The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1838-03-17
uWAsnlvoroN CRY, March Q. 1888.

"WAsH1NoroN CRY, March 9. 1893.
S1R:--I enclose you three printed para
graphs, cut from newspapers, having rela.
lion to the inquiry with which the commit
tee Of which you are chairman has been
charged by the House of Representatives.
The first is taken from letter written from
Philadelphia; the second from letter writ
ten from this city and the third is ~ ~
from the editorial head of the N. Y Courier
and Enquirer /; and all Of them attributing
the death of NIE Cilley to my counses and
cOntriyances. The positiveness with which
the writers of these paragraphs detail the
circumstances which enable them to charge
me with the death of Mr.. Cilley, may pre-
sent them as proper witnesses TO be exam
ned in relation to that event: and, il so,
here request that may be allowed to be
present at their examination.
In the mean time, justice to the dead, who
can no longer speak for himself, and due
regard to the object of these coincident
movements from three cities, induce me to
say that, so lar as my name is concerned,
there is not one particle of truth in the State
ments Of these paragraphs SO far from
counselling with Mr.. Cilley, and preventing
him from admitting the true report Of his
conversations with Mr.. Graves, it happens
to be the fact that never saw Mr.. Ciley,
TO know him, but once in his life, and that
at the commenCpmeGt of the session, when
he did me the honor TO call upon me in COM
pany with Mr.. Pierce. of the Senate: and
that no communication Of any kind, written
or verbal, direct or Indirect personal or po-
litical, has ever taken place between us.
Instead of contriying and creating this duel,
it so happened that my first knowledge OF
it was received in my chair in the Senate,
on Friday, from Mr.. Haight, the Sergeant
alarms, who mentioned il to me as town
talk; my neGt knowledge of it was from
Mr.. Pierce, of the Senate, and at my place
in the Senate; so that was in arrear of the
town talk of the subject. With respect To
this wonderful rifle firing, of which am
represented TO have been the superintendent,
and 10 have expressed such high admiration,
| ithappens to be the fact that | have not seen
| a rifle fired in twenty years. With respect
| TO MIR Graves, whose death am charged
with so anXiOuly conlriving, II so happens
that do not know the person Of that gen
| tleman; that not word Of any kind has ever
passed between us; that do not know that
he has ever spent thought upon me, and
am certain that his existence even was un-
thought ofby me at the time that am chag.
ged with planning his death. With respect
to DIR. Duncan, with whom am charged
with being in consultation nearly all the
week, have no recollection of having seen
him until after midday on Saturday, when
he and others stopped at Mr.. Jones's door,
which is next door ID mine, on their way
out, and when my counsels can be stated
by others more appropriately than by my
self.
Reserving any further details for more
suitable, occasion, | have to request you to
lay this letter with its enclosure, before the
committee of which YOU are chairman, for
such action upon it as they may think pro-
per to have.
Respectfully sir,
Your obedient servent
THOMAS III. BENTON.
n