The New York herald., 1851-11-04
More OF the Donaldson Correspondence
New Competi titor I'm the Field.
W.s,UNnros O,t RI 1851


Hon. STEPHEN A. DoUGLAs;-
SIR;-In the HERALD of yesterday, see, with
some surprise, statement, supposed to have been
furnished by you, Of an interview between an OBJ
scure and nameless individual and yourself and as
seem to be the person pointed out as the enc who
called on you at your room, so greatly to your sur
prise, deem 1t proper to reply to your statement
through the channel chosen by yourself Soon
after your arrival in this city, called one evening
at the National Hotel and inquired at the office for
you, and sent up a card, first writing Thos Shank
land on il in rather poor but not disguised hand.
The servant soon returned and requested me to
walk up. 1 accordingly followed him to your
room, and entered it, as l supposed, by your
invitation, and not suppesing that was taking
you by surprise. You were reclining on the
bed, and near you eat gentleman. smoking
segar. At this time was unconscious Of danger.
You raised yourself sufficiently so to shake hands.
and introduce or name your friend-Mr' Reed,
think. was scarcely seated, when you commenced
a most vehement and furious onslaught upon me-
The surprise-the suddenness Of the attack-the
place-your position and mine contrasted-your
friend by your side smoking (.'and where there is
smoke there is fire, ,)-myself alone, without o
witness weapon, In another persons room, and
that person armed with a witness, and letters and
evidence unknown to me before, left me speechless
and in amazement. You were excited, was suffer-
Win q SICK neaO2cne, ana OVerWuelmel Win
your heavy and Unexpected blows / staggered
in bewildered amazement You fist de1ied that
your friends in New York had got up the Donald
son correspondence. How you could answer for all
your friends in New York was to me marvel. |
knew you had friends there; but how you could
know them all, and if knowing them, how you
should know all that they may or may not have
done, and how you would assume such responsi-
bity as to answer for such friends and 80 many Of
them, staggered me, and was mute with astonish-
ment. You went on to open my eyes "You
knew who the person was who got up the Houston
correspondence" (I listened with my mouth wide
open.) "You had received letter, in a disguised
handwritiDg-you had compared handwriting's, and
knew who Mr.. Donelson was" l felt relieved
Every body had been in the dark and inquiring
who Donaldson was, and where he lived, and who
he boarded with, and if be was a cousin of Major
A. J. Donaldson, Sc, &c. Here was mystery
cleared up You knew who got up the Donaldson
correspondence in New York, and was glad to
hear you say so. II relieved me of load of oblo-
guy which you and your friends had cast upon me,
by charging me as the author OF the Donaldson
letter. Here you vowed your knowledge OF the
author, and had all the necessary proofs then In
your room.
! now call upon you to come out and disclose the
author, aiders and abettors Of that whole cores
pondence. Was it gotten up to iniure Gen. Hous-
ton, or to serve your purposes! VIII 1t kill him
or you? Was IL his or your friends who were to
be killed, and buried after the smoke cleared of !
This hasty plate of soup sort of letter. know you
will pardon. as promise you better one here
after, after the hurt is over little. Yours,
THoS. SHANKLAND.