Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1840-05-30
LETTER FROM MR.. BOLTS.
40 Tam, o Tam, thou'lIt get thy farm,
In He'll they'll roast thee like herin,"


In He'll they'll roast thee like herin,'
observe in the Enquirer of Tuesday, the 7th,
All accusation against me for an abuse of the frank
ing privilege, which is too absurd on its very face,
Though endorsed by Mr.. Ritchie in an editorial
paragraph to excite any other feeling than that of
contempt for the malignity that originated it, and
pity for the folly that gave countenance to it.
With Mr. Richie and his own highly censurablc
conduct which shall be exposed before finish this
communication, should not have troubled myself
or the public but for this attempt to assal me
through the public prints, in order to screen his
friend who has been assaied in another quarter,
whether justifable or not, pretend not to say.
1t is not the first time this winter that have
had reason to complain Of Mr.. Richie, towards
whom | have ever been courteous and civil, for
lending the use of his columns to hirelng writer's
TO defaine me, when he knew that there not q
particle Of truth in what he published; und now
that he has given circulation to, and endorsed a
SANDER and calumuy which, on its fuce, proves
the folly and wickedness of the charge, | shall
avail myself of the occasion communicate for the
benefit of all who.may choose to read few facts,
which will make even Mr.. RitcAie blush if he is
at all sensible TO shame.
This letter writer charges me with having prac-
tised stupendous fraud the Post Office Depart
ment which is, as | have said before, endorsed by
Mr.. Richie, and is in the following language. He
is defending Mr.. Roane, and says:
complied with it in the instance above recicd
but to settle the gentemans squealnishncss on the
subject would inform him that in no instance has
the ranking privilege been abused to such an ex-
tent coming within my knowledge as that inflicted
by the Hon. John Minor Bolts, who franked the
posthumus speech of the Hon. John Davis, of Mas
sachusetts in reply to Mr.. Buchanan. This gentle
man made up bag of the above named speeches,
leaving the superscription blani to be filled up by
the members of the Legislature, and addressed it
to V. w. Southal, Richmond, which, instead Of
coming through the channel designated by the lac
Of the land, WAS SENT AS FREIGHT"
Now to this charge, Substantially, | plead guilty;
though it is not true that sent them to Mr..
SOuthall. did send Sact-6ag full of Mr. Davis
speech to Richmond, to the care of VIM. H. McFar-
land, Esq, Chairman of the Central Committee
sheving that the Sub Treasury scheme ,caS supported
by Mr. Buchanan, and other friends Of the Admins
tration, on the ground that it uaS calculated to re-
duce the price Of property and the price Of labor to
be distributed as called for among our political
friends in the Legislature, to be taken home by
them, or directed and sent by mail, as might bt
most convenient to them the labor of directing
being at least as convenient to them as to me.
| wish had another sack-bag to send off in The
same way--I would, if it were in my power, pu
that document in the hands Of every reading ant
rejecting man in Virginia. and would trouble th
United States Mail to carry them for me, if be
elections, and should think | was rendering m
State and my country essential service in SO do
ing. NOD let them make the most of ID.
This was the abuse of the franking privilege
complained of. 1t was for this that | ain held VI
in the columns of the Enquirer as committing
fraud on the Government, because | chose to pay
the freight out of my own pocket TO the steamboa
and railroad on documents that the Government
was bound to carry for me, wtthoM compensation
if had required it,
n had supposed that the frauds usually compaine
n of were such as Mr. Richie has himself bee
guilty Of in sending papers and packages Prohibte
by laU, and not for seeking private conreyaac
o for such the lao authorized me to send free {
. postage.
! | should stop here, after pleading guilty to til
l. charge of sending documents freight; but for hi
IS information, as well as others, will furnish hi
with the principal reason that influenced me in thu
n course-it because was afraid to trust thel
= in the hands of the Post Office Department, on al
: count of the daily frauds that are practised G
y every Wing Member of Congress who undertake
IS to exercise the privilege of ranking documents
his constituents calculated to expose the hyPocric
the selfshness, the proAigacy, and corruption
the Government.
And now for an instance in point.
On the second day Of February last, sent
0 the Post Office in this city several hundred copl
a. of my first speech on the New Jersey contest
= election, directed to the Richmond Post Office
re the 18th of the same month, went to Rchmo
r. myself, and had many applications from person
re friends, for copy of the speech had sent near
. fortnight before. repaired TO the Post Oihce
r that city, TO ascertain whether those documents
~ been stopped in Washington, or if they had be
~ received in Richmond, why they had not been d
ID Iibued. Nobody could give me any intormali'
IN the subject; h1t in looking about the ofhr''