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rrorow-, (Edgecombe County, JV. CJ Saturday, March 14, 1835.
VoUXLNo. ii.
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From the Raleigh Standard.
Gen. SPEIGHT'S DEFENCE.
Washington, Feb. 15, 1835.
Mr. White: I see in the
"Star" of the 12th inst. that
the "malign influence" is out;
and, like many other poor
and unfortunate victims, 1
am doomed to feel its bane
ful effects. The "narra
tive," as it has been very
properly styled, must doubt
less prove a delicious treat,
particularly when it is borne
in mind that it was delivered
in the Senate, and, stripped
as it is of much of its origin
al composition. Surely, I
should not attempt to arrest
its mighty progress, but for
the notice taken ot'mv hum
ble self. I should most
cheerfully have permitted
the author to wear all the
laurels which he can possi
bly gather by a dcvelnpc
ment of his court gossips
and petty court quarrels, had
he not thought it fit and prop
er to introduce into his "nar
rative" a private letter of
mine, written, as he well
knows, under the impres
sions made by his misrepre
sentations. My object is not to meddle
with any of the author's
statements, but to show how
I came to write the letter,
which will be done in a very
few words. The author
states: "Before 1 read the
letter, I will state to the Sen
ate, that the genileman pro
fessed to be my ardent friend
whilst 1 was Secretary of the
Navy, and thus became inti
mately acquainted with the
causes which embarrassed
and finally dissolved the
Cabinet." Indeed, and was
this the first evidence of rny
friendship? I remember to
have been in the Legislature
in 1822, when he was first
elected to the U. States Sen
ate. I was then his open
and sincere friend; and while
many of his new allies were
pouring out their denuncia
tions upon him, I used every
effort in my power, and not
without success, to procure
his election. Again in 1828,
1 stood by him.
And now for our connex
ion at Washington. When
J came to this place in 1829,
the author made the same
representations to me in re
lation to the state of affairs,
which he has exhibited in
his "narrative;" and fre
quenlly represented to me
that there was an attempt to
force his family to visit Airs.
" Eaton; and towards jhe close
of his ministerial career, he
attributed the whole to the
artifices of Mr. Van Buren.
At and during the time above
alluded to, I was his sincere
friend, and did advise him,
on more occasions than one,
lo pursue the course which
his own notions ot propriety
dictated. As to Mrs. Eaton,
or her character, I know no
thing but from report. 1
never called on her in life;
and were I to meet her this
(lay, 1 should not know her.
It was natural for me, as the
intimate friend of the author,
to believe what he said of
her; though I fear that ho
and her persecutors have
done her great injustice.
I will not pretend to de
scribe the feelings which
arose in my mind, when I
heard of the dissolution of
the Cabinet. 1 felt that, if
it were true, as the author of
the late "narrative" and his
friends at Washington had
represented it, General Jack
son and Mr. Van Buren were
both greatly to blame. With
these feelings, I wrote to the
author to give me the causes
of the "blow out." In a few
days thereafter, I received
from him the two following
letters, lo which my letter
published in his axeful "nar
rative" is an answer:
Washington City, May 1st, 1831.
My I) jar Sir: I have just re
ceived your friendly favour of the
23d ultimo; and I pray yon, Dear
Sir, accept mv thanks for the kind
interest you take in the transac -
lions alluded to in yours, as con -
nected with my personal feelings
and reputation. I hare not time
to enter into a detailed statement
of the circumstances which have
led to this state of things, nor f0
point out to you the causes which
have produced its consummation,
On most of these points I am per-
suaded you will be at no loss; you
ha"t seen and heard uvmgh during
your residence at 11 ushington,
from which to derive a clue to the
general understanding of the mat
ter; and probably before the lapse
of much time, a full and satisfac
tory explanation will be given by
some of the parties concerned.
1 take the liberty of enclosing
to you a copy of a letter which 1
had prepared to address lo a few
of my friends in North Carolina,
and amongst others yourself.
You are at liberty to give it pub
licity in any form you please.
From a sense of duty to the na
tion; 1 remain in the Department
until rny successor arrives. This
is no little sacrifice; but the duly
is imperative, and 1 obey.
Accept, dear sir, the assurance
of continued esteem and great
respect, JOHN BRANCH.
Hon. Jesse Speight, Stantons
burg. Washington City, May 3d, 1831.
My Dear Sir: You have no
doubt before this seen in the pa
pers, accounts of the resignations
oftiie Secretary of State, and the
Secretary of War, and the dismis
sal of the other members of the
Cabinet.
The letters of the two former,
addressed to the President of the
U. States, present their reasons
for resigning; and the motives for
the dismissal of the others, are as
signed in the answer of the Presi
dent to the Secretary of th
Treasury and myself. In thes
the President admits, that the dis
missed officers have faithfully
discharged their respective duties.
But intimates that the want of
harmony in the Cabinet, and tin
protection of the two resigning
Secretaries "from unjust miscon
ceptions and malignant misrepre
sentations," made it necessary the
others should go out also.
So far as regards the membersh js known that Mr. Bynum
of the Cabinet, this measure is
comparatively of little moment.
It is, however, a matter of deep
concern, as affecting ihe character
of the Government. In this point
of view, the American people have
a right to know the whole truth;
from whence the alledged dis
cord originated; by whom and for
what purposes it has been foster
ed; and in what respect and
wherefore it has been connected
with the public administration of
the affairs of the nation. The
President is bound to make these
explanations to the people.
If it were intended to be intima
ted that I am responsible for the
want of harmony in the Cabinet,
the charge is unjust. I deny that
I pursued a course which ought to
have invited hostility; on the con-j
trary, 1 went as far as a man of
honor could go m endeavoring to
promote a good understanding,
and a cordial official co-operation
with all the members of the Cabin
et. But it seems I was expected
. uu hi seems was expected
ffVrthpandno
it has been held good cause for my
lismissal.
!f it is asked why I did not aban
don the Cabinet and expose to the
world the malign influences by
which it was abandoned. I shall
reply that I constantly looked for
ward to a favorable change.
That especially I relied for this
upon the wisdom, fairness and jus
tice of the Chief Magistrate. I
have been disappointed. I have
had the deep mortification to see
him gradually discarding from his
counsels and friendship, his old and
long tried supporters, and throtv-
l'n? himself into the arms of per-
1 50,15 whose cold-hearted self shness
jfl artifices were play td off upon
' him for true and faithful tervice.
la the mean time, rest assured
lJlat whatever may be the public
'judgment as to the merits of this
question, no consideration arising
;from personal feeling will induce
i mc to t;1'ie a course which I should
j 1101 believe calculated to maintain
j Jne character and promote the
"Merest of the Slate which gave
ine mrm.
Business of i
importancc, cspe-
cially as enabling me to settle ters of the gentlemen sign
down permanently in North Car-! nig it, are too well known
olina, uill probably require my!for lncjr statement to be
presence in Tennessee, where I questioned,
mav be detained until August Next, i 1 T
On my return to mv family, I) lt 1)0 remembered, that
hope to meet you, when I shall be! n" this took place in less
highly gratified to renew that so- , than three months after the
cial and friendly intercourse which j dissolution of the Cabinet,
heretofore, so much to my satisfac-j and after he had written the
tion, has subsisted between us.
In the mean time, I beg yon to
receive assurances of irreat respect t
and esteem. ' .fortunate
JOHN BRANCH.
Hon. Jesse Speight, Speitrht's
Bridge, Greene County, North
Carolina.
Upon the receipt of those
letters, I wrote to the author
of the late "narrative" the
letter which he has paraded
and published. I wrote as I
then felt, that a friend had
been treated unjustly. And
so I continued to think until
a few weeks thereafter, when
he returned home.
Let us now see if his sub
sequent conduct was calcu
lated to bear me out in this
belief. It is known, that ai
that time the Hon. Mr. By
num, the present represen
tative, was a candidate for
he Halifax district; and that
oon after the return of the
tnfortunate author from this
.lace, he was brought out as
a candidate in opposition to
him. And here, I am sorry
to say, is another striking
,jroof of ihe ingratitude
which he is capable of exer
cising towards h'13 friends.
Had been his Jon" and devo-
ted frieud, and was brought
out by the administration
party for Congress before
the dissolution of ihe Cabi
net. But after the unforiu
nate author returned home,
he suffered himself to be
held up as a candidate in
opposition to Mr. Bynum,
not however, as the enemy
of Gen. Jackson, but as his
"personal friend, whom he
ixpectt d to meet as cordially
as ever, and shake bit the
nana and spend many a so
cial moment icitli. These
and many other similar ex
pressions, were made use of
by him repeatedly, as I can
prove by the Hon. Messrs.
Bynum and M. T. Hawkins,
and others. And finally, af
ter repeated declarations of
friendship towards Gen.
.
r,
come to ooncress on v to
expose the "rualigu influ
ence;" terms of capitula
tion took place between him
and Mr. Bynum, (whereby
the latter withdrew) in which
the following words were
used, viz:
"We, with the Governor
(John Branch) believe, from
ihe facts disclosed lo us that
! our venerable President, al-
though like other men not
exempt from the frailties of
human nature, has done no
thing in this matter that
cannot be forgiven," done
nothing for which we should
abandon him, done no
thing improper, which did
not result from his peculiar
situation: (signed) Jno. H.
Patterson, Jno. Hayxcood,
Thos. Jones, Jesse Dawson.
The above is an extract,
to which the unfortunate au
thor assented. The charac
above letter to me. Now.
:f
occurred to me, if the un-
luthor who had
! nc,MI lnus "tans cercmonie"
lacked out of office, could
forgive the doer of it, that I
could. Comment is unne-
cessary. I ask any candid
man to look at and compare
the parts in italics, and let
any one produce such an in
stance of inconsistency and
contradiction. What could
I think, who had been induc
ed to believe that he had
been so unjustly treated by
the President! I confess I
was utterly astonished, when
a friend (who heard him
make a speech in Scotland
Neck) told me that Gov.
Branch had said that he was
as much the friend of Gen.
Jackson as ever, and expect
ed so to meet him, and I so
repeatedly expressed myself;
and added that I feared he
had been imposed upon by
a fiction at Washington,
whose track I had gotten
upon the winter before.
Towards the close of the
session, previous to the dis
solution of the Cabinet, 1 had
been induced to believe that
Mr. Van Buren was intrigu
ing to get himself into the
Presidency; but I found out
that those who accused him,
were then or had been try
ing to play the same game
themselves.
1 come now to events
which happened during the
next winter. In a short
time after I had been here,
he applied to know if I would
btfar a note to Gen. Jackson,
asking for some letter he had
written him, or a copy; as
well as I remember, to which
I assented; but oh reflec
tion, 1 declined, and advis
ed him to call in person, for
I thought 1 discovered in
him a disposition to bring
me in into a difficulty. In
stead of that friendship which
he had manifested for the
President in his electioneer
ing speeches, I saw that he
entertained the most deadly
hostility in his heart against
him. Did he ever' call on
him, and shake him by the
hand! Did he not join in the
most violent persecution of
himr Can he point to a sin
gle vote he guve that was not
with the opposition! It was
well known that the bank
question was a measure in
tended to break down Gen.
Jackson, and elect Mr. Clay.
What was his course on that
question! In every instance
he voted for the enemy, ex
cept upon the main question.
His whole conversation was
about the "malign influence,"
and in abuse of Mr. Lewis,
Mr. Kendall, and others, a
bout whom I knew nothing:
And, for no cause under
Heaven, but that I would
not make myself his ready
and subservient tool in a
crusade against these men
and against the administra
tion, have I experienced his
displeasure. 1 challenge
him to point to a single case
in which I have attempted to
injure him; I have joined in
no persecution against him:
But merely because 1 have
had the independence to
think and act for myself,
have I incurred his hostility.
1 am charged by him, as
being subservient to the
"powers that be," in support
of all their measures. oes
that unfortunate gentleman
know the manner in which
he is viewed, as 'having stood
to the administration! What
measure however obnox
ious, did Gen'l. Jackson ev
er adopt, but met his hearty
approbation! During his
continuance in the Cabinet,
he'was the most despised of
all the members; and mainly
on account ol his proscrip
tive policy. Did he not ap
prove of the plan for a treas
ury bank! Did he oppose
the course which the Presi
dent pursued in relation to
the present to the Ottoman
Porte!
1 have supported this ad
ministration from principle;
and because I was sent here
to do it, I have too much
self-respect to betray my
trust: if I had feared vitupe
ration and abuse, I wouln
have pursued another course
I look for no other reward
than that of a clear con
science, and iho approbation
v;f my constituents. 1 seek
no olfice; there is none I
want. 1 am willing that my
conduct and that of the un
fortunate gentleman, should
be put side by side; and then
it will be seen which savors
most of subserviency.
I have supported Mr. Van
Buren for Vice President,
because I saw that the wick-
j ed had combined to destroy
mm. l believe him to be
both honest, and capable for
any station. I have contrib
uted as far as I was able, to
the re-election of Mr. Brown.
I have been associated with
him long enough to discover
that he is an honest man; and
one who goes for the good
of his country. And not
withstanding the "malign in
fluence" has tried to kill us
both, we have made out to
get along thus far.
1 have only to say, in con
clusion, that if it was deemed
necessary to read my letter,
it seems to me that it would
have been quite as fair to
have done it when the au
thor and myself were in Con
gress together. He came
here to expose the "malign
influence." He heard me
make a speech on the re
moval of the W'iscasset col
lector, in which 1 alluded to
the dissolution of the Cabi
net in connexion with other
events; and then, it seoens to
me, would have been the
proper time to have made
the assault.
J. SPEIGHT.
Resolutions to Expunge. Irj
the U. S. Senate on the lSthult.
Mr. Benton submitted a resolu
tion for expunging from the journ
als of that body ihe resolutions
passed the last session censuiing
the President. Mr. Poindexter
having objected to the resoh tionj
on the ground that it was out of
orders
Mr. Brown, (ofNorth Caroli
na) rose and said, that it appeared
to hinij with great defer fence to
the Senator from Mississippi, that
the remarks which had fallen from
him, and the course which he had
indicated, was at once novel and
indefensible. Whenever a nro-
position stated any thing which
was derogatory to the character
of the Senate, or was inflecorous
in its language, it might be ar
rested in its incipient state. But
it was not pretended that this res
olution contained any thing which
was derogatory to the Senate, or
indecorous in itself. What then
was the objection urged against
tfte reception of the resolution?
The Senator from Mississippi said
that it was unconstitutional to al
ter the journal. This was anti
cipating a conclusion which could
only be reached through an inves
tigation. It must be decided,
after an examination of the sub
ject, whether the act would be
unconstitutional or not. Yet the
Senator from Mississippi wouftl
arrest the inquiry in its incipient
stage. The Legislatures of as
many as four or five States had
instructed the Senators on this
point: would the Senate refuse to
entertain a proposition recom
mended by so many sovereign
States?
After some further remarks
from Mr. Brown, Mr. Poindexter
withdrew the objection on request
of Mr. Leigh; when, n motion ot
Mr. Benton, the resolution was
ordered to be printed..