The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-09-18
Oyte and Lincoln.

our readers NAV remember that few weeks
ago We ntimated to the editor OF the Peoria Re
gistcr, that, as he had published the speech Of
Judge Oglc, in which the most unmcasurcd abuse
is hcaped upon President Van Buren,, FITNESS
would require that he should let his readers see
the reply to it of Gov. Lincoln, whig member
Of Congress from Massachusetts,. We considered
this suggestion the more pertinent, as the Register
bad few weeks previously in publishing Judge
Ogles speech, even expressed willingness to give
the President the full benefit of the defence set up
for him in Gov. I.incoln's speech 1t seems We
were not alone in making this rcques, of the edi-
"an intelligent friend" has made similar request !;
whcroupon he assures his friend that ''men have
strange fancies,' and tells us we have mistaken
the whole tenor of Mr. Ogles speech and Of Gov.
Lnco!n's rcputed reply and, "pesuming that
others may have fallen into the error, he
chcerfuy undertakes to set :hcm right"
Now what reason the Register has for believing
tha, we or his "ntellisent friend, have mistaken
the whole tenor Of Mr.. O's speech or Gov. LIS
reply we are unable TO conjecture. For our
part, we never mentioned word about them, ex-
ccpt in the small article quoted by the Register
But "ncn have strange fancies," &c. We be-
licve, however, the editor of the Register s mista-
ken in his belief that Gov Is speech "s graycy
put forth as a reply to the statements concerning
the extravaganza with which the presidents house
is furnished" made by Mr.. o. Wcalways thought
and still think, it was "put forth $40 show, lin
the language of Gov. i. himself) the absurdity of
the intended application" Of those statements; to
prove that the White House and its furniture are
the property of the nation, whose concern it is to
keep them in order, and if it provides an appro-
pration to furnish the house decently, or splen-
didly, the president would be culpable in refusing
to apply the money so appropriated; to prove in
short, that Mr.. Ogc's attempt to saddle upon Pre-
sident Van Buren, the extravaganza with which
the White House is furnished was complete
failure For this reason, therefore, because Ut is,
as the Philadelphia National Gazette, wing pa
per, says "a satsjactoy uladicaflon ef he Pfest-
deai from a'y blame That nay be attached /" him
70 psssoad ertravagancc," it is "gravely put
forth :; and il is for this reason, VIC presume, that
he of the Register, instead of complying with the
request of his friend to publish Gov l.incoln's
speech, has gone to work to "sa him nightt'
Although it is not material to the defence OF
President Van Buren, whethcra single item which
Mr., Ogle has included in his list of purchases is
false or not, we cannot agree with the Register
tina, "no, a single one has been disproved." We
believe il has been satisfactorily proved, that Mr..
Lincoln was correct in saying that the famous
dinner sci ofgod' was purchased by Mr.. Monroe
while minister to France, and were afterwards Ia
ken by the government on his election TO the pre-
sidency. II appears too, that these marvellous
gold spoons, knivo forks, &c were but silver gid-
cd. The French chairs, too, were purchased by
Mr.. Monroe, and their :rcpairing and covering"
for which the President is roughly handled,
consisted in having the imperial cro,cn of Napo-
leon, for whom they were originally made, taken
Off and the stars of our country substituted in their
stead The "Frcnch bcdstcads," also, il happens,
were made in the United States, and were only
French in name. "Frcnch mahogany" exists on
" in the imagination of Mr. Oglc, for no such
wood ever grew in France. We believe that
many similar Measurements might be pointed out
in this famous speech, if any one chose to UNDER
take the task; but as it is upon the whole a very
'small business" we presume no one will ever
put himself TO any trouble on its account.