The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-07-20
THE WASHINGTON FRAcAs.
New HorE, June Both, 1881.

NEW HoPE, June Both, 1881
| The President of the U. S.
| SIR-I had the honor 10 receive by way of
Deylestown, your letter of tho Esd inst, with
! ITS enclosures, viz copies of circular letter
from you to the acting Secretary of War, Treas.
urer Of the U. States, Register and Second Au.
ditor of the Treasury, and of their respective
answers-the copy oc your circular being in
print the others | had also seen in the news.
papers some days before your letter reached me-
| In your letter to me above referred TO, YOU
speak of my having charged several officers of
the government with a conspiracy, and state
that they have denied the charges preferred
against them by me. / must be permitted to
say that have not charged those officers with
any specific offence in the form suggested by
you.
l have stated that the late Secretary Of War,
and acting Secretary of War were lying in
wait for the purpose Of making an assault upon
me. on my wa to the office, as believed, with
an intent TO assassnate. | also stated that
grocery store between my lodgings and the Of.
! hce, and the rooms Of the Treasurer and Req
lister were alternately occupied by them as pla-
ces OF rendezvous while SO employed. further
stated that the Treasurer, Register, and Second
Auditor were in their company. | also stated
the principal persons thus engaged, viz Eaton
and Randolph, with recruited force, threatsn-
ed an assault on the dwelling resided in, the
same night until late hour, and | now state
that this threatening was continued until late
hour on the following night. The officers who
have denied the charge framed by you, admit
having been in company with Mr. Eaton dur
ing the time referred to, but they deny having
been in his company the whole time this was
never intended to have been alleged by me.
The admissions, equivocations and palpable
reservations in their letters are abundant proof
, nj n al Honta rfoA hu
} as they concerned; but if any doubt remains
1t should be observed, that my letter of the 2st
) was addressed to you especially as Chief Mag
lstrate of the District OF Columbia in which
, capacity your powers must be ample to direct
the proper officer of the Government to nsti
tute legal investigation of this transaction
: before tribunal, having power to examine and
) compel the attendance of witnesses. Wheney-
) er this shall be done, will, without delay, re-.
5 turn to the seat of government, and render all
3 the aid In my power to such officer in the dis
charge of his duty. 1t must, however be distinct
ly understood that the investigation shall begin
with the principals, and before furnish list
OF the witnesses, that an assurance Of protection
shall be given to these who hold offices, that
they shall suffer no injury in consequence of
giving testimony. This has become necsssa.
8 ry by reason of the declaration OF Mr. Evans,
the brothern-iaw of Mr. Eaton, tina. the
i President would turn every clerk out o office
, who took my part in this business" aado 9th
er facts which have since come to myknowl-
] edge. Although do not assume that this dec
laration was authorised by you, yet it is indis-
pensabie to justice, that no apprehehsonof this
, nature should rest on the minds of witnesses
nave the honor to be, very respec fully,
yours, sc. SD. INGn.M.
REPLY.
Washing ton, Juiu 7, 1871
: Sir-Ths President on his return today
from the Rip Raps, has received your letter Of
the Both ult. In reply to your renewed call
upon him, cas- Chief Magistrate of the Dis
trict oil Columbia" am directed to inform you
that he does not consider the fact that certain
otncers having been in company with Major
Eaton" during office hours, and in their Offices,
where it is their duty to be. and whore svery
individual has right to go, as supporting the
charge that those Offices were used !" as places
OF rendezvous by party lying in wait TO as
sasslnate you nor as constituting " probable
cause" to justify the subsection Of citizens of
fair character, all solemnly denying your impu.
tatlons, to arraignment before a court of crimi.
nal jurisdiction. That if ga legal investiga.
ton of this transaction before tribunal having
power to examine and compel the attendance
of witnesses, be by you deemed necessary,
he assures you of adequate protection in the
City of Washington, where you have the right
az prosecutor before the grand jury, to present
the supposed offenders, or to summon them DO
fore any magistrate of the district. Also, that
assurance of protection shall be given TO those
who hold Offices, that they suffer no injury in
consequence of giving testimony''-an assur-
ance, however, not to be construed az affording
impunity for any misconduct which the inyesti,
CATION may unfold.
The President directs me to inform you, also,
that should any persons connected with the
Government be found implicated in having
formed part of " a recruited force" to engage
in hostities of any kind within the precincts
of the Departments, or elsewhere in the Dis
trict of Columbia, or in having armed and asso-
ciated together, to the disturbance and alarm of
its peaceful citizens, he will feel it his DUTY in
addition to the penalties of the law, forthwith to
dismiss the offenders from the public service.
He directs me further, Sir, and in conclusion.
to state that, from the inquiry he has made.
your charges to that effect against the Acting
Secretary Of War; and others, do not appear TO
be founded in fact; and that he cannot but as.
cribe them to a reliance on false statements, or
vague surmises, or to the working of an over
excited Imagination. am, Sir very respect
fully your obedient servant, N. P TRIsr.
Samuel d. Ingham, Esq
Doylestown, Bucks county, Penn.
JAcKsoNIsM IN Pennsylvania. Extracts
from letter from Mr.. Clayton, Senator from
Delaware, in answer to an invitation to ioin