State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-03-22
From the Boston Daily Advocate.
CALUMNY REPUDIATED.

From the Boston Daily Advocate.
CALUMNY REGULATED.
The other day, ! heard by letters from my
friends in Vermont, that Mr.. Knapp, the Editor Of
the Vermont State Journal, had read in the lIarri
son Convention at Montpelier, 4 letter, purporting
to be from MIR. John Clark Of WATERFOWL con-
tanning, among other false things, gross personal
impu aton upon the Editor OF the Boston Daily
Advocate, implying that he had offered to support
MIR. Webster for President for bride, and failing
to get it, had sold ont the AntmIsonc party to Mr.
Van Buren,. calumny Of this sort, thus publicly
promulgated to aid the nomination of Harrison.
with the base design of destroying the character OF
the Editor of the Advocate in the estimation of bis
Antlmasonc friends in Vermont, required atten-
ton beyond the ordinary political ISLANDERS Of the
day which may be dsregardcd | accordingly took
measures TO bring 1t to 4 point as will be seen by
the communication signed John Clark, and the
correspondence with Mr.. Hardy TO which in
ylte the attention of Mir. Knapp and others of my
former Vermont friends, who, because | support
Mr.. Van Buren,. while they go for Harrison, lave
resorted to the Masonic process Of lying me down.
II they are men Of honor and common honesty,
they will take TO wash their hands of the cal
umny they have been retailing at second hand. If
they are not, the public will know hereafter how to
estimate Harrison morals and yeracity in Vermont.
In report Of the proceedings Of the Vermont
Convention, Mr.. Knapp is reported saying that
he had letter from one Of the Massachusetts,
state Committees, which represented that the
:.
Van Buren, were no. notified. that but few Antima-
sons were present, and that the Advocate had to.
any inisicircsentru 'nu injecting. Two leIters
from Vermont informed me that NJ. Knapp stated
that John Clark of Watertown was the author of
this letter, which also contained the bribery charge
against me. On this evidence ! charged John
Clark with falsehood. THIS he has fully and fairly
disclaimed bv the communication which we pub.
lish with his signature, and with which as il now
stands, are satisfied. Mr.. Clark expressly de-
mics having written any such letter as has been at
tributed TO him. and adds (wLic! covers the whole
point at issue between lin and me, about which
care any lhinpl-
Neither have I ever said or written. that YOU
ever applied to Mr.. Webster for money to support
him for the Presidency. ! may, in conversation
with some friend, have alluded to the fact Of there
Ieng such rumor, and in some correspondence,
probably with MIR, Knapp, | alluded to it, merely
as report, not otherwise, OF giving him TO under
stand that | endorsed the truth Of or believed it,
myself, and by Mr.. Ilallett's declaration, | am
bound to disbelieve it." This is signed
JOHN CLARK
Mr.. Clark gave, as his author Of the rumor, Mr..
Nahum Hardy, with whom the following cores
pondence has been had which sets the calumny at
rest, on his part. If any body else is prepared to
repeat it, on their own account, will dispose Of
them in the same way. Mr.. Hardy has retracted
whatever he NAV have hastily said, in manner
which, feel bound to say, is perfectly satsfac
tory
EDITOR OF THE ADVOCATE.
Mr.. Nahum Hardy of Waltham--
have been informed that you have Inserted,
that offered 10 support Mr., Webster for Pres-
dent, II he would pay me five hundred dollars, and
on his not complying, | got about the same sum
from Mr.. Van Buren,. | wish TO know, from YOU,
whether you have reported this lie That may hold
the author OF so infamous ialsehood responsible
for it, expect an answer
BENZ. f. HALLETT.
Boston, March 10, 1886.
MIR, HALLETT Sir--In answer 10 your inquiry,
| wish distinctly to state that have never in
tended to represent to any one that you offered to
support Mr. Webster for President, for any sum of
money to be paid you, or that you ever expected or
received any thing for supporting Mr.. Van Buren,.
have never written any such thing in any letter
to Vermont, nor have written n letter TO any An
llmason within the State of Vermont, within
year
On a full inquiry into what | supposed were the
facts when | stated what | may have said in con
versation with many friends, which did under
feeling of supposed injustice on your part toward
me; am entirely satisfied and now wish publicly
to state that went too far in implying any thing
wrong or improper in the case, and wish that any
uniavorabIe impression in regard to this matter
which may have arisen from any thing have said
should be entirely removed 10y this statement
Respectfully yours, &c.
NAHUM HARDY.
Waltham, March, Ilth, 1886.
REMARKS. 1t seems from the foregoing,
that Mr. lIallett's Vermont correspondents
have, fundamentally, no doubt, occasoned
him deal of unnecessary trouble. The
"gross personal impulation upon the editor
of the Boston Daily Advocate" happens to
be "publicly promulgated" for the first
time, so far as we know, through the col /
umns Of the Boston Advocate itself! Not
n syllable about any brihc, was said or read
in the late Vermont convention, ms Mr.
llallet seems TO suppose. We leave him
therefore, to mete out such measure of pun |
ishment upon the first publisher of the al
legged calumny, as the atrociry Of the crime
may seem to him to require. 1t is due to