Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1850-03-14
Gel - IN Iceberg-The Poll Book.

Tue coolest thing OF the season, 10 The IetteS o.
J. C. HALL, ESQ.,, which appears in the Gazette Of
yesterday. He not only owns up, but glofes in his
shame. He attempts to convince the readers oftht
Gazette that the stealing Of the Poll Books, to which
he acknowledges himself accessory, was not only
= harmless, but justifable transaction. Now,
every knows, who knows any thing about J. C.
Hall, that no lawyer is more capable Of making black
appear white, than himself. The letter which ap-
peared in the Gazette Of yesterday IS striking il
Illustration Of the possession Of this faculty his
part. It is peculiar ssknaek' with him, il not an
inherent principle.
We cannot present our readers with such re-
view Of HalPs letter this week as it seems to call
for. TO do that it will be necessary either to pub
ish it a. whole take from i, copious extracts.
We shall have to do this to expose its sophistries
II not its positive untruths. Mr. Hall is deeply
fesfeA in making out this stealing Of the poll book
TO be harmless affair." but those who know the his
tory of and the character Of the man, will not be
apt to pass it over SO lightly. They will see on
perusal Of his letter that he and those associated
with him in this business have completely over
snssssssves. EAsy wsn As.>~.-- sA~a ESQ
arguments he in his letter, to show the stealing
to be hsrmless, are evidently eserthosehs, created
and brought into requisitiou no, 70. the first time,
to cover up the iniquity Of the proceedings.
We heard it from the lips Of the sherifof Po.ta-
wattamie, and others who were present can testify
to the fact, that when the Sheriff brought in the
turns he placed them on the Clerks table, and
when the Clerk, after being told what they were,
took them in his hands, the Sheriff announced that
now he had done his duty and had seen the returns
in the possession OF the Clerk, he had nothing far
Their to do and would leave; and he did so. 1t was
after that while they were in ofthe Clerk
that they were stolen. No one had . right to take
them and all the balderdash and special pleading Of
Hall about the necessityof Thompsoa's having them,
is used rs dernier resort to cover up the iniquty
Of this attemptto rob freemen or their dearest
rights and nullify the potency of the ballot box.
Neither Thompson or Miller had any right to the
Poll Book.
II the statements Of Hall were not after thoughts,
why did he not bring them up in vindication of his
course before9 On his party deep wound has been
inflicted by this transaction, which has been Tester
ing ever since its occurrence. None but few of
the leaders knew any thing of the whereabouts of
the poll book. The masses and some Of the leading
men in their party, have all along acknowledged
that it was an unjustinabc affair. Now II Halrs
CO-OPeEattOn IN tHc taxing nau Deen from tue inhO-
cent motives he says they were, and had he been
confident Of his right to their possession rs he
claims to be, from the start, why did he not save
his party friends from the anxiety which they have
SO long manifested on this subject? If what he
says is true, he, and those associated with him in
the secret, have done their party manifest injus-
tice, by Withholding from them information which
would have afforded them relief and removed from
them load of obloquy which they felt was resting
upon them and which was crushing and paralizing
their efforts.
Hall is obliged to smooth this over, to secure the
nomination Of Governor, from his party. We think
he has over.shot his mark. His agency in the mat
ter of the Mormon vote will not bear investigation
to his credit. We only wait to see what position
his own party presses will attempt to occupy in
this business, to know whether it is worth our
while to search the files Of the past and bring again
to light the rascality Of loco focoism.