"WASHINGTON, _May 31_ (_Sat._), _2:30 P.M., 1845_.
"MY DEAR O'S.,--At the levee last evening which I attended for the
purpose, I made an appointment with the Pres., and am now waiting in
the War for the Cabinet to disperse.
"In the afternoon I had seen Ritchie for a few moments, and made an
engagement with him. I had a considerable talk with Seth Barton at
the levee and with Tom Green at breakfast. All of them introduced
the subject of the Collectorship, and all of them especially warned
me against imprudence or menace in the interview which they seem to
assume I am to have with the Pres.--all tell me he is very sensitive
to the idea of compulsion--and that the greatest obstacle we have is
the indiscretion of some of us or of those who favor us. They all are
exceedingly afraid that they may be thought to be afraid, which shows,
I suppose, that they are only calmly conscious of their own courage.
But only think of it--such admonitions to _me_! the very incarnation of
Falstaffian valor!
"I replied to Ritchie's caution--which was the first I received; and
which was given when I was talking with some decision, with great
dignity. I _ought_ to have thanked him for its good intention while I
intimated that it was superfluous--I told him that I did not come here
to forget what was due to Mr. Polk or what was due to myself; I had no
design to obtrude upon the President; I had no personal interest in the
question about Van Ness or any solicitude except as it should affect
the party and the administration; my only doubt was whether I should
seek an interview on the subject; I was willing to state facts, make
explanations, expose the whole truth, if the President desired to hear
it, respectfully but frankly; the administration was mainly interested
in coming to a right decision. We had no idea of hostility to it if
it was faithful to our principles--the only question was whether it
was to assail us. All we asked of it was to let us alone. Our politics
were now in excellent condition. We could take care of the Whigs and
Conservatives together if the administration would not systematically
embarrass us, and I rather thought we could if it did. But we thought
we were entitled to an amnesty from our friends at least while we were
so busy with our enemies. The old gentleman seemed greatly mystified,
but I promised to explain hereafter.
"(_Confidential._)
"_Sund. Morn._
"I was not able to send my letter yesterday, and now add a word. I
had an interview with the President yesterday. I ran over the case of
Van Ness pretty freely. He replied at considerable length, _ascribing
the delay in his removal to the improper manner in which it had been
demanded_. He did not _say_, but implied that he had never intended
not to remove him; made no defence or argument on the question of its
propriety; merely excused the delay. Mr. Butler, he said, had written
to him that it would do no harm to retain him until the year expired,
if it were immediately announced that a particular man would then be
appointed. He complained bitterly of the attempts to intimidate and
coerce him--talking magnificently about being himself President and the
_locum tenen_ for nobody; said that in his own time, perhaps Monday,
perhaps afterwards, Van Ness should be removed, but swore with that
terrible oath, "if the heavens and the earth come together," by which
Ritchie and Green and Barton had successively warned me he might refuse
if a mischance word of mine should chafe his angry mood, that he would
not appoint Coddington. He should select a man, he said, who would be
received with applause throughout the State; on his own judgment, whom
he knew and had served with. Who that man was he did not say and I did
not inquire, though I did express myself with some freedom as to what
the man should do. Probably the question may now be deemed settled; for
you remember he employed the same planetary concussion to illustrate
the fixed irrevocable fate by which Marcy was to represent New York in
the Cabinet. His solemn form of fiat, I suppose, answers as the "By the
Eternal" of the younger Hickory, and, being partly of earth and partly
of heaven, is undoubtedly of an improved quality of imaginary thunder.
Still it did not shake my nerves, as a lady's displeasure might. I took
it quietly, and talked occasionally as I had a chance, not so fully
on all points as I wished, or mean, if an opportunity comes unsought;
but, although I was conscious of having exposed myself to a part of a
very respectable performance for the benefit of the rebellious Butler,
Dix, and O'Sullivan, in which, perhaps, I might lose a little when
it came to be privately repeated to the Cabinet and confidants, I
thought that, nevertheless, I should not be justified in converting
farce into tragedy. So I behaved well and was myself well treated. I
inquired what was the 'intimidation' and 'coercion' referred to, and
I believe was not very definitely answered. The only specification I
got was letters from three--not more, he said, than three persons,
whose names, he said, he would not tell me--who might never know
about it themselves, whom he could not answer without getting into a
correspondence inconsistent with his dignity, who might not be aware of
the expressions they had incautiously and rashly used. Your letter to
Bancroft was distinctly alluded to as, among other offences, alleging
'violated pledges.' I expressed great doubts whether its contents had
not been exaggerated, and when he said he had not seen it, and it was
not intended for him, advised him to get it and read it. The warmth of
these communications I vindicated as true representations of public
feeling, expressed in honest freedom; though this part of the subject
came up when the interview was forced to a close, and I could not do
full justice. Some explanations, which it was not prudent to make in
the danger of exoneration, I have since made to his intimates with
kindness but clearness and coldness, and shall to him if circumstances
solicit. Am not I a lucky fellow? Soothed all day by the fiery
Southerns, and then sitting quietly, as in a summer shower, when the
storm is beating fiercely on those imprudent young men, Butler, Dix,
O'Sullivan--even, while refreshing myself, putting up my umbrella to
protect them! I only _talked_ treason.
"He felt deeply the warm letter of his old friend Hoffman--an honest
man. He would swear by him, live by him, die by him. I added Mr.
H. was a true-hearted man--he was the last man almost from whom I
parted; I had a long conversation with him. He fully concurred in the
indispensable necessity of removing Van Ness--in the earnest and strong
convictions expressed by the others on that subject. The Pr. replied
not. I think it was he that told me, and then that there had been
letters saying that Hoffman would make his own acceptance conditional
on V. N.'s removal. No, it was Cave Johnson afterwards.
"The President expressed great sorrow that he could not see Silas
Wright for an hour and have his advice. As to what, I did not certainly
understand."