Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-07-20
THE MAN IN THE MOON.
Ma. WARREN,

Mn. WARREN,
In your paper of the 18th inst. the following
!; is published:
"At the late session of Congress petition
was presented in the name of Emanuel j..
West of Illinois, praying Congress to grant
him presumption right for IA years, to not
less than township of land in Arkansas for
the purpose ofcultivatng the vine. Mr.. West,
in conversation, has repeatedly denied having
any knowledge of such petiton-and ever
having sent one.
"Many citizens in this county are anxious to
know from Mr.. West, whether the petition
presented in his name was forgery-or whe-
Their in the conversations alluded to he was
guilty of representation"
At any other time than the present, should
have been at loss to conceive the object Of
the writer of the article above quoted. but no
one can misunderstood the motives which have
induced the publication, however puerile, and
impotent the attack may be.
AS there surely could be nothing criminal in
making such an application to Congress it
would seem unnecessary to reply to an anony-
sent the freemen of this county in the legisla.
ture of the state; and the public and my
friends, in particular, being entitled to a cor
cumstance, which through the malice of my
enemies can be conjured up, in the shape of a
charge against me, now openly declare that
had no agency in presenting the memorial
named, nor have ever signed it or authoriz-
ed others to do it for me. The public will du-
ly appreciate the time, and manner of this at
tack, and readily perceive, how desperate must
be the hopes of my opponents to injure me
when they have to resort to so trfling a cir
cumstance to attack one, whose conduct and
character they have had ample means of inyes
tigatIng, and who has had the honor and sa-
tisfaction OF receiving expressions of the con-
tidence OF his fellow-citizens OH more than one
| occasion.
Yours respectfully,
EMAN'L. ]. WEST.
| Ed1oardSviAe, July II, 1924.
P. S. You will, have no doubt, do me and
| the public the justice, to insert the foregoing
| IN your next paper. L. j. w.
MIR. WARREN,
Having been informed BY you that Mr.
West had demanded and received my
name as The author of piece published
IN the Spectator on the subject OF a me.
mortal presented in his name to Con.
gress during the last winter, and had re-
quested you to publish his open deniat
of having had any agency in presenting
the memorial, l would thank you to pub
lisn Tie subjoincd statements, in Uvunec-
lion with his communication.
In looking over the proceedings ofCon-
eress, as published in the I" National
Journal Extra" of goth of March last,
observed among the petitions presented
on the 5,h OF March, the following:
Emanuel }. Hest, of the state of Illinois,
praying for the pre-emption right in the pur-
chase of tract of land in the Territory of Ar
kansas, OH the terms and conditions mentioned
in the said petition, to be used for the cultiva-
ton of the vine: which was referred to the
Committee on the Public Lands by Mr..
MALLARY.
l felt some surprize in reading the
foregoing, for Mr.. West had already been
mentioned as a candidate for the legisla-
ture, but certainly no disposition to cri-
inmate him for attempting to improve
ms condition. 1t was lot until some
lime in April or May last when the
above extract was shewn to Mr.. West,
and on being loosely asked if he intend
ed TO leave us, he declared, as he now
does, "that he knew nothing OF the maj
ter-that it was the first he had ever
heard Of it," that any real improperly
was in my view, connected with tn
transaction.
There now appeared TO be some mys-
terry in the business which l could no,
unravel. That any other person should
have presented such petition in the
name Of Mr.. West, seemed so unlikely
that ! could not divest my mind OF doubt.
No other person could possibly derive
any benefit from it, if successful-but
Ger ainly twenty-three thousand acres Of
land might in such experienced hands as
Mr.. Vests make very pretty vine.
yard.
l remained in this state of uncertainty
until the following certified copy of the
memorial was placed in my hands, when
! determined to apply to Mr.. West
through the newspaper for solution OF
the enigma. Whether the public will
discover any Internal evidence Of the
hand OF Mr.. West, canHot tell. 1t is as
follows:
To the Senate and House Of Representatives Of
the United States Of america in Congress as
sem6led.
The petition Of Emanuel J. West of Madi-
son county in the state of Illinois, respectfully
sheweth: That your petitioner, native Of the
United States Of America, having for num-
berofyears resided on the Island Of Teneriffe,
and having for considerable time been en-
gagged in, has become well acquainted with.
the various processes required In the success.