Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1842-06-24


ton IN your communication rs having
been put "by the proper person and in
Inc proper manner" certainly admit
your right to be informed as TO the truth
oil my having made any assertion which
mIghtettect your pubic or private cha
racler; and the manner in which that
request was made by you must have
been highly exceprionable indeed to
have prevented me from responding TO
question in which character was sup
posed TO be involved. / do not know
whether the reference to nv response
to Mr.. Stanly, thus made b. your friend,
was designed to imply sense of injus.
tlce towards you D my refusal to answer
Mr.. S!anly. | can hardly suppose that
an inference manifeslIy so unfair was
intended, and especially as your note
contains no reference to that affair. Nv
course was certainly governed by de.
sire TO do justice to all of the parties
concerned The remarks which were
the subject of inquiry were made during
The last autumn, and involved an issue
Of fact between the President and ,your
self. They were the subjec, Of com.
ment in many oI the newspapers Of the
day. You had possessed oil the racil.
ties which the mail affords for address
ing me in relation 10 them, and you
were IN Washington for weeks during 9
the last winter, where was at all time $
accessible. had done all that was ne
Cessary, in my opinion, to Vindicate the
President against your attack by refer.
ring TO the evidence upon which re-
lied and d! had no right TO pursue fur
iher an inquiry affecting your personal
character, unless you yourself desired
the authority for my remarks, And
whilst did not feel justified in crafty.
ing the curiosity Of third persons in re
larion to an issue OF fact between the
President and yourself, | held mysel t
bound at all times to furnish you with
lhe authority upon which declared that
such an issue existed | could have
wished that you had been more specific
in your lnterrogatory, as do not know
to what, of the many paragraphs in va.
rouS newspapers on this subject, you
refer. presume, however. it was some
paper which truly reported my remarks,
whose substance recoIlect, and shall
answer accordingly, II disposed 10 be
captious, | might require first to know
whether it is only to crafty the curios-
ty OF the friend who called your atten,
ton to the paragraph thai | am request,
ed 10 answer interrogatores in relation
TO it, for perhaps ! might we'll doubt bis
right 10 such satisfaction. Such an in
ference might be drawn with at least
enough OF pausbiity 10 Justify me in
requiring some explanations before an
swered your note, unless by possibility
you may mean to intimate that. at the
date OF your note, (April q you had seer
for the first time, through the agency o
a friend more walch(uI than yourself, {
paragraph which had circulated exlen
siVeIy through the Union, and furnish
ed the subject of much comment during
the last autumn and winter But
waive all right to inquire whether my
response is asked for the satisfaction o
yourself or your friend.
10 reply, then, 10 your interrogatory
say that, during the last autumn, il
an address to my constituents, did de
clare that the President had assured me
that the charges Of Galsehood and perfi
dy which were made against him il
your letter Of resignation were them.
selves false; and | did this to vindicat,
my own support Of q man who wa
charged with moral lerpitude. Wei
knowing that the President could no
descend to a personal alteration with I
retiring member Of his Cabinet, who,
seemed, took a different view from him
self OF The confidence imposed by thei
official relations, and perceiving the i'm
punity with which assertions could b
made by such an assaiIant, against on
whose hands were tied by his duty Il
the nation, and whose station rorbad
even The right Of sell defence, Gale
upon him to know if | might not at eas
say hat his silence under such charge
did not Imply assent TO their truth Fl
assured me that they were false and
, gave that authority TO my constituent
= for denying them when, in their pre-
sence, they we're reiterated against hin
Prevented as the President was, by hi
station and sense Of honor, from revea
ing and discussing the nature Of conf
dental Cabinet councils, it was al lea
lair that, in such warfare. he shoul
have the lu advantage of his own dr
NAL oi these charges, amongst a peopl
who knew him personally, and rcspecle
his truth and integrity. 1t was my r.
lance in his character which won
: have satisfied me oI his innocence