Delaware journal. [volume] (Wilmington [Del.]) 1827-1832, 1827-08-28
Vo. 81.

showing. among other things, that the furniture OF
the East Room cost the price of 10000 acres OF
public land, enough at forty acres each TO 'urlsh
homes for 5000 poor families, the wr''er says'
:. Win those reflections Ileft the East Room, made
ma way into the Presence Chamber, paid the dept
of a lowly obeisance. and retired. The house was
full of company, but saw but very few OF the UNI
principled Opposition"
The gross falsehood Of this story was soon expos
ed in different prints. In supplement 10 'ne va
tional lntelligencer of March 9th. 1927 was pun
lished Mr. Francis Johnson's speech, delivered IN
the House of Representatives the 10th OF the
preceding month, and containing the following pas
sage viz. s.Some time ago saw a publication In
that print, r. e. the Richmond Enquirer, purport-
ing to be a letter from member OF Congress III
which the writer stated that he had just then return
ed from the Presidents where he had been. twas
New Year. and he had been in the East room OF the
house, and he spoke of it as being most splendaiy
furnished out of the 1926. appropriated at the last
session. Noao everj member Of thas house does kloW
that NOT one cent of that money has been dra'cn from
the Treasury and every man and woman' poy anu
Girl, who was at the Presidents on we" rear,
knows that there was no Juraaa|e w "s 'oom ~
cent few old chairs, and old settee OF TWO. Mso
getter svorfh but Uery feW dollars. NOW II IS I'M
possible to my mind that any member OF Congress
! could have written such letter have no thought
or beefthat any member did write it. The editor
has been so credulous as to suffer himself to De I'M
posed on by some anonymous writer, or ne mas VIII
finely impnsed it on his readers What could have
bpen the object for the publication of such letter,
cannot conceive unless it was to add to that ex-
: element, which had been already created there
against the President"
On the 27th of April, the Editors of the Enquirer
published professedy with great pleasure let
Ter signed :sFA1R Play" addressed to them IN inc
Petersburg Integencer. !" FAIR PLAY. mere quot
ed from the Washington letter, as published II the
ENQUIRER called the attention OF the Editors OF that
naper to Mr.. Johnson's speech and very properly
Z atted-"I think it duty you owe your country anu
2 Yourselves to ferret cut this impostor. VINO mas
palmed this trick upon you. and drag nm before tne
public If this be not satisfactorily explained u
u will eo abroad the settled opinion that the Virginia
imposition to the present Administration is bolster
1t ed up by intrigue. fraud and management" 10
this manly appeal to their candor. the Editors an
swercd The account to which the writer refers
1t respecting the East room was forwarded to u.s. as e
IS purports. BY of the most intelligent and dasf'~
is crushed members of Congress- He has never yet
e seen fit to re-toch his statement. and correct his
" errors If he has made ny. .9nother respectable
e member of Congress subsequently sent on state
,nent to correct the alleged errors in the first but
If on account Of difference Of opinion as TO the
l. FORM in which this last communication should APP
st pear 1T WAS NEVER PUBLISHED and upon apply
inc for it recently it is found that the letter con-
10 tanning it has been destroyed. We should have
he noticed Mr. Johnson's remarks at the time they
le were puhished but Mr.. J. is incorporate par
oil zan whose statements are subject to take the Color
Of his own feelings; and besides, in the remarks in
question: there was a marked want OF courtesy to
az the editors of this paper, which prevented our pay
= inr him the respect of republishing his remarks.
~ Now. surely this is most extraordinary language
- The editors can publish an extract of letter from
= one member Of Congress- without any scruples as TO
~ what or,n'' it should appear in tor It IS not
~ presumab!e that the writer insisted that his name
no should accompany the publication. And yet they
,a' refused on the ground of 'orn" to publish state
ment furnished to them By another me. per 0, oo',
rress correcting the alleged errors" in the letter.
They were told by third member Of Congress,
), standing in his place in the House OF Representa-
III tives that the statement in the letter was false, and
ne vet refused to avail themselves of this normatlon
ho accompanied as it was by an appeal to the whole
House for its truth, because he had not IN their OPP
hs MON. treated them with courtesy" AS to their
ION objection. that s Mr.. johnson is an intemperae
ah partizan whose statements apt to take the color
Of his own feclngs'' it is really too puerile for no
flee, Could the editors possibly believe that Mr..
Johnson would venture 10 assert IN his place IN the
House of Representatives., that ''euery MEMBER q
the House does k7oac that not one cent OF me noey-
fye thousand dollars alleged to haze been expended
on on The East room has been dracn from the 1reasu
on ra.,, unless such were the fact Would any man
So who was not an idect utter lasehood which must
TO he eynosed as soon as spoken and especially when,
est by writing letter from Washington and having It
published in proper FORM" he could publish lie
let safely i'
,rv In REGARD 10 Mr. Johnson's want of courtesy
- 70 tbe editors it did not. had he been guilty oflt'
IFS furnish them with the least for emitting 70
,nn contradict the fasehood Of which Their press mad
ud been made the vehicle. Bu in point OF Iact' no
fine such .swant Of courtesy, existed. Mr. Johnson
ou EXPRESSED very natural belief that 10 member OF
vas Congress wrote the letter and then stated hat tue
;n,,ocnd nv "