suy, when large or general parties were giv
en,) that Mrs. E. should be invited. 1 re
plied to you that not having been previously
advised ofthe intention to hold th.s interview
—having had no conference with the other
gentlemen, I must be considered solely res
ponsible for wlmt I was about to sny. I then
observed that I would not permit the Presi
dent or any other man to regulate the social
intercourse of myself or family—and that if
such u requisition was persevered in, I would
retire from office. You expressed your re
gret at the t» riiis of this answer—and I re
marked that it was indifferent to me in what
terms it was conveyed, provided the sub
stance was retained—but that from this I
would not depart, i understood you to dis-
claun any intention on the part of the Presi
dent to require un intimate intercourse he
tWi cn the families of Messrs. Branch, and
Ingham, and myself, and that of Major Eaton
but to express with equal cluarm ss his ex'
pod at ion thnt when v;o gave largo oi gene
ral parties Mrs. E. should be invited—and it
was my purpose to deny altogether his right
to interfere in this matter. Tho replies of
the other gentlemen were, according to iny
recollection, anbstaiitiully the same—but I
shall enclose copies of your letter to them,
mid leave them to speak for themselves.
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 dispo
sition was instantly to resign ihy office. In
consenting to retain it, I \ ielded to the opin
ions of those in whose judgment 1 had confi
dence, und to my sense of wliat was due to
the interests of Georgia, ut tlmt particular
juncture.
My remembrance of this conversation is
moreover confirmed by a recollection of what
occurred on my subsequent interview with
the President, iu which a particular reference
was made to it. When ho spoke of a com
bination between Messrs. Ingham and Branch
tuiuinii, to regulate the private or social in-
what 1 owe to myself and to the public. I | tercourse of Ins Cabinet. The President Imd
have then to slate to you, that up to the time
of your marriage, I hud not heard tho rumors,
which have since iu various forms, been pre
sented to thu public, and was ignorant of Mrs.
Eaton's relation to the society of thin place.
I accepted your invitation to bo present at
your wedding, therefore, with no distrust of
the propriety of my doing so, other than tlmt
which resulted from my own situation at that
f ieriod. You are yourself no doubt aware
low much that event, und your subsequent
introduction into thu Cabinet, made these ru
mours the subject of conversation. I could
not longer continue in ignorance of that which
was publicly and generally spoken of, and
it consequently became necessury for me,
embarrassed us the question vvhn, by tho otli-
ciul relation iu which we stood to each other,
to determine upon iny future conduct. In
doing this, it did not seem to me to be ne
cessary, to decide upon tho truth or falsehood
of the statements winch were made. It was
sufficient to ascertain the general sense of
the community of which I had recently be
come a member; and having done 60, to
conform to it. In tho winter of 18-30, ua 1
presume is known to you, I was culled upon
by a gentleman, who represented hitnsolf as
a ting, and wlioldoubt not did act, under the
authority of the President, to express with
precise reference to tins subject the regret
gatiou of secrecy imposed on me, or those as
sociated with ine, to he implied from the
friendly character of the conversation referred
to. Tho communication made to mo by you
that my continuance iu office would depend
upon the consent of my family to visit Mrs.
Eaton and invito her to their largo parties, I
considered at the time, though not so intend
ed by you, as in its nature offensive. It
could not, therefore, carry with it the confi
dential obligation which belongs to the usual
intercourse offriendship. I regarded the pro
position ns wounding to mv feelings, and had
determined to resign iny office even after you
informed me thnt Gen. Jackson had changed
his ground, from which I was only dissuaded
by the earnest remonstrances of the friends I
consulted, who urged, among ot her considera
tions, that although my personal rdpp ct for
the President might be impaired, my services
in the Department were for the country, and
wh le it was faithfully served, I could not be
unfuithful to tho Administration. A proposi
tion thus disposed of could he regarded as
any thing rather than imposing an obligation
offrendly confidence. Bull find un nddi-
t .onol reason for publication growing out of
your letter ; its npparent disagreement from
my statement, and its admonitory suggestions
and myself, lu exclude Mrs. E. from society,
been induced to believe that a part of his
Cabinet hud entered into a deep laid scheme
to drive Major Eaton from his Cabinet, and
of this ho complained. 1 did not huheveit
und as thu mutual friend of all concerned,
I proposed that I should have the opportuni
ty to converse with that portion of his Cab
inet before he Imd an interview with them,
und he acquiesced—and the interview which
Iliad with you, resulted, as 1 understood,
in u better understanding, und in fuel l con
sidered it a reconciliation. Whatever came
from me, upon the subject of a social inter
course, wus tho suggestions of my soli,
citutle to restore harmony among friends.
My object was peace and friendship. I have
never considered myself at liberty to say any
thing about this luter.iew except to a discreet
and confidential friend. I certainly should
not think any of the purties justified in repre
Renting for publication or newspapers, what
any of the other purties sjid, without submit
ting such statement for mutual examination ;
for the plain reason tlmt such conversations
ure so easily misunderstood. I may well
remuniber what I have said myself, but may
not so easily represent what you have said,
or intended to say. I have not myself seen
the necessity or propriety of any allusion in
newspapers, to our interview, which was a-
mong intimate and bosom friends, where the
1 claimed, ns matter of right, to know tin
names of the persons by whom such a repre
sentation had been made. He said the im
pression Imd bcun derived from the various
rumors winch had reached him; spoko ofthe
parties which had been given by those gen-
tleraen and myself, to which Mrs. E. had not
been invited—-and added that the reports
against her were foul calumnies. I reinon-
could not fail, whenever tho whole matter
acter of the President to have it known that
he did not interfere in such matters, and that
the course we had pursued was preservative
of his honor and political standing. I had ta-
ken my ground on mature reflection, os to
what wus due to my family, to my friends, and
to the Administration, without any prejudice
again.sl^iajor Eaton or his wife, and had ful
ly detcraHncd not to change it, whatever
might builio consequence.
Col. J said that he had been requested by
the President to have a conversation with the
Secretary ofthe Navy and the Attorney Gen
era! also ; but, from what 1 hud said, ho sup
posed it would be of • o avail. The president
had expressed a hope that our families would
have been willing to invite Mrs. Eutonto
their large parties to give the appearance of
un ostensi le intercourse, adding that he was
so much excited that lie won like a roaring
lion. lie hud heard that a lady of a foreign
minister had joined intiio conspiracy against
Mrs. Eaton, am! he had sworn that he would
send her und her husband home if he could
not put an end to such doings. 1 replied, thut
it could hardly be possible that, the President
contemplated such a step. Col. J. replied,
that he certainly did; and again remurked that
it seemed to he useless for him to see Mr.
Branch and Mr. Berrien. I told him thut each
of us had taken our course, upon our own
views of propriety, wirhout concert; and that
he ought uot to consider me us answering for
nny but myself. He then proposed that I
should meet him at Mr. Brunch’s, and invite
• Mr. Berrien, that evening at? o’clock ; which
was agreed to. Col. J. came to my house a-
bout 6, und we went up to Mr. Berrien’s, hav
ing first sent for Mr. Branch. On our wav to
Mr. Berrien’s, Col. .1. remarked that the Pro-
sident had informed him that he would invite
Mr. Bauch, Mr. Berrien, and myself, to meet
linn on the next Friday, when lie would inform
us, in the presence of Dr. Ely, of his determm
ation ; anu if we did not agree to comply with
shall he brought out, whicli is inevitable iu
tho present state of the public mind, to ex
pose me to the imputation of having shrunk
from doing what duty to my own character, if
not to the country, seemed to demand, l can
not therefore accord in your desire that no
publication shall he made, nny more than I
can in the views of the obligation of secrecy
which you have suggested. I would prefer,
however, to accompany the publication with
that of your letter of the 30lh ultimo, but not
huving received any intimation of your wish
es on that subject, it will require some delib
eration to determine what is most proper to
lie done in this particular. I can assure you
that this determination will be exclusively go-
verned by a desire lo do what, under all cir
cumstances, may appear most likely to meet
your own wishes. 1 have now only to add
that in making the statements of these con
versations, I have relied not merely on the
indelible impressions made on iny memory,
but on memoranda put on paper ut tho time.
I have not the slightest recollection or any
note of your having adverted to any fact or
circumstance alleged by General Jackson or
y mrself, as ev deuce of unkind feeling for,
much loss hostility to, or a conspiracy against
his wishes, he would' expect us to send in
winch he felt at the want of harmony, or of | conversation was free and unreserved, and
social intercourse among the members of his
Cabinet, and lo announce his determination
at any rate to have it. Messrs. Ingham and
Branch were present at thin interview. The
fact was distinctly stated that they and my
self had successively given very large parties
to which Mrs. Eaton Tiad uoi been invited.—
We were than told that on such occasions at
least the Precedent would expect m future a
social intercourse between our respective
families. There were various olher sugges
tions made during this conversation, but tho
recapitulation of them is not rendered neces
sary by your inquiry. 1 answered to this
Communication for myself, that I would noi
permit the President, nor any other individu
al to regulate the social intercourse of myself
or family—and that if such a requisition was
preserved in, l would retire from the official
situation which 1 held. In the interview to
which I was invited by the President some
few days afterwards, 1 frankly expressed to
him my views on this subject, and he dis-
claimed any disposition lo press such a re
qumition. I am not aware that any other
occasion has occuredin which the question of
an intercourse between your family und mine
has been presented to me or to uiy family.
I am, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
JOHN MACPHERSON BERRIEN.
To J. 11. Eaton, Esq
for tho object of pence and friendship. But
if any should consider it necessary, than the
st rated against Ins having adopted an opinion
dishonorable tu any member of If a Cubinet on
mere rumor, but expressly declined to dis-
cupb the question ofthe truth or falsehood of
tho reports to which he had referred—telling
him, that, without undertaking to decide
whether they were true or false, it wus my
purpose merely to conform to the general
sense of the community of which I hud be-
come a member; und that I could not be in
duced to change that determination. Tho
decision of the President not to pursue this
matter further, I understood nt the time to
have been produced by the representations of
some of Ins most int mate personal friends.
Such is my undemanding of the conver
sation referred to in your letter. I look to
it us the origin und continuing cause of the
distraction of the party, which lias thus lost
the means of doing much good which it
might have etTectod. But 1 am not dt sirens
lo bruit it to the world. If, without imputing
to mu tho ullugi'd want of harmony in the
Cubinet, my retirement is placed on tiie
ground of the President’s mere will, so
fur us I um concerned, it is well. I do not
dispute his right to exercise that as he
Major Eaton on the part of Mr. Branch, Mr.
Berrien, or myself, or of any want of harmo
ny in the Cabinet other than the simple and
isolated fac» that our families did not visit
Mrs. Eat' i and invite her to their parties.
Nor have I any note or recollection of any
proposition made by you to me individually,
or jointly with tho other gentlemen, ns a
means of removing tho alleged difficulties,
other than that our families, should visit Mrs.
Eaton, and invite her to their large parties.
1 cannot hut persuade myself that my state
ment will cull to mind matters which may
have escaped your recollection, and satisfy
your judgment that whatever may have been
the nature of your instructions, I could not
have understood them differently from what
I have.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
S. D. INGHAM.
lion. Richard M. Johnson.
srout object should be, to state tho coitverea- thinks fit; but, tor the sake of my children,
11 ml - ti.ftnit-n r*nn Itn nn in a! inn ' . .. ...... z
lion correctly ; for there can be no motive
to misunderstand tho fuels. For fear that
allusion should have been made to myself
us tho member of Congress, and believing it
barely possible that 1 may have been misun
derstood on the particular point alluded to,
1 have felt it my duty, and duo to that perfect
friendship which has ever existed between
us, to mukc known theso views, that the
proper correction maybe made, as a misun
derstanding, without the necessity of any for
ma.’ publication from either of us, and without
even a disclosure as to what member of Con
gress allusion was made.
Sincerely and truly your friend,
’ RICHARD M. JOHNSON.
Me®re. Ingham & Berkikn,
City of Washington.
Tho absence of Governor Branch lias been
the only cause why tins letter was nut also
addressed to him.
Mr. Berrien to Col. Johnson.
Washington, 7th July, 1831.
Dear Sir,—Yours of the 30th ult. address
ed jointly lo Mr. Ingham and myself has been
duly received. I have noted your v iew of the
occurrence to which it refers, with a perfect
disposition to meet you in the spirit of frank-
l will not submit to the continued misrepre
sentations of the public journals. The best
legacy 1 have lo bequeath them is tho untar
nished reputation of their father. I can easi
ly conceive, also, that a state of things may
exist, in winch n sense of duty to the public
will compel me to speak. But 1 hope such
an emergency will not arise.
I ought perhaps to add, that, I have alrea
dy stated to Major Eaton the substance of
this, so far as it was necessary to answer a
call which he made upon me, to avow or dis
avow the statement in the Telegraph, that
my family had refused to associate with his.
It was not necessary, however, to mention
your name, and it was consequently not men
tioned. I spoke of the interview as having
been had with "a gentleman who represent
ed himself as acting, and who I doubt not did
act under the authority of the President.”—
Having now replied to your letter, I will only
add, that, should our recollections differ, I
shall regret it. But that 1 have taken great
care not to put down any thing which is not
distinctly impressed upon mine.
I am, dear sir, respectfully, yours,
JOHN MACPHERSON BERRIEN.
lion. R. M. Johnson.
Mr. Inouvm’s Statement, a copy of which
wus enclosed in his letter to Col. Johnson.
On Wednesday, the 27th of January, 1830,
Col. Johnson of Kentucky, waited on mo in
the Treasury Department, and after some pre
liminary conversation, in which he expressed
his great regret that my family, and that of
Mr. Branch und Mr. Berrien, did not visit Mrs.
Euton, lie said that it had been a subject of
great excitement with the President who had
come to the determination of having harmo
ny in his Cabinet by some accommodation of
this matter. He, Col. Johnson, waa the
friend of us all, and had now come at the re
quest of the President to sco whether any
thing could be done: who thought that when
our Ladies gave parties they ought to invite
Mrs. Eaton, and as they liad never returned
her call, if they would leave tho first card, and
open a formal intercomse in that way, the
President would be satisfied, but unless some
thing wns done of this nature, he had no doubt,
indeed ho knew, that the President was resol
ved to lmve ha inonv, and would probably re
move Mr. Branch, Mr. Berrien, and inyself.
I replied to Col. Johnson, that in all matters
of official business, or having any connection
therewith, 1 considered myself bound to main
tain an open,frank,and harmonious intercourse
with the gentlemen 1 was associated with.—
That the President had a right to expect the
exertion of iny| best fuculties, and the em
ployment of my time, in the public servioe.—
As to the f&milv of Mr. Eaton, } felt an obli-
•ur resignations. l)pon our airival at M
Berrien’s, Col. J. renewed the subject in pre
sence of him and Governor Branch, and re
peated HuliH'antially, though, I thought, rather
more qiiulitirdly, what he had suid to me.—
He did not go so much into detail, nor do I
recollect whether lie mentioned the President
remarks as to the lady above mentioned and
Dr.Ely—those gentlemen will better recollect.
Mr. Branch und Mr. Berrien replied, as une
quivocally us 1 had done, that they would ne-
r consent to have the social relations of
their families controlled bv any power what
ever but their own. Mr. Branch, Mr. Berri
en, und myself, went tho same evening to a
party at Col. Towson’s, where a report was
current that we were to be removed 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 evening, and told us positively that
the President had finally determined on our
removal from office, unless we agreed at once
that oiy families should visit Mrs. Euton, and
invite her to their,large parties ; and that he
had made up hismmd to designate Mr. Dick
ies to take ciiarge ofthe Treasury Department,
& Mr. Kendall to take charge ofthe Navy Do'
partment, and would find at Attorney General
somewhere. 1 observed th it my course was
fixed, & could not be changed for ull the offices
in the President’s gift ; und it made no more
difference to nie than to any other person whom
the President designated to take my place.
In tho evening ofthe same day, Col. J. called
ugnin,and informed me tlmt he hud just been
with the President, who had drawn up a pa
per explanatory of what he had intended and
expected of us ; that some of Ins Tennessee
friends had boon with him for several hours :
that his passion had subside), und he had en
tirely changed his ground : He would net in
sist on our families visiting Mrs. Eaton ; he
only wished us to assist in putting dmvu the
slanders against her; that he believed her in
nocent, and he thought our fntnilics ought to
do wliat they could to sustain her, if they
could not visit her ; and tlmt he wished to see
mo the next day. Col. J. added that the
President had been exceedingly excited for
several days, but was now perfectly calm and
mild. The next day I waited on the Presi
dent, and opened the subject by stating that
Col. Johnson had informed me that lie wished
to see me ; to which he assented, and went
into n long argument to show how innocent
a woman Mrs. Eaton wns, and how much she
hud been persecuted, and mentioned the
names of a number of ladies who had been
active in this persecution, and that the lady
of a foreign minister was ulso one ofthe con
spirators ; adding thut he would send her and
her husband home, and teach him and hie
master that the wife of a member of his cabi
net was not to be thus treated ; that Mrs. E.
wns as pure and chaste us Mrs. Donelson’s
infant daughter, but there was a combination
here among a number of lad es, not those of
the Heads of Departments, to drive her out
of society, and to drive her husband out of of-
fice ; but he would be cut into inch pieces on
the rack, before he would suffer him or his
wife to be injured by their vile culumnies ;
thnt he was resolved to have harmony in his
cabinet, and he wished us to join in putting
down the slanders against Mrs. Eaton. I ob
served to the President, that I had never con
sidered it incumbent on me to investigate the
character of Mrs. Eaton ; such a service did
not, in my judgment, come within the scope
of my duties to the government; it belonged
to society alone to determine such mutters.
The power of the Administration could not
change the op nion ofthe community, even if
it could be properly used to control the rcla-
I saw no ground, thcr< fore, for the least
change on my part in this respect. To which
the President replied, in a changed tone,that
he had the most entire confidence in mv in
tegrity and capacity |in executing the duties
ofthe Department, and expressed his perfect
satisfaction, in that respect, with rey whole
conduct; he had never supposed for a mo
ment that my official acts had been influen
ced in the least degree by any unkind feelings
towards Major Eaton ; and he did/iuUoean to
insist ou our fainiles visiting Mrs. Eaton : He
had been much excited, for some time past,
by tho combination against her,and he wished
us to aid him in putting down their slanders,
adding that she was excluded from most of
the invitations lo parties ; and, when invited,
she wus insultod; that the lady of a foreign
minister before referred to hau inbulted her
at Huron Krudener’s party. 1 remarked,that
some injustice might be done to thnt lady on
that occasion, nltliougli she might not choose
to associate with Mrs. Euton, 1 did not think
she intended to insult her ; sfte might have
supposed that there was some design, not
altogether respectful to herself, in the offer
of the attendance to 6upper of the Secretary
of War, whose wife she did not visit, instead
of that of the Secretary of State, which, ac
cording to the usual practice she probably con
sidered herself entitled to. 1 was present, &
saw most of what had happened. She evi
dently thought herself aggrieved at something
but acted with much dignity on the occasion.
I saw no appearance of im-ult offered to Mrs.
Eaton. He replied tha' he had been fully
informed, and knew all about it; and but
for icrtain reasons which he mentioned
he would have sent the foreign Minister be
fore referred to, and his wife, home imme
diately. After sor.e further conversation on
this and other matters, in which I considered
the President ns 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 which he
expressed himself in terms of personal kind
ness towards me, I took my leave. He did not
show me, or read, any paper on the subject.
The public will now, I tiiink.be ut no loss
to determine upon the true atute of tho facts
of this cuse. Mr. Inghuin’s very full state
ment is taken from notes made at the time,
and winch wore shown to me shortly after
they were made. In repeated conversations
with Mr. Brunch, our recollections were
found to concur. The transaction was of a
nature calculated to awaken all my attention,
and lo impress itself indelibly upon mv memo
ry. I claim no benefit, therefore, from any
supposed imperfectio of this faculty, and ex
pect to bo believed, because I speak the truth.
In relation to the statement that the paper
drawn up in the hand-writing of tho Presi
dent wuh shown to me, tho denial of which I
most explicitly repeat, if charity is to perform
her holy office in reconciling these conflict
ing assertions, it is much more easy to be
lieve that the memory of tho President may
have failed on this occasion. He saw anil
conversed with various persons on this sub
ject, and has to rely upon his memory for the
fact of having shown this paper to different
individuals. Each of those individuals is
required only to speak for himself. The
nature of the transaction was such that it
could not have escaped the recollection of
cither of them.
It was impossible if such a paper had been
shown, not to have demanded, and to have
persevered in the demand VoFhave the names
of tho persons, on whose information the re
quisition was made. No ono would have
consented lo have the conditions on which
he should continue hi office prescribed to him,
on the ground of a combination, the evidence
of which rested on mere rumor. An inqui
ry must liuve been the consequence, and the
transaction could not only not have been for
gotten by the parties, but would thus have
become known to others. 1 would not my
self have retained my office a moment after
such a paper was exhibited to me. I will
not question tho intention ofthe President
to have shewn this paper to me, nor his be
lief that he did so ; but that he did not do so ,
is certain. Those who know me will not
doubt the sincerity of this declaration, and an
impartial community will, l trust, perceive
no sufficient motive to be deduced, either
from my character, or the circumstances of
this transaction, for t he belief of intentional
misrepresentation on my part.
An any rate, I have discharged my duty,
by bearing this testimony to the truth. I
know to know to what it subjects ine ; but I
rely upon the discernment and the integrity of
my countrymen, and will abide tho result.
JOHN MACPHERSON BERRIEN.
Washington, July 22, 1331.
FROM TIIE'u.S. TELEGRAPH OF SATURDAY
I.VEN1NO.
TO THE EDITOR•
Wasiiinotcn, 23d July, 1831.
Sir : In my coniinnication to the public,
'liirh nnum I roc in ill a M i > 11 1 T». n ll! — _
which appeares in the National Intelligencer
of this morning, I mentioned that 1 had not
yet heard from Mr. Branch, to whom I had
forwarded & copy of Col. Johnson’s letter.
I have now to state that, by the mail of this
morning I received a letter from Mr. Branch,
dated the 20th instant, in which he says—
“You can very well imagine my surprise,
on reading the Colonel’s [Johnson’s] letter
from what you yourself experienced. My
recollections of tho interview will most
abundantly corroborate all that you have
said.”
I am, very respectfully, Sir,
Your ob't servant,
JOHN MACPHERSON BERRIEN.
To the Editors of the Telegraph.