Newspaper Page Text
Mr. Branch. I forwarded a copy of Col.
Johnson's letter. From -Mr. Brunch I
hive received no reply—owing, as 1
Suppose, to his absence from home.
Colonel It. M. Joaneon to Messrs. BrrrUn nnJ
/ ighun
Great Croesinc*, 3i'lh June, 1831.
Gcn'lemen: The Telegraph has alluded lo
s- me c uum'iUiCilim iu.ule l iyun by a member
of authorized bv '.lie President—Hie
s bstaune of winch is. that the President wished
t * roeico a social intercourse between your fa-n
--ilics ana Mrs Eaton I see the Globe denies it.
I have tho ghl it barely possible that the al u
■si .11 could be made to me, because if I had ever
communicated such an idea, I should have done
the most palpable, gross, and wanton injustice
to the President; for he discJaimoa on all occa
sions. env right, or desire, or intention, to regn
late tin* piivute or social intercourse of liiscabi
net. The President had been induced to bc
ii ve that a part of his cabinet had entered into
n deep laul scheme to drive Major Eaton from
his cabinet, and of this he complained. I did
not believe it, and, as the mutual friend of ail
conccmed. / proposed that I should have the op
portunity to converse with that portion of h s
cabinet bef.re he had an interview with them,
and he acquiesced—and the interview- which I
had with von, resulted, as I understood, in a
better understanding, and in fact I considered it
a reconciliation Whatever came from me, up
on the subject of a social intercourse, was the
suggestions of mi/ solicitude to restore harmony
a mug friends My object was peace i,V friend
ship l have never considered myself at liberty
to say any thing about this interview except to
a discreet and confidential friend. I certainly
should not think any of Ihe parties justified in
representing for publication or newspapers, what
any of the other parties said, without submit
ting such statement for mutual xammation;
for the plain reason that such convcisations are
so easily misunderstood I may well remember
what 1 have said myself, but may not so easily
Jopresen' what you have said, or intended to
say. 1 have not myself seen the necessity or
propriety of any allusion in the newspapers, to
our interview, which was among intimate and
bosom friends, where the conversation was free
and unreserved, an I for the object of peace and
friendship But if anv should consider it n.ices
snrv, then the great object should be, to state
tiio con versa’i n correctly; for there can be i.o
motive to rnisnndor-tand the facts. For fear
that allusion should have been made to myself,
as the member of Congress, and beli- ving it
bardy possible that l may have been misunder
stood on the particular point alluded to, 1 have
felt it my duty and due to that perfect friend
ship uwich has cvei existed between us, to
m ike known these views, that the proper cor
rection may be made, as a misunderstanding,
with ut the necessity of any formal publication
from either f us. and without even a disclosure
as to what member of congress allusion was
made
Sincerely and truly your friend,
RICHARD M. JOHNSON.
Messrs. Inoha* »V Berrien,
vit of Washington.
The absence of Governor Rranch has boon
the only cause why this letter was not also ad
dressed to him.
Mr. Berrien to Cot Johnson.
Washington, 7th July, 1831.
Dear Sir:--Yoursof the 30th ult addressed
jointly t<> Mr. I ogham and mvself has been duly
received I have rioted t our view of the occur
rence to which it refeis, with a perfect disposi
tion to meet y u in the s >iiil of frankues. and
of good feeling, which is expressed in your let
ter. It is an evidence of my reluctance to en
gage in controversy, that I have abstained from
going before the public, notwithstanding Ilie
multiplied misrepresentations with which 'he
newspapers are tcoining I still desire to avoid
this necessity—but as circumstances beyond rnv
Control may render it indispensable. 1 acquiesce
with loss reluctance, in the interchange of re
collections which you propose
lan to speak of what oc urred at the inter
view which took piano between you, Messrs
Branch and Ingham, and myself, at rny house
You had as 1 after wards understood, held previ
eus conversations on the same subject with one
or both of tho-e gentlemen, but I was perfectly
unprepared for the interview, until the moment
when you announced its object at my hou-e
The impression made by your annunciation was
such as n-1 to be easily elf teed from my memo
ry You began by expressing the friendly re
gyfj which you fel fir those gentlemen and my
self, and by stating that this was the motive for
your interference You told us that an impress
ion had been made upon the mind of the Presi
dent that a combination existed between Messrs.
Ingham, and Branch, and iriyscif, to exclude
Mrs. Eu n from the society of Washington—
that he was excited by this representation, con
sul-ring it as an attempt to wound him through
Major Eaton —that the President had seen with
pain ho want of harmony among the members
of hts Cabinet —that he was determined to have
'harmony, and that his determination would be
announced lo us in tho course o tho week.
You added that you had in the mean time sought
this interview with the approbation of tho Prcs-
ident, frimi motives of regard for all parties
You mentioned. as circumstances which liad
contributed to produce this impression on the
mind of the President, that Vie srs B.anch,
and Ingham, and myself, had successively giv
enlarge parties to which Vlrs K. had not been
in tied -and while vou disclaimed any disposi
tion on bis part to require an intimacy between
our fa nili-s and that of Major Eaton, you added
that lie would in future expect that at least on
such occasions as that to which you had reterr
ed, (that i; to say, when large or general parties
were given.) that Mrs. E should he invited. I
replied to you that not having been previously
advised of the intention to mid this interview
having had no conference with the other gentle
men 1 must bo considered solely responsible for
what 1 was about to say. 1 then observed that
I would not per mit the President or any oilier
:nan to regulate the social intercourse of myself
or family—and that if such a requisition was por
seveied in i would retire from ofHoo Y>u ex
pressed your regret at the terms of thi< answer
—and I remarked that it was indifferent to me
in what terms it vat conveyed provided the sub
stance war retained—b it that from this 1 would
not depart. I understood you to disclaim any
intention on the part of the President toyeq lire
an i itimile iuterc misc between the families of
Messrs Blanch, anil Ingham, and invselt, and
that of Maj ir Eaton, hut to express With equal
clearne-s lu< expectation that when we gave
large or gen -ral parties Mrs. i‘,. should be invi
ted—and ii was mv puroo e to denv altogether
his right to interfere in this matter. The re
plies of the nth r gentlemen were, arc .rding to
inv recollection, substantially the same—but I
shall eucln-u copies of your letter to them, and
leave them ti speak fir themselves.
The impression which this conversation made
upon mv m;nd is clear and distinct; and it is not
probable that u could have liecn effaced from
my memory M own disposition was instant
ly to osign my office In consenting t . retain
»*. I welded to the opinions of th sc in w iinse
judgn. ni I had confidence, and t * my sense o|
wliil im os. to the ml reds of Georgia, al
4hat particular juncture
Mv r «.no ibrnice ot this conversation is
more iv r c iifirmed by » recode.;lion of what
■oca irre.l on my *lweq icnt —tcrview with the
Pr-sident, in which a paitiettla* . rc tee was
in ilnto n Wh in lie spoke o ae .
h■’ icon Mes r* lugha.ii and Brahe h am >v .,
s If. i' xetud • Ir.- B f' Ml society, I e|a. i|e4
as natter ..fright, to know the name* of thc
perenns hi whom such a repres ut ition h ui lewn
made He said the impression had been dsn
vctl from *hc various runucs which had reached
him; spoke of the parties which had been given
by those gentlemen and myself, to which .Mrs.
E: had not licen invited— and added that tho re
ports against her were foul calumnies. I rcman
strated against iu.s having adopted an opinion
dishonorable to any member of bis cabinet on
mere rumor, but expressly declined to discuss
the question of the truth or falsehood of the re
ports to which he had referred —telling hun that
without unde.-iking to decide whether they
were true or false, it was my purpose merely to
conform to tf»o general sense of the comma nily
of which 1 had become a member; and that I
could not be induced to change that determina
tion The decision of the President not to pur
sue this matter further, I understood a* the time
to iiavc been produced by the representations of
some of his most intimate peieona! friends.
Such is iny understanding of the conversa
tion teferred to in your letter 1 look to it as
the origin and c mliuuing cause of the distrac
tion of the party, which has thus lost the meat s
of Joing much good which it might have effect
ed. But lam not desirous to bruit it to tin
world. If, without imputing to me the alleged
want of harmony in the cabinet, me retirement
is placed on the ground of the President s mere
will, so far as I am concerned, it swell. I do
not dispute his tight to exercise that as lie thinks
til. but, for the sake of my children, I will not
submit to tho continued misrepresentations of
the public journals. Thebes' legacy I have to
bequeat h them is tho untarnished reputation of
their father. I can easily eonecive, also, that a
state of things may exist, in which a sense ofdn
ty to the public will co ipol me to speak. But
1 hope such an emergency will not arise.
1 ought perhaps to add, that I have already
stated to .Major Eaton the substance of this, so
far as it was necessary to answer a ealL which
lie made upon ine to avow or dsiavow the state
ment in the Telegraph, that iny family had re
fused to associate with Ins. It was not neces
sary, ho \ ever to mention your name, and it
was consequently not mentioned 1 spoke of
the interview as having been had with -a gen
tleman who represented himself as acting, and
who I doubt not did act under the authority of
t.e President ” Having now replied to your
letter, 1 will only- add, that, should our recollec
tions diffor, 1 shall regret it. But that i have
taken great care not to put down any thing
which is not distinctly impressed upon mine.
1 am, dear sir, respectfully, yours,
JN. M \CPHERSON BERRIEN
Hon. R M Johnson.
Mr. Ingham to Col. Johnson
Ne v Hope. July IS, 1831
Dear Sir: I have received a copy ofyourlet
tcr of the 30th ult. to Mr Berrien and myself,
forwarded by him from Washington, relatimr to
an allegation made in the n -yvspapers, that Gen
Jackson had required, through a member of
Congress of Messrs Branc , Berrien, and my
self, that our families should associate with Mrs
Eaton 1 had also noticed the publication in the
Telegraph to which you refer, and another of
the same import m a Yew York paper of an ear
lier date, and supposing it probable, in the exis
ting state of the public mind, that the discuss
ion tvould take such a range as to involve all tlie i
parties to that transaction in the necessity of
making explanations, I had commenced tlie pre
paration o' copies of a statement of the conver
sation which you have referred to; as well as
that between you and me, as that between Gon.
Jackson and myself on tlie sain- subject, inten
ding, as soon as they could be completed, to
send one to him and another to yourself. Upon
the receipt of your letter, f immediately wrote
vo an te, expressing an intention to wait for J
tho further comparison of our recollections he- i
fore I made any determination as to the dtsposi- |
tinn of rny statement. But two articles in the !
Globe of the 1 Ith inst which you have no doubt |
seen, reached me -lefore inv letter was ma led. j
and arre ted its progress. These articles, as i
fir as they relate to this subject, bear on ihetr
face the evidence of having been authorized by
(iencra! Jackson and yourself, and leave menu
choice as to the publication of my statement
The article which I supposed to have been au
thorized by you, snow- that you have also ta
ken a different view of this natter since your
letter to me before referred to was written I
could not otherwise reconcile your remon
strance against a publication of what you then
deemed a confidential conversation, with the au
thority alleged by the Gloie to publish your de
nial of the statement alluded to; at least with
out a previous interchange of recollections be
tween all the parties concerned Ido not, how
ever, concur with you in the opinion that there
ever was any obligation of secrecy imposed on
ine, or those associated with me, to bo implied
from the friendly character of the conversation
referred to The communication made to me by
you that my continuance in office would depend
upon the consent of my family to visit .rs Ea
ton and invite her to their large parties, I con
sidered at the tune, though not so intended by
you, as in its nature offensive. It could not,
therefore cany with it the confidential obltga
t.on which belong- to the usual intercourse of
friendship 1 regarded the proposition as woun
ding to inv feelings, and had determined lo re
sign my office even aller you informed me that
Gen Jackson had changed his ground, from
which I was only dissuaded by the earnest re
monstrances of the friends I consulted who ur
ged, among other considerations that although
iny personal respect for the President might be
impaired, iny services in the Department were
for the country, and while it was faithfully set v
ed. I could not be unfaithful to the Administra
tion. A proposition thus disposed of could be
regaidedas any thing rather than imposing an
obligation of Iricndlv confidence But 1 find an
additional reason for publication growing out of
your letter; its apparent disagreement fiom iny !
statement, and its admonitory suggestions could
m.t fail, whenever the whole matter shall be !
brought out, which is inevitable in the p csent
state of the public mind, t expose ine to the
imputation of having sh-unk from doing what
duty to my own character, if not to the country,
sec ned to demand. I cannot therefore accord ir>
your desire that no publication shall Ire made, a
nv more than I can in the views of the obliga
tion of secrecy which you have suggested I
would prefer, however, to accompany the publi
cation with that of vour letter of the 3uth ulti
iiio, hut not having received any intimation of
Vour wish on that subject, it will require some
deliberation to determine what is Hirst proper
to be done in this particular 1 can assure you
that ’.ltis determination will he exclusively gov
emed by a desire to do what, und* r all Circum
s ances, may appear most likely to meet your
own wishes have now only t> add that in
m iking the statements of these e mversations, f
a ive relied not merely on the indelhbic impres
sions made on my memory, hut on memoranda
put on paper at the time I have not the slight
est recollection or any note of your liar mg adver
ted to any fact or circumstance alleged by Gen
eral Jackson or yourself, as evidence of unkind
feeling for. much less hostility to, or a conspi
racy against Major Eaton on the part of Mr.
Branch. Mr Berrien, or my,eif. or of any want
ofhar rionv in the Cabinet ether than the sim
ple and isolated fact, that our families did not
visit \lrs Eaton and invite her to their parlies
Nor have I any note r recollection of any nro
position made by you to me individually,or joint
ly with the other gentlemen as a ..cans of rc
moving the alie ed difficulties. other loan that
oji families should visit Mrs. Eat m. and invite
her to their large parties, | cannot but persuade
myself that my statement will cail to mind mat
ters which mar hive escaped your recollection,
| and satisfy your judgment that whatever mat
j nave been tlie natnr- of our instructions I
! could not have understood dilf-rentl, from what
,< have.
* 'v<- the honor to be, verv respectfully you r
.j * U INGHAM
| llu “ oM. Jou.aoe
| Mr. INo ham's Statement, a copy of which
teas enclosed in his letter to Col. Joh.Y
so.v.
On Wednesday, the 27th of January'
1831, Col. Johnson of Kentucky, waited
, °tt me in the Treasury Department, and
I after some preliminary conversation, in
which he expressed Ins great regret that
t iny family, and that of Mr. Branch and
Mr. Berrien, did not visit Mrs. Eaton, he
j said that it had been a subject of great
j excitement with the President, who had
! come to the determination of having har
| mony in Itis Cabinet by some accommo
| datiou of this matter. He, Col Johnson,
was the friead of tis all, and had now
| come at the request of the president to
see whether any thing could be dons; who
thought that when our Ladies gave par
ties 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 intercourse in that way, the pre
sident would he satisfied, but unless some
thing was done of this nature, he had no
doubt, indeed he knew, that tlie president
i Wits resolved to have harmony, and would
1 probably remove Mr. Branch, Mr. Ber
rien, and myself. I replied to Col. John
son, that in all matters of official business,
or having any connection therewith, 1
considered myself bound to maintain an
open, frank, and harmonious intercourse
with the gentlemen 1 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 ser
! vice. As to the family of Mr. Eaton, 1
felt an obligation on me not to say any
thing to aggravate the difficulties which
he labored under, but to observe total si
lence and neutrality in relation to the re
ports about his wife, and to inculcate the
same coarse as to rnv family, and if any
other representations had been made to
the President they were false. Having
prescribed to myself this rule, and always
acted upon it, I had done till that the pre
sident had a right to expect. That the
society of Washington was liberally or- j
ganized; there was but one circle, into
which every person of respectable char
acter disposed to he social was readily ad
mitted, without reference to the circum
stance of birth, fortune, or station which
\ operated in many other places. That we
' had no right to exert ofiieial power to reg- j
ulatc its social intercourse. That Mrs.
Eaton had never been received by the so
ciety here, and it did not become 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 ot Itis own character, to interfere in
such matters. But if he chose to exert
his jMiwcr to force my family to visit any
body they did not choose to visit, he was
interfering with that which belonged to
me, and no human power should regulate
the social intercourse of my family, by
means of official or any other power which
I could resist. If I could submit to such
control I should he unworthy of nty sta
tion, and would despise myself. That it
was eminently due to the character 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 taken my ground on mature reflec
tion, as to what was due to my family, to
my friends, and to the Administration,
without any prejudice against Major Ea
ton or his wife, and had fully determined
not to change it, whatever might be the
consequence.
Col. J. said that he had been requested
by the President to have a conversation
with the Secretary of the Navy and the
Attorney General also; but, from what I
had said, he supposed it would be of no
avail. The president had expressed a
hope thnt our families would have been
willing to invite Mrs. Eaion to their large
parties, to give the appearance of an os
tensible intercourse, adding that he was
so much excited that he was like a roar
ing lion. He had heard that the lady of
a foreign minister had joined in the con
spiracy against Mrs. Eaton, and he had
sworn that he would send her and her hus
band home if he could not put an end to
such doings. I replied,that it could hard
ly be possible that the president contem
plated such a step. Col. J. replied, that
he certainly did; and again remarked that
it seemed to be useless for him to see Mr.
Branch and Mr. Berrien. I told him that
each of us had taken our course, upon
our own views of propriety, without con
cert; and that he ought not to consider
tne as answering for any but myself, lie
then proposed that I should meet him at
Mr. Branch’s, and invite Mr. Berrien,
that evening at 7 o’clock; w hich was a
greed to. Col. J. came to mv house h
hout 6, and we went tip to Mr. Berrien’s,
having first sent for Mr. Branch. On our
w «y to Mr. Berrien’s, Col. J. remarked
that the President had informed him that
he would invite .Mr. Branch, Mr. Berri
en, and myself, to meet him on the next
Friday, when he would inform us, in the
presence of Dr. Ely, of his determination;
and if w e did not agree to comply with
his wishes, he would expect us to send in
our resignations. Upon our arrival at
Mr. Berrien’s, Col. J. renewed the sub
ject m presence of him and Gov. Branch,
and repeated substantially, though, I
thought, rather more qualified, what he
had said to me. He did not go so m ch
into detail, nor do 1 recollect whether he
mentioned the President’s remarks as to
the l-idjr above mentioned and Dr. El v—
those gentlemen will better recollect, Mr.
Branch and Mr. Berrien replied, unequiv
ocally as I had done, that they would
never consent to have the social relations
of their fannies controlled bv anv (tower
whatever hut their own. Mr. B inch,
Mr. Berrien, and myself, went the same
evening to a party nt CoL Towson’s
where a report was current that we were
to be removed fortwitli, of which i had no
doubt at the time. The next morning
Col. J. came to tuy house, and said lie
! 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 our families should visit Mrs.
1 Eaton and invite her to their large parties;
and that lie had made up Ins mind to de
' signate Mr. Dicksons to take charge of
the Treasury Department, and Mr. Ken
dall to take of the .Navy Department, and
would find an Attorney General some
where. I observed that my course was
fixed, and could not he changed for all
the offices in the President’s gift: and it
made no more difference to me than to u
ny other person whom the President de
signated to take my place. In the eve
ning 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 what he had intended and
expected of tis ; that some of his Tennes
see friends had been with luin for several
hours ; that his passion had subsided, and
lie had entirely changed his ground : lie
would not insist on our families visiting
Mrs. Eaton; he only wished us to assist
putting down the slanders against Iter:
that he believed her inocent, and he
thought our families ought to do what
they could to sustain her, if they could not
visit her; and that he wished to see me
the next day. Col. J. added that the
President had been exceedingly excited
several days, but was now perfectly calm
ami mild. The next day I waited on the
President, and opened the subject by sta
ting that Col. Johnson had informed me
that he wished to see me ; to which he as
sented, and went into a long argument to
show how innocent a woman M rs. Eaton
was, and how much she had been perse
cuted, mentioned the names of a number
ot ladies who had been active in this per
secution, and that the lady of a foreign
minister was also one of the conspirators ;
adding that he would send her and her
husband home, and teach him and his
master that the wife of a member of his
Cabinet was not to be thus treated ; that
Mrs. E. was as pure and chaste as .Mrs.
Donelsori’s infant daughter, hut there was
a combination here among a number of
ladies, not those of the Heads of Depart
ments, 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,
before he would suffer him or his wife to
be injured by their vile calumnies; that
he was resolved to have harmony in his
cabinet, and he wished us to join in put
ting down the slanders against Mrs. Ea
ton. 1 observed to the President, that I
had never considered 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 belongs to society alone to
determine such matters. The powei of
the Administration could not change the
opinion of the community, even if it
could be properly used to control the re
lations of domestic lifein any case. The
society of Washington must be the best
judges of whom it ought to receive. I re
gretted the difficulties which Major Eaton
labored under, and had felt it to he my
duty not to aggravate them. I I tad in
tended at an early day to have had a
conversation with him on the subject,
with a view to have our social relation de
fined, but no opportunity had offered,
without volunteering one. and it had not
been done in that way. The course I
had taken was, however, adopted with
I great care, to save his feelings as much as
! possible, consistently with what was due
to iny family, and the community with
which we were associated. I considered
the charge of my family to be a sacred
trust, belonging exclusively to myself, as
a member of society. The administra
tion had nothing to do with it, more than
w ith that of any other individual, and po
litical power could not he properly exer
ted over their social intercourse, and it
was important to his reputation to have
it understood that he did not interfere in
such matters. That I was not aware of
any want of harmony in the cabinet; I
had not seen the slightest symtom of such
a feeling in its deliberations, and I was
perfectly certain that my official conduct
had never been influenced in the slight
est 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 he had the most entire eonfi
deuce in my integrity and capacity in ex
ecuting the duties of the Department, and
expressed his perfect satisfaction, in that
respect, with my whole conduct; he had
never supposed for a moment that my
official acts had been influenced in the
least degree by any unkind feelings to
wards Maj. Eaton ; and he did not mean
to insist on our families visiting Mrs. Ea
ton;- He had been much excited, for
I some time past, by the combination n
j gainst her, and he w ished us to aid him
i in putting down their slanders, adding
: that she was excluded from most of the
invitations to parties ; and, when invited,
she was insulted ; that the lady of a fo
reign minister before referred to had in-
I suited her at Baron Krtidcner’s party.—
I I remarked, that some injustice might be
j done to that lady on that occasion; al
| though she might not choose to associate
with Mrs, Eaton, I did not think she in
j tended to insult her ; she might have
I supposed that there was come design,
not altogether respectful in the offer
of the attendance to supper of the
•Secretary r»l War, whose wife she did
not visit, instead of that of the Secretary
of Stole, which, according to the usual
rr.cticc she probably considered herself
entitled to. She evidently thought her
self aggrieved ut something, Let acted
with much dignity on the occasion, i
saw no appearance of insult offered to
-Mrs. Eaton. He replied that he had
been fully informed, and knew ail about
it, and but for certain reasons which lie
mentioned, he would have scut the foreign
Minister before referred to, and his wife
home immediately. After some further
conversation on this and other matters, in
which 1 considered the President as hav -
ing entirely waived the demand made
through Col. Johnson, that iny family
must visit Mrs. Eaton, as the condition
for my remaining in office, and in which
he expresessed himself in terms of per
sonal kindness towards me, I took my
leave. He did not show me, or read, u
ny paper on the subject.”
The public will now, I think, be at no
loss to determine upon the true state of
the facts of this case. Mr. Ingham’s
very full statement is taken from notes
made at the time, and which were shown
to me shortly after they were made. In
repeated conversations w ith Mr. Branch
our recollections wdre found to concur.-
The transaction was of a nature calcula
ted to awaken all my attention, and to
fix itself indelibly upon my an mory. I
claim no benefit, therefore, from any
supposed imperfection of this faculty,
and expect to believed, because l speak
the truth.
In relation to the statement that the pa
per drawu up in the hand-writing of tho
1 resident was shown to me, the denial of
which I must explicitly repeat, if charity is
to perform her holy office in reconciling
these conflicting assertions, it is much
more easy to believe that the memory of
the President may have failed on this
occasion. He saw and conversed with va
rious persons on this subject, and to rely
upon his memory for the fact of having
shown this paper to different indivicuals.
hack of these individuals is required to
speak for himself. The nature of the
transaction was such that it could not
have escaped the rccolectton of either of
them.
It was impossible if such a paper had
been shovvm, not to have demanded, and
to have persevered in the demand to have
the names of the persons, on whose in
formation the requisition was made. No
one would have consented to have the
conditions on which he should continue
in office prescribed by him, on the ground
ol a combination, the evidence of which
rested on mere rumor. An inquiry must
have been the consequence, and transac
tion could not only not have been forgot
ten by the parties, but would thus have
become known to others. I would not
myself have retained my office a moment
after such a paper was exhibited to me.—
I will not question the intention of the
President to have shewn this paper to me,
nor bis belief that he did so; but that lie
did not do so, is certain. Those who
know me will not doubt tbe sincerity of
this declaration, andan impartial commu
nity will, I trust, perceive no sufficient
motive to he deduced, either from my
character, or the circumstances of this
transaction, for the belief of intentional
misrepresentation on my part.
At any rate, 1 have discharged my du
ty, by bearing this testimony to the truth.
1 know- to what it subjects me; hut I rely
upon the discernment and the integrity of
my countrymen, and will abide the result.
JOHN M ACPIIERSON BERRIEN.
Washington , July 22, 1831.
COLUMBUS
Book, Statfowarw, & jFauci)
STOK K,
E. S. .XOKTO.X.
8 NFORMS the citizens and strangers
*- visiting Columbus, that he has taken a
Store ip IVlr George Hargraves new building,
one door below Messrs.,Powers and Nafew, ou
Broad Street, where he intends keeping a gen
eral assortment of
! BOOKS, ST.ITJOX.II! Yfy F.IXCY GOODS.
i On hand and for sale as above the following
Books, Stationary, and Fancy articles, cheap
for cash.
Webster’spelling bonks Large family Bibles
Juvenile do. do. with plates,
Walker’s Dictionary, Pocket do.
English Reader, A pocriphal Testaments,
New-York do Testaments,
National do. iiion’s Songsters,
Juvenile Expositor, Methodist Hymns,
Murray’s Grammar, Cumpmeetinn do.
Teacher’s Assistant, Pippcn’s ° do.
Emerson’s Arithmetic, VV’estern Songster,
Smiley’s do. Ewell’s Medical Com-
Smiley’s F. Calculator, panion,
Cumming’s Geography,!!,ooo Receipts.
Woodbridge’s do. ' Sianacso Twins,
Woodbridge and Wil- Oxonians.
lard’s do. Englis at home,
Smiley’s Atlas, Country Curate,
Culy ’s do. Walter Colyton,
Moore’s do. Paul Clifford,
Male’s Histoiy of the Scott’s Napoleon,
U. States. Christian Ministry,
| Grimsliaw’s do. History of Netherlands,
Natural Philosophy, Maxwell,
Viri lionise, Separation,
Salustii Duiphini, Stories of a Bride.
Theological Dictionary,Heiress of Bruges,
Goldsmith’s history of Souvenir 1831.
Rome, Tokens,
Do. do. Greece, Indian War,
Grimshaw’s do do. Pleasing Companion,
l)o. do. England. Don Quixote,
Do. do. France, Blank Note Books.
Weein’s Life of Wash- “ Day do.
ington, “ Letter do. ’
Mason's Farrier, “ Record do.
Butler's Analogy, “ Invoice do.
dork's Assistant, “ Journals do.
I Templar's Chart. “ Legors and Copy
| Blair's Lcctutes, Books.
Moral ln«ltuctor,
Pink, yellow, and Gold edged Letter paper,
latge ruled Foolscap. Quills, Pencils, Pain: hex
es A brushes, Ink aV Inkstands, Slates, Wafers,
Sealing wax, Letter Stamps, Indellilile Ink.
Pvrfuniod hair powder, Lavender and Colognu
Water Hair Oil, Pulvetised Charcoal Tooth
Powder, Lipsalve, Tooth brushes, Shaving soap
in jures, and brushes, Einolient Orange, \>ol»f.
Orients, Cinnamon and Vernacular Soap, f°-
metum, Visiting Cards and Card Cases, Peek
ot combs, Backgammon Boards, &c. &e. Ao
Aug. R
