The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-05-11

the Department. and how long he was postmaster
there and whether, as such, he gave general sals
faction to the Department.
our reasons for the inquiry are, that he IS among
those respectfully recommended to us for an appoint
ment in St. LOUIS where he now resides, nnu
wsuld wish 10 know whether his conduct helo'oo''
furnishes any objection to him.
THOMAS II. BENTON.
Hon Mr.. NILES, Postmaster General
"WAsHMGrON Cry, June IL, loiV'
S,R We recommend 10 you Thomas Watson, oil
81 Louis, Missouri for the place Of deputy postmas-
Ter Al that place to succeed MIR. Hunt, whose term
WIZ expire curry " THOMAS II. BENTON.
LEWIS F. LINN.
To the POSTMASTER GENERAL"
And Mr.. Benton thus comments on them
aMr b. said that the copies of these two letters were
very material tohim. They were found since the Mad
onian article was written, and falsfed it in several
particulars. They were good as far as they went,
and showed Mr.. Watson's fitness for the office.
Afar as they went they falsfed the Madisonian art-
Gle But they did not reach all that said In that
article and which assumed to speak of papers not
vet found"
Now pe will comment on them. The first
has nothing TO do with the matter under consi-
deraton. 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 might
speak of his long deialcation. 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, 1S402 We dare him to
doit! Will Mr.. Benton challenge US to give
the mode resorted to, to settle Mr.. Wason's
long standing accounts with the Department?
He will not do it.
But the three lines recommending Mr. Wat
son, signed by Mr.. Benton and Mr.. Linn, what
do they amount to? Mr.. Benton had precious
la arranged the whole affair. This was mere
.fornp-intended for publication if necessary, for
the purpose Of screening Mr.. Benton. Mr.. Linn
very naturally joined him in the three line"
note of recommendation. But Mr.. Linn was
no party to the dark and hidden transaction we
alude 10. Will any man believe that these
thrtelines" alone, got Mr.. Watson the Office
Will Mr.. Benton deny the existence of his let
ter to Mr.. Niles? Does he challenge its publ-
cation? Does he deny that he procured Mr..
Walson's appointment because he had made
sacrifices in conducting the Argus, Mr.. Benton's
own special organ? Does he challenge US to the
proof? Does Mr. Benton deny the existence Of
seuerai other letters from his pen of the same ma
lure, in relation to other appointments Does he
challenge the publication of them? He does
not and will not He lives in glass house.
D,,,h NJ, do h in, tha Eal 10 on
article Has he given publicity to the letter
or did he put the copy in his pocket, and burn 1t
aerwards2
But now for the letter written by Mr. Benton
10 Pr sident Van Buren,. We quote from the
report in the lntegencer:
Mr. BENTON admitted that he did mrite to President
Van Brtn IN behalf of Mr.. Watson and urged his claims
IN the ground of sacrifices made in party services. Ii
these letters were in existence they should be on the
files of the Department. They were blaZoned forth
to the public in the Madisonan, and public sentences
mad been marked in inverted commas, as though they
we're precisely quoted and with view to fasten
particular attention upon particular portions of the
letter, they were italcised.
9. Let the world Judge between us" And
this is the man who surreptitously copied con
fdential letters and published them for the pur-
pose Of showing to the public that the present
Executive appointed men to office a reward
for party services" And the tiers were
never read by the Executive! Let Mr.. Benton
assure hnlself of this fact. Let him send for
"papers and persons and "examne" them son
oath" But, in his estimation 1t was ga base
procedure" the official patronage was "basely''
bestowed, for "base" purposes Is not MIR.
Benton himself nailed to the counter by his own
admission2
But Mr.. Benton supposes that his untortu-
nate epistes 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 inquisitor
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 surTeptltious
y copied confidential letters will haunt MIR. Ben
ION, til he makes "clean breast'' of it. Phan-
IONS win trouble his slumbers, He will nightly
tart from his sleep, excamng, "ior God:
AXE, Jones, don't publish any more of my let
Hrs! p He will think of the long episte hi
Wrote to General Jackson from the Senat,
Chamber. He will think of the sharp billet
fja.r passes he once had with Mr.. Van Buren,
l he will think Of all he has said and writer
bout Calhoun, Buchanan, King and Johnson
and despair"
We have been in Missouri more than once
We have stood upon the "mounds" and confront
l 0't the frame of the Great Mlssourum." AS tn,
l ihode Islanders say, ''we have resolved not t
tc tfightened.n If Mr.. Benton shall call us