Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-12-20
A,esr,. STEVENSON s. sLo.a.vE.

reply oil three columns and a halt TO Mr.. Steven
son . last Communication. We have no room tor
his Argument--but We lay all his Documentary
Evidence before our readers.-He attempts 10
show that Mr.. Brent's letter, (Which have
held and still hold CONCLUSIVE of the question:
so far from furnishing proof in favor o! MIR. Ste
venson, goes far, very far, towards corroborang
E my (Sloane's) statemenfn'-He attempts TO show
that lac is not the " obscure individual whom
Mt. 5. represents. +" had the honor (says be) OF
= seat in Congress two years before Mr.. Steven
son became member, and ever since. The dis
trct which for four years represented, contained,
at that time, greater number of free white inha-
biian's than one tflh part OF the whole white popu
lation of the great State of Virginia, then repre-
sented by TWENTY FOUR members; and do not
eAaggerate when say, that, at one election, my
majority was greater than all the votes Mr.. Ste
venson has received for Congress in his whole
! lifc.''
| In reply to the remark that Mr. s. had long
known ms feelings towards Southern men and
Southern doctrines "to have been bitter s. unre
ienting," he says: "that Southern Speaker, IA
gentleman, however, very sDlike Mr.. ST. at the
commencement OF the 18th Congress, unsolicited,
appointed me Chairman OF an important Commit
mi.tec; TO which place have been re-appointed
by every succeeding Speaker, including Mr. Ste
venson himself, until at the present Session, influ
enced by motives which | will not attempt to
characterize, but which every unbiased miad will
understand and appreciate, be has thought proper
10 snow ms magndn'ulfy, by excluding me from
the stuation.''
MT. SiCaNe comments on MT. - 9 remarks, as 10
the "manner and time OF his making his public
disclosure about Mr.. Size says, he felt himself
"as implicated in the charge" made against the Adj
ministration in MIR. SIS Saratoga letter; and that
although he was previously aware of his hostility
to the Administration, yet as Mr.. s. had publish
ed nothing which identified him with the charge
OF mal-aiinistraiion against Mr.. Adams he was
induced 20 decline taking any active part against
MIR. S.-but that when the Saratoga letter appear
cd he felt It 10 be his duty, TO inform the public Of
the circumstances which he related--And az To his
not bringing them forward at earlier period,
and ''more especially at the time he was elected
Speaker, he contends that it would have been Of
no use; that g the most positive proof of all Che
has) stated of him, and FIVE times as much more
would have been of TO avail, when his election
was determined upon " And such is Mr.. Soane's
apology Tor keeping things locked UP in his
| bosom, which he wishes the public To believe
were true, and which the interest. OF his country
called upon him to disclosed
| He winds up with the usual guantum of yi,upe-
ration and abuse-of course.-Ihe fact is that
there is nothing in the Documents he produces
| in the letters oil WhtlIesey, OF Vance, &c calcu-
lated TO shake our confidence in Mr.. Stevensons
communication What Mr. Sloane told others of
what Mr.. Stevenson to him, can scarcely add
any new force to what he tells US himself-If he
rnisrepresents Mr.. s., Thousand witnesses to
| whom he imparts the instrumentation cam
not purify 1t; and turn fslsehood into truth-And if
he mis'ook him, no cloud Of witnesses can give
! weig CHI to his own csrcrs-The letter OF h.r
l .
has done one the ohcr-Ilis not using his
statement against Stevenson, when he might have
| most seriously injured him and served his own
party, Is proof to our minis that he had inissv-
ingS and doubts of the accuracy Of his own state
ments, and the credibility of his own assertions
III appears, that there was much jocular remark
about this subject OF Speaker. Many things were
thrown out In Conversation, which were never
" meant IN sober seriousness. The remaas 10
which Gen. Macarthur refers, is probably of this
description had hoped, that with, the close of
The Presidential election, this habit of retailing pri
| Vaie conversations would have ceased-3ut il
| seems to be Observation-Disclosures must learn TO
practice more etiqueteto give TESTING, quiz
| ENG and hoaxing, with their adyersiyies aitoae-
Their. Woe be to the jester A sporiiye remark
may prove mortal stab TO his own reputation
Letters published By Mr.. Shane
Extract Of letter from Governor .netcnIls, of
henfuchy, dated the 2lsf November 1898
cit does so happen that 1 have not vet seen
your statement OF Mr.. Sevensons conversation
! to you or III your presence. Nor have seen his
answer. am told, however, that YOU re present
MN as having made an overture l.. the friends OF
the Administration in order TO procure their sup
port for Speaker, by giving an intirnation or ma
king proposition, to support the Administration,
il that party would elect him. and t.is statement
fis positively denies. have 10 recollection OF a
ny Statement made by Mr.. Stevenson to me. or
| IN my presence, ubstantaIiy OF tpc character
which you impu,e TO him.
About the time, or soon after, it was understood
that Mr.. Clay would accept The Office of Secrefa-
| ry, while was sitting with some other u,erlber
| tathougn have frogotten who il was) on one OF
The sofas between the marble columns sat the
back OF your seat, Mr.. Stevenson approac u.s.
and with some apparent eagerness introducted
the question oil who was to he next Speaker He
informed us that the name of Louis Nj Lane had
been mentioned for that office, and expressed his
| most decided dissent remarking that he did not
think It possible for avowed FedeTaiist 10 Sic
| coed in an attempt TO fill that Chair and thereby
become the head of a Republican House of Rem.
/ resentatves. Alter Mr. Stevenson lelt us I re-
collect my remarking TO the other gentlemen, that
| thought IL little unkind in Mr. Stevenson to
1 speak IN that way about MIR. NLane-thatit had
not been long since The Representatives from the
sldve'holding States were very open in their CIV
Pressions OF appreciation of Mr.. MLane's course
IN relation to the Missouri question I then
learned, however, that Mr. Stevenson was look
! ing up to the Chair himself. This conversation of
MT stevenson l believe mentioned soon after
wards TO several Of my friends"
HOUSE or REPREs sHrArrvEs,
| December 9th, 1923.
| DEAR SIR;--Ia compliance with Inc reo1est
contained IN your note Of the 8h submit the
following statement: During the first session of
! me 'Vlh Congress, you informed me, that Mr. A.
Stevenson bad, OH the morning OF the first Mon
Gay oi December, 1928, proposed 10 YOU th.t. if
| the House OF Representatives would elect hin
! Speaker, he would support the Adminjstr,t;nn
Inc precise time at which you gave me This in,
/ formation, cannot now recollect buf bciic,o !,
was near the close OF the Session.
Very respectfully, yours
| Honorable JoHN SLOANE.
WAsTINGroN, DEcEmpen 10Th. 1922.
oo D 5 I'll have received YOUR note of The
yn, IN winch you state, that il is your impression
That you communicated TO me Tho otscrva ,ion
which you have alleged Nr stevooson made n