The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-12-20


Would the General, in that case, have
jumped so readily to wrong conclusion
We apprehend not A VINO might have
shaken his head till doomsday, with ali
the solemnity of BANaUo's ghost, and
General BAYLY would have told him.
"Shake not your CORY locks at me-" lie
would have protested that the shake Of the
head amounted to nothing-that there was
| nothing in it. He would have insisted on
a categorical answer by word Of mouth,
and not by a symbolical affirmative, capa-
BILE of being interpreted by an honorable
man into direct negative.
But we desire 10 refer for moment TO
the "record" of the senior editor on this
subject. We copy from the Union of the
10Th instant
"We are not ashamed of the relations which Ne
have borne towards MIR. Brown, of Indiana. We
have always dealt fairly and frankly by him
speaking of his character we thought It de-
served; advising him on Tuesday to fold his arms
and refuse to give any pledges To any one, but TO
refer to his recorded votes, the only course
which became him, without Offering u word OF
commentary making any sort of declaration !;
and, when he did commit the gross error whichis
so much to be deplored, as frankly disappearing
the course into which he had been betrayed. If
this course, our part, be treason, let the par
aste and attache of Mr.. Clayton make the most
| Oft We condescend to give no other answer
Be this the answer, too, to the Republic which is
6 MI IN hat the min does Lot tha
world know what this s'free conversation"
amounted to- 1t is sufficient to say, that it was
conversation Of which we have no reason To be
ashamed and that said nothing which we
should have been unwilling for the spies of the
Republic Office themselves to hear and to report TO
the world
The senior editor tells us what he " ad-
vised" Mr. BRowN on Tuesday, but ne
does not tell US what the 60 free converse
ton" was On this matter he "folds his
arms" and "refuses to give any" ac-
count. Part Of the story he gives US
the residue he withholds. Now, it is a
well-received principle that the wilful
withholding of important evidence raises
a presumption against the party, and
| throws discredit on the evidence of the
witness. We apprehend that this free con-
| versation would prove the connivance and
completely of the BitterEnders in the plot
of Mr.. Brown and the Free Sellers, and
make the sole organ of the Democracy a
party to the bargain. We do not mean
| merely that it would tend to show this con-
nivance, but that it would prove and es-
tablish it beyond any controversy. We
have right to draw this inference from
the fact that the senior editor obstinately
withholds the evidence. His representa-
ton of the effect of the conversation is not
sufficient. 1t does not reach the case. If
the world had been content with Mr.
BRowN's representations of his own " free
conversations" with Mr.. WLMoT and
Mr.. KING, we should never have got at
the whole story. We therefore call upon
the senior editor to enlighten us on the de-
tails of his |" free conversation" with Mr..
BRowN-and if they continue to be with
held, we shall be compelled to infer the
worst, and authorized to charge the worst
Nor shall the Union escape by referring
us to our "spies." We assure the Union
that, as far as we know any thing about it,
none of the confederates have "peached. :"
It's allusion wounds none of its friends, as
far as we have any acquaintance with
them; and as for "spies" of our own, we
have word to say to the Union. When
have we intimated in our columns that we
were in the possession of estate secrets
picked up from "leaky vessels" in the De-
partments' When have we ever spoken
of "peeping behind the scenes"- lifting
the curtain"-''peeping through hole in
the green curtain"-or used any of those
habitual expressions of the sole organ
which indicate a mean and clandestine
mode of obtaining information, or "spy-
ing" into the secrets of men and parties
We have never retailed the private con.
versation of public men of the other party.
We have never traded on the gossip that
transpires at the table, or in the chambers
of public men. We have never used the
staple of "spies"-nor placed Ourselves
in the position to be charged with such an
offence against decency. But the Union
has done all this, not once, but many
times. 1t has lived for months on ali.
ment furnished by traitors, and spies, and
eaves-droppers, and scandal-mongers. II
has penetrated the recesses of the White
House by its informers. II has surround.
ed the State Department with its crea.
lures, and reviewed Mr.. CLAYToN's acts
of personal friendship and kindness, as a
proper subject Of political and public cen.
sure. II has charged Mr. EWING with
gross public offences, in his personal anc
private transactions. II has tracked Judge
CoLLAMER to the railroad cars, and given