Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-07-13
+. GEN. DUFF GREEN.
-. =, ruy cIScIsArrI GAZETTE.

rso,,lcr1,, received at Washington city, and
have not read the personal ATTACKS "ni'h an'
told it contains Travelling In the stage yes
,erdav saw the Western Star Lebanon va
..,,a containing an extract from 1t, In which
Won are made to say that, lone OIL tine meahc''
SANDERS that YOU have ever known, mas oeen 10.
son,e time industriously circulated win respect
- rho billiard Table in the Presidents mouse.
Eror, ;ts first establishment there was billiard
| 80, and a billiard table in 1t. The table was
M, ;rtroduced by Mr.. Adams, but some ex-
nerse was incurred with respect to IT; tor WHICH
: charge Of iftv dollars is made in the Presi-
Jan,,s accounts This circumstance has beeh
laid hold of and trumpeted abroad, as an orlsi-
nal purchase of billiard table by Mr. Adams
And there have been found members OF congress
ignorant and mean enough 10 give 1t circu'a-
ton =. r. -,
"Eyery man, who knows any thing oil oil-
lard table. knows it could not be purchased Tor
fflvdollars. That in the Presidents house more
likely cost thousand. But this was done IN
The DAVIS of Mr.. Madison or of Mr.. Monroe, x
nothing was said about it, while trltilng eA-
uense for repairs, MIR. Adams being rresiaen''
is magnihed into mighty crime. Dome VINO
have made publications on this subject know
No better and are excusabe. Not so members
of congress, Gen Green and Major Noah. Our
neighbours have taken great pains to spread 'nis
charge. If they know the truth, what mus. oe
said of their yeraci,y? If they do not know 1t,
what Of their Intelligence!
mAhhoupb nv name has been thus dragged
before the puoic as one OF the propagaio!rs oil
SANDER. have said very little about the billiard
table, not so much as is contained IN Mr.. Gar
sons speech, first reported in the National In
,ellipencer, and afterwards copied into the lei
esraph, as into many other papers. FOR Maf'
Mr.. Carson is responsible to the country * his
constituents, who are too we'll appraised OF his
meri, as an independent high minded young
man, of much promise, to be affected, el'her
by YOUR censure or my praise. his speech was
delivered on the floor Of the House OF Repre-
sentatives, and his remarks were based upon an
official re port Of committee OF that house, In
which il is stated, that the sum OF htty doliafs
had been given, out ofhe pa6ic purse, to L. her-
wand for a BILLIARD TABLE, not Tor repairing
billiard table When this report was hrSt Pia-
eed in my hands, was sensible oil the great
imoropriety of expanding the PUBLIC MONEY lor
such furniture, and also Of the effect which the
rcnort must produce on the minds oil the moral
and religious part of the community-and know
n believe that he had been so "fearless" OF pub
lie oninjon. as-to be the first to introduce
billiard table INTO the Presidents house APP
plied 10 an old member of congress, and was
assured by him tina: no other President had done
so. and was furnished by him with an official
statement of the furniture left by President
Monroe. and from careful examination by
ho,h of us we ascertained that there was no
such article as billiard table in the whole list.
The statement made by a writer in the New
York National Advocate, that this table cost
g 500. induced me to make some further lnqni-
RES. and find that the billiard table, now the
snbiect Of so much discussion, was an Ola tao!e
purchased by Mr.. Adams OF Kervand tor hity
dollars, and that further sum, equal 10 ABOUT
6fty more, which appears on the lace OF the &C
count cas- cloth and work" was given Tor cover
ing it-.thus making the actual cost oil THIS very
necessary article, independent OF cues, &c about
one hundred dollars.
"The price Of the billiard table never has been
considered material, nor is II commended that,
taken in any point Of view, this is the worst
"p.ReArN" for the people which has been made
az Washington The objection was to the pur-
chase out Of the public purse, & it would seem TO
me strange indeed that any one could, Tor mo-
ment, understand an item in an account, pur-
norline to be $3.50 paid 10 l.. Kervand for bill
lard table" to mean, $50 paid for repairing
billiard table. :,
"You can have no justiGable cause for assall,
ing me; and claim it as an act OF justice and
courtesy of you, to publish this statement, and
10 permit me further TO add, that am well a
ware, that the strength ofthe party, with whom
am proud to act is the confidence which the
people repose in the incorruptibe integrity OF
Gen. Jackson, and that the weakness OF the adj
ministra,ion is the prevailing opinion that hav.
ing procured poverty "bargain, intrigue, and
management" they arc prepared TO retain II al
the expense of truth. Under such circumstan-
ces il is my interest, as well as my duty to be
careful in the selection Of facts; and whilst l
publish nothing without being first well satished
of its truth, to leave the whole domain oil slam
der, falsehood, and invective 10 those who can
profit by their use.
81 am very respectfully yours,
DUFF GREEN.
"Cinciaatti, June "a, 1896"
The foregoing letter is addressed to me, as
| Editor of the Cincinnati Gazette. When O.
pened it, supposed it was upon different sub
iect. Iexpected an attempt, on the part OF MI
Green, to vindicate his ownership OF the lele-
graph, which is certainly Of more Importance
| to him than the story of the billiard table It's
publication is claimed F" as an act OF justice end
courtesy" but it is published from no difference
| to this claim in either Of its phases.