The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-05-12

We purposely refrained from publishing the
notes taken by our reporter on Monday we
were resolved to deal fairly with Mr. Benton
We shall refer exclusively 10 the reports in the
Globe and Intelligencer. We find in the
Globe the following notes, which Mr. Benton
produced for the occasion
"SENArE CHAMBER, June A. 1910.
SIR The Missouri delegation wish to be informed
whether MIR. Thomas Watson formerly deputy post
master at Newbern, North Carolina, is In default 10
the Department. and how long he was postmaster
there and whether, such, he gave general satis-
faction to the Department.
Our reasons for the inquiry are, that he is among
those respectfully recommended to us Tor an appoint
ment in st. LOUIS, where he now resides. Ana we
would wish to know whether his conduct heretofore
furnishes any objection to him.
Yours, respectfully,
THOMAS H. BENTON.
Hon. Mr.. MILES, Postmaster General"
WASHINGTON CRY, June IL, 184O
SIR: We recommend to you Thomas Watson, of
ST. Louis Missouri for the place of deputy postmas-
ter at that place. to succeed Mr.. Hunt, whose term
THOMAS H. BENTON
LEWIS F. LINN.
To the POSTMASTER GENERAL"
And Mr. Benton thus comments on them:
sMr B. said that the copies of these two letters were
very material him. They were found since the Madi
sonan article was written, and fased 1t In several
particulars They were good as far as they went,
and showed Mr.. Watson's fitness for the Office
AS far as they went they fasfed the Madisonan art
Gle. But they did not reach all that was SAID In that
article, and which assumed to speak Of papers not
yet found"
Now zoe will comment on them. The first
I IL. !, ~ IL dor
deration. OF Mr. Watson we said nothing.
We did not wish him to be fellow In crime
with Mr.. Benton or any one else. But we magh
speak of his long defalcaton. He was long in
arrears to the Department. This had to be paid
up before Mr. Benton could get him appointed
Why did not Mr. Benton publish the reply to
his note of June 4th, 1910? We dare him to
do it Will Mr.. Benton challenge US to give
the mode resorted to, to settle Mr.. Watson's
| long standing accounts with the Department!
He will not do it,
| But the three lines recommending MIR. Wat
son, signed by Mr.. Benton and MIR. Linn, what
do they amount to? Mr.. Benton had previous
IN arranged the whole affair This was mere
forne-intsnded for publication if necessary, Tor
the purpose Of screening Mr.. Benton. MIR. Linn
very naturally joined him in the "three line"
| note of recommendation. But MIR. Linn was
no party to the dark and hidden transaction we
allude to. Will any man believe that these
&c three lines" Alone got Mr.. Watson the office
Will Mr. Benton deny the existence OF has let
ter to Mr. Niles? Does he challenge It's publ
cation? Does he deny that he procured Mr.
Watson's appointment because he had made
sacrifices in conducting the Argus, Mr.. Benton's
own special organ2 Does he challenge US to the
proof? Does Mr.. Benton deny the existence Of
several other letters from his pen, of the same ma
ure, in relation to other appointments ? Does he
challenge the publication of them? He does
not and apiU not. He lives in glass house
But how do his notes in the Globe falsify our
article? Has he given publicity to the letter ?
or did he put the copy in his pocket, and burn it
afterwards?
But now for the letter written by Mr. Benton
to President Van Buren,. We quote from the
report in the Intelligencer
Mr. BENTON admitted that he did ,orte to Presiden
Van Burn IN behalf of Mr. Watson, and urged his claim
on the ground Of sacrifices made IN party services L
files of the Department They were blazoned fortf
to the public in the Madisonian, and public sentences
had been marked in inverted commas, as though they
were precisely quoted and with view to faster
particular attention upon particular portions OF the
letter, they were italicised.
ssLel the world Judge between u.s." And
this is the man who surreptitiously copied con
idenlia letters, and published them for the pur
pose of showing to the public that the present
Executive appointed men to office as reward
for "party services" And the letters were
never read by the Executive! Let Mr.. Benton
assure himself of this fact Let him send fol
. "papers and persons" and ''examine" them ''or
oath" But, in his estimation, 1t was ga base
, procedure" the official patronage was "basely'
bestowed, for ''base" purposes Is not Mr.
Benton himself nailed to the counter by his own
admission
But Mr.. Benton supposes that his unforu
nate epstles should be filed in the Department
They may be, for what we know. We never
saw any of them there. Where we did see
them, or from whom our copies were obtained
, is what he desires TO learn. We think we will
reserve our answer till we confront the inquiso
, himself, in the dark room, when the torture Is
prepared But the days Of witchcraft are over
. We will escape burning and drowning.
The ghosts of these violated and surreptltlous
, lv copied confidential letters will haunt Mr.. Ben
ton, till he makes 'clean breast" of it. Phan
toms will trouble his slumbers, He will nightly
start from his sleep, exclaiming, "lor Gods
sake, Jones, don't publish any more OF my let
tiers p He will think of the long episte nc
wrote to General Jackson from the Senate
Chamber He will think of the sharp billet