The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-10-30

/
TO- or approved of any fraudulent procuring Oh 'o'e'
from Philadelphia elsewhere.
| never had any knowledge Of any such votes penny
either procured sought or gwen never hass sor ~.
trbuted money any other thing iof any SUI p a,
| pose. | never was present at any mee,ing, ~ any
| pace with las b. GlentwoIth IL Is wholly untrue
Thar AZ INV instance or with my knowledge, ne was
sent 10 PHILADELPHIA nor had any agency, direct or
indirect in his mission. In giving this DENIAL m
,nonov make IT, in the broadest FORM to deny every
;i,aaaI d;sbonorabe or unfair pretended to be
charredRin the papers taken before Mr.. Recorder
In entire innocence of these charges, permit me to
call your attention TO the manner IN whch lhey nave
been got up and put forth
| The Recorder of New York. Robert III. Morris. at
the head of the criminal court of this city departs from
the usual practice of his place and condescends TO aid
in the taking of dispositions intended to operate upon
the public mind These dispositions relate to matters
appearing in party papers two years ago, then pretend
ed 10 be known and slept upon till the eve OF the pre-
| sent election. As Judge of the Court OF Sessions
he well knew that those who were proceeded against
were to be tried before him; he well knows how nm
portant to fair trial il that the Judgments OF the
body Of the people should not be preudiced that the
circulation of erparte depositions having the impos
ing form which he sought to confer on those then be.
fore him. would render the procuring OF an impartial
Jury impossible and he could scarcely be insenslble
to the serious effect of such mpataons upon all VINO
were the subjects Of them
Yet while the proceedings were pending before nun,
he allows copies of the DISPOSITIONS to be taken by the
conductors Of the press of party and as am told,
himself at midnight superntends the press, going from
the bench the printing Office with the purpose oil
their being spread the widest extent and with the
greatest effect for the purpose OF being made effective
upon elections in other States, too at hand to adj
NIT of any contradiction certainly of any contradc-
ton under form equally imposing
My fellow citizens was this acting as minister OF
Justice Did il show the honor of gentleman OF the
fairness of an honest MANI Are political opponents
to be thus hunted down by beagles from the bench
Are you safe if such proceedings are sanctioned
To you is now put the question, whether this dehle
men of the ermne chow costly sacrifice to an upright
Judge shall be permitted to achieve the success OF
trick
But this example in high place had its full effect
upon the suboIdinaes The SANDERS once set on foot
with the garb of official socmnty, circulated
with less Of scruple. Handblls were struck of at
Boston anterior TO the publication here and eli
culated throughout all New England and especially
were flooded into New Bedford, the place OF my birth
and the abode of my father and brothers 80 that In
addition to publication simultaneously IN New York
Pennsylvania, Washington, Maryland, and doubtless
in the other States in the party newspapers, every adj
ditional publicity given that slanderous nge-
nuity could conrve has received all that petty pub
Gcity which the wonder-tellng handful could excite
with the addition in Boston, that had absconded to
avoid arrest.
YOU my fellow citizens, know what it is to bear
good name how the enjoyment from this source Is IN
creased in knowing it TO be respected and cherished by
the friends of your early life. You cannot fail to know
how the defaming tha good name cuts those friends
to the heart. You know my standing as merchant
you know how mercantile credit and reputation Tor
integrity ought to be appreciated; how slowly 1t Is
gained how easily it can be violated and leave 1t TO
YOU to express your condemnation OF this unjust and
ungenerous course 1t is for you to say whether the
heavy interests OF the ofceholders shall be thus
prompted at the expense of that in which private life
is SO sacred, and in public life noble an honest
man
But there circumstances, giving to this injury
still more dangerous aspect. only speak now from
the documents signed by the actors themselves Inc
apparent setter forth OF the story, Mr. j. D. Stevenson,
was in that position and character that accusations by
him, unsupported and uncountenanced, would have
received little notice and done little damage The
rankness too of the pretended disclosures from the
alledged agent in the frauds which Stevenson pretends
to deveope, not little remarkable, and remark
ably suspicious. Stevenson knew well he must have
better aid.
He addresses himself to Mr. Butler the u. States
Attorney, and Mr.. Hoyt, the Collector of the Gus
TOMS and they meet together at Hoyts house, in
interview which the latter, with unfeigned simplicity,
calls ''wholly accidental" Mr. Butler, under his own
hand admits to us that Glentworth came upon
pectation sell disclosures for the purchase and re-
ward of office they well knew the character and stand
ing of those whom he was to assail.
They cannot expect us to believe that they were I'M
acquainted with the pretended secrets of Stevenson,
and yet do they rcpel the informer9 Do they take
fire at the insult of being applied to sell their influence,
their recommendation to Office in return for the accu-
saton of their fellow citizens Can it be that the
frequent prostitution of that influence, the habit of
rewardng party services with the spos of office had
deadened the of insult at being applied to for
such purpose Certain it is, that the man, coming
as an informer asking TO be suborned, was not ne
elected
The powers Of persuasion of Mr.. Butler were, as he
SAYS used to repei the idea of official reward and
on him the whole Of this service appears to have de-
volved But did il not to those men, at that in
tervew that the very proposal made to them showed
that they must be dealing if their own statement be
true, with who unworthy of belief, and
unfit associate that their duty to their neghbor good
name, well as truth and honor, required them to
have communication with what must have seemed
to them polluted a sourcel But they held on to the
man tried to persuade him to their service and,
finding themselves unable they fell back upon the
tailed hearsay of the original Stevenson.
| This it is which they have spread abroad in order to
divert from public questions the attention of an inte
gent and honest people, to divert from official miscon
duct and bad government the Indignation of an ava
| kened nation.
Upon this plot base in all its aspects, and upon its
authors Invoke your just sentence Shall this abor
tive tanperlng rpen into successful fraud This
question: my fellow citizens is for you to decide
The extent to which dependents upon the public
treasury have interiered with elections is already
shameless in its character il dangerous in its
tendency Their interference TO its present extent in
our elections is most formidable evil always opera
ting to shelter official misconduct and to oppose salu
tary reforms. Opposition to this system is of the
party with which ! act.
i But how is this danger increased when the officers
of the Federal Government as body of inqui-
stors, and seek to procure from appearing be-
fore them they themselves say, without any credi-
blty and with the avowed purpose of being suborned
charges of fraud upon their fellow citizens? Charges
ganst men whom they assal for opposing their opini-
ons and jeoparlng their Offices. My fellow citizens
is for you say whether such system shall receive
your sanction
Tome personally, your service in Congress will
he most costly sacrifice of time, of private interest and
domestic comfort But know that in Offering sacri-