The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1851-12-18
TO THE PUBLIC.

recently unexpectedly and under quite peculiar
circumstances, altogether elected from all further
connection with it. aud feeling STILL as | ever have
felt, deep interest in it's ultimate success. deem
1t proper to make the following expose in justice
to myself as well as for the benefit Of the public
and the Stockholders. aud especially that portion
OF the Stockholders who may have been infuenc.
ed u embark 10 the enterprise by anything which
may have said or done in relation tn it, or by the
fnct Of my having hitherto stood in connection
whit.
As Illustrative OF the true grounds OF my dis
charge from the SERVICE and of the true character
ofihat whole transaction, brief history Of what
tTanspired at the time Of my entering upon il is
necessary.
II 10 known that was at first spoken of as the
chief engineer, and when that station was filled
by the appointment of MIR. McCRAcKEN. was
named as the principal assistant. The latter sta.
tion. had reason to believe. was intended to be
rendered to me, and certainly did not at that
time intend to entertain for one moment pro.
position for any station short OF it. But circun-
stances came up afterwards. by which that pur.
pose was. TO say the least, very essentially mod
fed. Others proposed themselves for the same
station. aud to sustain their pretensOns their
friends thought it necessary to villfy and iraluce
me as incompetent, Such was the strife which
was excited by this matter, that the officers of the
Road very properly concluded TO appoint no one
without first having some actual test Of his quail
ficatons To this end it was proposed to organ
ize three parties, dividing for this purpose the
road into three DIVISIONS, and to place over each
ofthese parties, a head or chiel, and then to So
lect assistants from among these according IN the
abilities displayed in doing the work. This ar
rangement though somewhat seUere. ] regarded
as the right thing to throw off incompetent asp
...xI .l,a e. l.
charge Of one ofthese parties or divisions An in.
formal or partial meeting Of the Board was con
vened at the Talnndge House. on the evening
preceding a regularly called meeting at Circle
vile. early in June last Being summoned to this
meeting for the purpose of making preliminary ar
engagements. preparatory tn entering upon the
service, attended and there met also Mr. G
FOSTER, Appointments were rendered to both
Os us and conditionay accepted-matters of sala.
ry, Sc, being left open for adjustment at Circle
vile the next day. attended the meeting next
day, expecting to find Mr. FosrgR there a.so, sup.
posing all the while that nothing was left for the
Board to do but to sanction aud ratiiy what had
been done at Lancaster. Mr. Foster however did
not attend, having declined gning into the service.
/ remained until late in the day, awaiting the ac-
tion of the Board. when to my surprise. wns
informed by the President. Mr. CoRwIN. that Vi.
Oleut opposition wus raised against me by some
Of the members ofthe Board, (Messrs. GRiswoL d
and MgDILL as | understood it Jan opposition
of such character, ms TO render il proper in his
Judgment for me to authorize him to withdraw
my name altogether. | MISUNDERSTANDING seri-
ousy the propriety of my doing so. as matters then
atood-but said to MIR. CoRmiN that would re-
fleet upon it aud let him know. We had no fur.
iher interview until evening, when we met again
aud upon his reiterating and still more earnestly
thas .,lxio. hin,
uniformed as To the reasons of such advice (fOr
he did not feel al liberty to Disclose what was
going un in the Beard J | left it to his ava dis.
creiin to act in the matter as he thought best
Ou further reflection during the evening h,wever
| regretted having taken this course; for | navy
saw that maddened with the course things
had taken, this was an extreme aud desprr
ate rally. by lhnse reckless assaianis, Ia drive
me off and il they could make Inc withdraw my.
sell, then 10 sag that was afraid of the ordeal to
which all asprants were proposed to be subject
ed. therefore snught Mr.. ConwIS early the
next mlIuiug and told him that nntwlstand
ing nv hish appreciuton of his good iudgmen,
and the kindness and integrity ol his purpose to
wards me, | must yet withdraw the discretion sub
mtted to him the evening before and request ic
be rejected instead Of retiring voluntarily from
the service of the road Having understood IN
the meantime, that the whole matter was reerre,
10 the President and Chief Engin took pain,
To caution Mr. CoRwls against rendering me any
position, unless he could do 1t with perfect safe
" to himself as President of the Road; stating
TINT il rendered, must accept it, being impress
ed that my own safety required it-that | had
now determined TO face this storm and set at de
fiance all this vile array and scould not aud cOuid
not flee before it, aIsn Immediately saw Mr.. Nc
CRAcKgN, the Chief Engineer To whom. as
learnt frnm Mr. Curwin, the matter was mainl,
referred and addressed myself tn him very mucl
iu the same way that had To Mr. CuRwIN. Will
him. however, | was still more particular. re
mindng him of the violence of the opposition
and that it might eudauger his own po,i,inn u,
render him uncemlort,ble in il. and G,r,hsr ,b,
had to adventure nv lille all of standing o
character as an Engineer into his hands, intimnt
lnS to hlm, that, It there was any danger Of hi
swerving to let 1t be then rather than hereafter
Somewhere in the conversation, something to tli
amount was also sail-that, having been hunte,
like wild beast aud driven well nigh to desperl
tlon, had now determined To turn upon my pnr
suers and try to take care myself aud that
thought it due to both him and Mr.. CoRwIN, I,
give them honorable notice ol this, that they nigh
also take care OF themselves He treated tn
whole subject lightly however. and said that
was nothing else than mere political opDosttio
and some sectional feeling, which would away
exist 10 greater or less extent in connection witt
such works; and that he was not afraid of it Men
neither wonid he be thereafter. and that he there
lore expected me to take charge of one of tn
divisions. which must be The Eastern on accoun
Of fHs being much the most difficult Aud let
here be remembered that the mere making o
preliminary sur0eys was not all that was con
tempaled in the original naderstanding, bu