Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-05-06

mutation to retire from II. They were COM
muncatrd in letters FROM myselfto Col. John
sou, which were intended TO be, and were,
forwaried to Alr. Crawford. The rrceipt of
two of of them Is acknowledged by his letter
10 Col. Johnson, OF 18th July, 1919, in which
he says, :" Yonis of the 18th ulI. came I" hand
Ills nnrning. The circumstances come, ted
with the Bank of Edwar,lsvili-, dereioPed in
two letters. OF Gov. Edwards, submitted By
you In my perusaI, will receive du. consid.-
ration T" In the same letter, he says, /" With
Gov. Edwards had no personal acquaintance
before last winter. The opinion which had
formed Of his talents ant! integrity, from The
Official correspondence which had been carried
IN between us, both in the War and Treasury
Department, has been confirmed by personal
acqunnlance.
The different subjects upon which he had
occasion tn ask my opinion on or decision,
during the last session Of Congress, were fair
ly and candidly stated his comments upon
Them were judcious, and il afforded me great
pleasure 10 be able, after due examina ion and
reelection, generally TO coincide with him.
The session here spoken of is the one in which
made theApplication in favor Of the Bank
OF Edwardsville.
Had Mr.. Crawford been as much disposed
to profit by the impressive lessons Of expert
ence which he was constantly receiving, as
was by those ofa few months only, il might
have presented vast accumulation of una
raifa6ie fauds," and have enabled him, much
earlier, To have secured to the Bank OF the U.
s., /" in their Just extent, the advantages in
tended TO be secured to it by the charter"
which he fairly promised TO Congress, in his
report Of i0.h December, 1917, [6l and the
necessity for which, he seems TO have been
duly sensible of, in another report, re- vol.
State Papers, Cd session 9TH Congress, p. n. J
In which he says, ain The winter and spring
OF 1919, the Bank Of the u. s. was in the opin-
ion OF the enlightened officer who presided
over its direction, in great degree indebted
Tor the preservation Of lis credit to the for
bearance of its creditors, and to the support
which it received from the Treasury Depart
ment., Such were my impressions of its
critical state. that felt it my duty to accept
propositions made by the Board of Directors,
which, under other circumstances would have
been declined" Ii is wonderful, therefore,
that with these impressions, he should have
thought it consistent with his duty, 10 have
extended such favors as have been noticed,
To single local bank much less tn the null
titude That shared his patronage, and could not
have existed without il.
II would be Just as fair and candid to inn
plicate me in the mniustfabl. indulgence that
has been extended To the Bank of Edwards
vile, since lis failure, to endcavor To in
voive me IN any kind of censurr for its con-
tlniance as depository Of public money az
ter the fall of 1919. AT the lime of its failure
its resources were, am well satisfied, more
than amply sufficient TO have secured its deb,
TO the government. But, every man of com
mon experience and observation knows tina,
the resources Of all banks, in its situation
must necessarily become more and more i'm
paired, and are more liable to be msappled
yet, strange and incredible as it NAV appear
have never heard nor do | believe though
reside in the same village in which the Bank
is located, that Mr. Crawford has collected
one cent from it or made any adjustment
with II ; or resorted 10 any measure 10 coorce
the payment of its debt. He, who could find
motives for an indulgence so extraordinary
and at the same time, so inconsistent with
and detrimental TO, the public interest. could
not have required either my recommendation
or sanction, for continuing this Bank depo-
sitoiy of public money after the fall of 1919.
come now to the report that contains the
dexfrous insinuaiion against my credihiIity.
So much of it, as relates TO this subjrct, is in
the following words, viz: "The Hon. Mr..
Edwards. late Senator from Illinois, Ina wing
stated, on his examination before committee
OF the House, on The 18th of February, 1928
that the late receiver Of public MONEYS AT Ed
wardsville had, on his advice, and in his pre-
| sence, written letter to the Secretary, inclo-
| sing copy of the publication which Mr. Ed
wards represents himself to have made some
time in the year 1919, announcing his inten-
iinn of retiring from the Directorsbip of The
Bank at Edwardsville, and that he had advis-
ed the Receiver 10 withhold his deposites
from the Bank until he could receive farther
orders from the Secretary; and that the Re-
ceiver afterwards informed him, that he had
received A LETTER from the Secretary, di-
recfing him TO continue the deposites: The
Secretary deems it proper TO state, that no
such letter from The Receiver as 10 be found ON
TIE ttes OF the Department; that the officers
employed IN Ut, have no recollection of the
receipt of such letter, and that, on an exa.
minaflon OF the records of The Department
il appears that no ANSWER 10 any such let
ter. directing the Receiver to continue the de
posIies was ever written TO him, by ths Sc
cretary Of the Treasury
| This statement bears intrinsic evidence fha
| IT was intended 10 deprive me of the brr,cfi
nv '',si,6raiion--not voluntarily made
IA uriwn ;Io.n me ~ the committee in r,
gard TO the Bank Of Edwafdssiiie and n
subject me to the odious suspicion of hay;ns
! sworn falsely. We're there any doubt on ,f,is
subject, 1t would be removed by the conduc,
OF distinguished indis idual, whom IL might
NOT be respectful to name in this commnnica-
'i0n, and who. since ] left The city, has not
thought II beneath his dignity to go about ex-
hlblflng The report, and expressing his opinion
That II "pIaced me IN a dilemma" He may
yr' hnd u more difficult for his patron 10 get
rId ~ one, OF infinitely deeper interest.
Believing, as | call upon my God to wit
ness, sincerely and confidently do. Tint MIR
Crawiord did receive the letter mentioned in
me above report. and that II is now in his pos.
session, or has been pnrposely DESTROYED. I
can but regard this attack upon my reputation
AS unparalleled Ivy any thing have eyer vii