The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-10-02
THE REPUBLIC.



whether or not General JACKSON ever
said that "Mr. Richie was the greatest
scoundrel in America 1t seems that
this story came to his ears in such direct
manner that Mr.. RITCHIE requested a
friend to interrogate the General with re-
gard to its truth. Mr. Richie had pre-
pio,lsiy denounced it as falsehood and
"that great man also Indignantly denied
it,"
Now if the General did not say he
was the +" greatest scoundrel in America"
what did he say That is the question.
The impression is very general that the
General said he was the greatest scoun-
drel-but that Mr. RICHIE denied long
ago; SO of course il could not be true !!
Afterwards General JACKSON denied it to
somebody-and that somebody repeated
this denial to Mr.. Richie. Bring on this
somebody. His testimony will be more
satisfactory than that of Mr.. Richie.
We have never thought it worth while
to discuss this matter nor should we now
notice it, were il not that the senior editor
of the Union makes it the subject OF
leading article in his last Sunday paper,
and the occasion of accusing Wing edi-
tor of falsehood.
Now we all know that Mr.. Richie
abused that g great man"-that "great
and good" maj in the same style which
he now brings to bear on President TAY
LoR. He ridiculed his pretensions, and
spoke with contempt of electing "s such
man. to the Presidency. He said his
election would "prove curse to the
country" He opened the columns of his
Enquirer to the most gross attacks upon
him, and that paper contained the fol-
lowing direct charge He General
JACKSON has violated all LaDs human and
diyine, and violated them NTH impunity."
When Mr.. Richie spoke in such a
manner of General JACKSON, who doubts
that the General returned his compliments
| with interest AS far as the probabilities
of the case go, General JACKSON would
have been very likely to say what he
thought of Mr.. Richie. Again, Mr..
RITCHIE would never have inquired into
the matter, unless it had assumed shape
of some authenticity. Then, again, the
denial of Mr.. Richie is pretty good
primd tacie evidence that there was some
thing in it. If it had not been true, it
would not have been worth denying.
We admit, however, that though this
thing rests on the notoriety of General
JAcKsoN's opinion, and the universal cir
culation of the statement that he had eX-
pressed it-still the statement may not be
true. We hardly know what to believe.
General JAcKsoN's thinking so would not
make Mr.. RICHIE the greatest scoundrel
in America, by any means. Though a
shrewd and sensible observer of men, he
was capable of forming erroneous opinions.
| We wish we had before us all the testimo-
ny on which the General formed his
opinion-if he did form it in the manner
stated. There is, perhaps, something be-
hind the curtain that the public know
nothing about. 1t is very strange that
General JACKSON should have made this
denial Indignantly" We should like
to know the degree of indignation with
which he spoke-whether positive, COM
parative, or superlative. Was he Uery an
cry, or only little angry How happens
it that Mr.. Richie did not get certif-
cate of the denial in writing from the Gen
eral himself, or from the friend who con-
versed with the General There is GER
tainly something behind the curtain.
This uncertainty gives us great pain.
General JACKSON, the Union says, was
ga great and good man." This fact makes
his opinion of more Importance. We wish
some one would look up the Evidence on
this subject-it possesses an historical in
terest. We do not wish to be understood
as saying that we think General JACKSON
was right. That may admit of fair diff
ference of opinion. We differed with
General JACKSON on several points. There
are great many people in America.
Scoundrel is a very general term. Cen
eral JACKSON, of necessity, could not
have known distinctly whether or not the
allegation was true. II is probable that
he was speaking hyperbolically-using a
figure of speech. He was a rash-spoken
man. Mr.. Richie has his foibles, but he
is not the greatest scoundrel in America ;
and if General JACKSON ever said so, he
did Mr.. Richie injustice-unless there
was something behind the curtain, OF
which we are ignorant.
The French Organ.
The Union alleges that the charge that
the editors Of that paper are in commune
| cat,o, ,,,.,l a.. E.on,b onJ bot