The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-09-17
GEN, DODGE.

Lctte, ana III noOody else ever DID, OF course
the editor Of that print mtst;be the slanderer
GEN. DODGE
One might suppose, from the whole dri # and
tenor of his apologists, that the office holders
candidate for Delegate was one of the purest
and most immaculate personages that brcathes
the pure air of heaven, and that no one has
right to question the purity OF his character.
In repubshing the accusation that was brought
against him concerning the forgery case in
Wisconsin, in which he is accused of having
perjurcd himself in making false certificate
we intended to decline offering any opinion or
any comments of our own; but since VIC have
been attacked, and our motives grossly and
falsely impugned by the managers of the Ga
zctte, we feel called upon to lay aside any del
icacy with which we intended to clothe the
whole subject, out of regard Tor the feelings Of
the parties Interested, and make such farther
observations as seem to be called for by the
nature OF the case.
Itappcars that the individual against whom
McGoon endeavored ito get presentmcnt,"
was d very near friend of A. c. Dodge, the FORE
man Of the Grand Jury. We believe Bequette,
who is accused of having been leagued with
Dodge in screening Sheldon, is his brother-n-
law We cannot conceive what mere political
motive could have induced McGoon to make
the statements contained in the article we CO.
pied last week. They so intimately and vital
1, fertfh c .b.ra Of IF hat
seems to US almost impossible that such motive
could have actuated him. The reader, how
ever, can conceive it to be possible for an indi-
vidual, to screen near friend from nfamy,
to make false statement, as Dodge is accused
! of doing, to the President, with the under.
standing that none but the President and the
! immediate friends of the accused is to know
anything about such false statement.
Gen. Dodge is a candidate for the highest
Office in the gift Of the people of this Territory
come the candidate of his party, he gave up
mis- character to the scrutiny Of the public
We know of no code, religious, moral or polit-
ical, that can afford him any indulgence from
such scrutiny If we ever had any DISPOSE ton
to palliatc his conduct fronl considerations OF
delicacy, on account Of the relations he sus-
tanned to us a ncighbor and fellow citizen
and We confess we had-we consider ourself en-
tirely absolred from longer entertaining such
disposition, by the treatment we have received
from his miserable pander' and organ III this
place.
Whatever may be said in regard to the want
of positive proof on the subject, we think the
disposition on the part of McGoon to have the
matter fully investigated, and his strong desire
to have the original document produced, is
sufficient to create doubt in the mind of every
impartial reader as to the innocence Of the
party accused. In relation to this subject,
McGoon uses the following language:
'The certificates of these gentlemen, all of
them of the highest responsibility, and who
can have no motive in stating aught but the
! truth in this matter, would alone be sufficient
to overwhelm Mr. Dodge, and fix upon him the
charge that he deliberately certified to untruths
when he states that the presentment "never
passed said Jury, and that the placing my name
to it is forgery If, however, after lapse
of three years, the recollection of maj ority
public mind that Mr. Dodge did sign the pre-
sentiment, then challenge the production OF
the document itself. 1t is TO be found on the
| files of the General Land Office at Washington
city. 1t is in my handwriting; the endorse.
ment on the back in that of Mr. Chapman, and
the signature in the proper handwriting of A.
c. Dodge No trick, no ingenuity, can change
| its face, and the production of the paper itself
will establish, in any court of competent Judi
cature, that it is no counterfeit
| In regard to the want Of time to go into a
full investigation of this subject before the
election, it certainly is not our fault. We pub
! lshed the statement as soon as we obtained 1t
/ That there was such paper, containing ma.
ked prcscntment, without stating facts, is very
evident Whether it was signed by A. c. Dodge
as foreman, as is stated by McGoon and those
who have given their certificates, can perhaps
be ascertained on application to Col. Chapman
We have no doubt that Mr. Chapman can fur
nsh such testimony in the case as will be sat
isfactory; and, in behalf of all concerned. we
hereby call upon him to give such information
as will enlighten the people on this subject.
L