The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-10-30

COM MUNIC A II I o N s.
For the Union.

For the Union.
| Mr.. EprroR | have read the reply of 4. d. Rob
inson to my former communication My answer
will be as brief as possible. You will allow me, be-
fore proceeding, to say that do not consider the
subject as acquiring any additional Importance
from the connexion with it of MIR. Robinson's name
l reply to him, because he has afforded me an OPP
portunity, in doing this, to reply to others
l. "a Mr. Trotto is not the author of "X. =
democrat Certainly, he has seen some service in
the cause and he doubts whether even MIR. Robin
son could make a wing of him.
@ The charge of the portrait: This charge has as
sumed four distinct forms. denied it in one. Mr.
Robinson thinks that denial ''merely technical
He gives il another shape. For the purpose Of de-
nying it in all its forms, will go little more fully
into its history.
In 1893, a memorial signed by twenty or thirty
citizens asking the removal of incompetent and dis
sipated clerks from Office, was handed Gen Jackson
The memorial, in general terms, asked that these
persons should be superseded, without specifying
names. Subsequently, paper purporting to be "a
sequel" to the memorial, was handed the General by
Thos. B. Riley, in which the names of sundry per.
sons were mentioned for removal This "sequeP'
contained the charge against Mr. Washington, as
follows "Peisr G. Washington, an old offender,
BURNT Gen. Jackson's picture 1897 belonging to
iady-said the n--y ,cas tie proper place for IT, .
This is the exact language of the original charge,
as made by Thos. b. Riley Notice, Mr.. Editor,
the discrepancy between the stories of Mr.. Robin
son and Mr. Riley. The first accuses Mr.. WASH
ington of having said, sat dinner table, that the
portrait of such iyrant should not desecrate his
privy;" the second says that s'he burnt the por-
trait Of General Jackson belonging to LADY," while
the "Carlise Volunteer" says that che hung the
portrait of Gen. Jackson in out-house and still
a fourth version charged him with having "tram-
pied bust of Gen.. Jackson under his feet" Can
he
diet themselves
Let go back, for a moment, to the original sto-
ry of Mr.. Riley do not know what action may
have been had in regard to it at the time. 1t may
or it may not have been investigated. The result
we have in a letter written by Major Donelson at
the time, from which extract the following: "The
President has been informed in writing, by several
Of those whose names subscribed to the memo
RIAL that they had never the sequel; that they
had no knowledge Of the accusations therein con-
ained and that they desire to dsclaim all connex-
ion with it. Under these circumstances, the Presi-
dent does not deem the papers of such nature as
at present to authorize require his particular in
reference" So much for General Jackson's treat
ment of the charge!
You will notice, then, Mr.. Editor, that memo
rial had been handed Gen. jackson, making no spe-
ciic charge against any one; that subsequently q
paper called ''sequel" was handed in, in which
the charge against Mr. Washington was incorporated;
that the signers of the "memorial'' disclaimcd in
writing all knowledge of the "seque;" and that
Gen. Jackson refused to act upon the charges.
And now let us look at the history of the ''me-
mortal" and "sequel,. as given in the Richmond
Enquirer at the time. That paper of the 3lst May,
1888, contained letter from Washington, giving
this history, as follows:
"Last week curious farce was got up by some
persons in Office. They got up petition, praying
the President to discharge from public employ all
immoral, drunken, and incapable incumbents and
went round with this paper, and obtained the sigma
lures Of number of citizens of Washington, who
thought there was no harm in signing it, (neither
there no particular names being designated for
removal. When the conspirators got as many
names as they wanted to the petition they appended
to it paper, without the knowledge Of most of
those who signed the petiton,) purporting to be a
list Of those deemed immoral drunken and incapable
This list contained about $50, many Of them the
most respectable, useful and efficient officers em-
ployed by the government. When the President
read the paper, he was very indignant and sent for
those very offcious ofice-holders who headed the
petition, and told them they must make out specific
charges against the prescribed individuals; and, if
they failed to do SO, and to prove them, against
those on the prescribed list, that they themselves
should lose their places"
Thus far the correspondent of the Enquirer. The
editor himself remarked severely upon the above
described proceeding in his paper of the same date
denouncing the men who had undertaken to instruct
hope that the President would "mark the transac-
ton as it deserved" Mr.. Robinson will hardly inn
peach the democracy of the Richmond Enquirer, or
its editor. This tells the whole story Of the origin
of the charge, and comments from me would be idle
This was in 1888. The charge, for the time be-
ing, was dead. Twelve years pass. And now,
Mr. E. B. Robinson steps forward, oper his o,cn sig
nature, and pledges the weight of his own veracity
to the truth ofa story SO entirely dissmar to the
original version, that, but for the Of Mr.. Wash.
ington's name, no one would suppose it to be the
same, SO monstrously has it changed its proportions
by sleeping twelve years. Mr.. Robinson acts as
resurreconist to the spirit of the libel although the
body is sadly deformed by his workmanship
have but little more to add. The contradictions
have noticed sufficient to destroy all belief in
the story; and ! am farther authorized by Mr.
Washington to pronounce the charge, in all It's
shapes and DISCUSSES, untrue. Mr.. Robinson is de-
fed to produce the proof. His specification il on
record. Let him establish it, or stand convicted Of
the libel.
do not know that it is necessary for me to add
anything further. leave it for the good sense of
the community to rebuke in proper terms the un-
pardonable Introduction, by Mr.. Robinson, of the
father and brother of Mr.. Washington in this con-
troversy. l am done with the matter If Mr.. Rob
inson introduces the proof called for, reply would
be useless. If he does not, it will afford me no
pleasure to taunt him for having placed himself in
the position he will occupy. X.
For the Union