The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-01-27

which am concerned, l shall, until otherwise ad-
viscd, believe that Injustice has been done to
him in these particulars
MIR. Dana more than endorses all the base caiuin-
nies uttered in the House Of Representatives against
MIR. Webster by Mr. Charles Allen on the 18th
and Goth OF February, for which was subsequently
vouched as the principal authority he says; u
consider Judge Allen icoud hare required jusi,tSa
ton had he failed TO take the ground that ne did on
this subject; and ask if il is not the duty Of every
who corruption in high places TO expose IT,
This calumny was, (as your readers all KNOW
that Mr. Webster had been induced 10 accept the
place OF Secretary Of State in consequence OF money
paid, promised to be paid. 10 him from Boston
! and New York, and that this bar gain was proposed
hy.Mr. Webster through me, and, In the result,
! was contaminated by the required payment Such
u bargain Mr.. Dana calls corruption in high
places and it would be 80 u Il had been made.
He says, too repeating after Mr. Allen, and speak
ing Of the contract for the pa yment of the Mexican
indemnity, that Mr.. Webster was dependent on
the bankers slessrs Corcoran and Riggs) Ito
whom the contract was given; and he adds, after
wards, that MIR. Webster "has received gut from
the peru class of men concerned in this contract
the condition of taking the office OF Secretary oil
State; $4,000 from New York and Sl9Ooo from
Boston,
think all persona who know me rs Mr.. Dana
| sd rs he does-''very WELL" know that would not
be connected with transaction go discreditable TO
| all who might be concerned in It, iceI equally
| sure that Mr.. Webster would not, nor would the
| honorable men who subsequently came forward m
Boston. and did what they thought their duty re.
| quired them to do to great Statesman, VINO had
| made n great sacrifice # his pecuniary interests
and those of his family to the service oi ms conn
try was not Of these gentlemen; but know
that they were highminded men--tnost OF them
retired from affairs, and little concerned IN politics.
except just far as they arc concerned IN the wei
| fare Of the Union.
Mr. Dana in his speech, refers to the letter which
Mr. Webster addressed TO me on the state OF things
| Immediately after General Taylor's death lie
had therefore read that letter. dated July IL, 1850;
| l hr htV r.
hshed tpiM il, and dated March ii, lo5l The let
ter of Mr. Webster written before the funeral OF
| President Tayl and before Mr. Webster or any
| one else knew who would be nominated by Mr.
Fillmore as Secretary of State, contained no init
nation whatever that the Department Of State
| would be offered to him. but rather the REVERSE
and yet, except the subsequent notice by telegraph
of the mere facts of his nomination as Secretary
and acceptance of the office, this letter was prior
to the time of his entering upon the duties VI the
Department, the only communication received,
either directly indirectly, from Mr. Webster, on
the whole subject of the Secretaryship said so in
my letter, aud / now add that have not at any
| time had any communication with him or from
him upon the subject OF the spontaneous GIT made
| to him by the gentlemen Of Boston, the character
of which has been perverted by Mr. Dana and
| Mr.. Alien
IL is to be presumed that Mr.. Dana the let
ter. and therefore knew perfectly well that there
had not been any such discreditable bargain as he
| described, and that the statements he made about
| it were not true.
The part which relates to the contract with
Messrs Corcoran & Riggs, the Washington bank
! ers, and TO Mr. Webster, as having received
gift from the very class Of men concerned IN this
contract the condition of his taking the office OF
Secretary OF State" is also untrue. The gilt SO
honoraby offered men OF high sense OF honor IN
Boston to Mr.. Webster not offered to him until
many weeks after he had become Secretary OF
| State. Not more than two OF the persons who Of
ered it to him could in any way be regarded as OF
the class of ban kers, concerned in banking; and
so far from bis position Of independence" being
| affected by it, as Mr. Dana declares it was and Is,
have good reason to believe that MIR w chatter does
not to this day know the name position OF one OF
the individuals who have thus nobly and unosten-
Ia tousy expressed to him their gratitude for his
patriotic services. FRANKLIN HAVEN.
was struck with the singular vagueness of the
gentleman's expressions. lie charged the Secrcta-
ry of State with undue bias, because he had re.
ceived favors from men Of the class, by the same
people, in the same street. who mig h possibly have
the same occupation and profession as the bankers
who had received this contract.
do not know that people living In the same
street, using the same profession or occupation,
arc necessarily such sworn friends that an obliga-
| ton conferred by the one implies a necessity OF
| return to the other.
II requires a vivid Imagination to presume that
| because you have received pecuniary obligation
| from gentleman living in number one, In any
street, that you will therefore feel bound to swerve
from your official duties TO obhge some of the gen
| tlemen living In number two.
There is nothing in the accusation which de-
mands reply. As regards this whole matter,
what ia it, after alE II there is any thing IN my
colles CUES position. il Is this that the TACT that
/ Mr.. Webster has been embarrassed in his pecu.
MARY affairs, and has received pecunisry favors,
would disqualiiy him from serving his country as
n statesman. Has my colleague been 30 much
| more fortunate than most other men "a 10 have
| utterly escaped ouch entertainments, Has the
| black or never trod on hs footy If 81, congratu-
| late him that that bitterest drop has never been
| added 10 HE cup ofmisery.
Hut IA sho I've of wi no
| thing, that he, too, like perhaps the majority OF
| mankind. has known the agonics of the proud
man subjected to the calls Of the imperious credi-
| tor-if be too has SERVED Tor term IN that le-
| prous armada OF debt, enlargement, and eva
| sion"-and il in happier and more prosperous
hours he iorgets the suiierings of earlier years,
and IL prompt TO urge against Others state OF
| embarrassment az n reason OF Disqualification
Why what thenl IL is but modern illustration
| Of the savage line Of the Roman annalist, go
immitf,or qua toLrapraf, coll the more pitt
Ices because he, too, had suffered" and all that
need be faid il, that the people among whom
/ he lives have dealt and will deal with him more
! sparingly and kindly than he IL inclined to
deal With othcrs. ] now come TO another point for
the consideration of the committee. u appears, 10y
the report Of the debate this subject in tho last
Congress, that my colleague then remarked that no
other gentleman except himself had thou ght TT TO
bring Mr.. Webster's private affairs before tho no
tice Of the House. The inquiry naturally occurs,
Why wac h that nobody else thought ht 90 bring
these facts the notice of the House, Was II fear
or was il good taste and decency that prevented
others from touching that suhjecH Wac there no
other in this House OF equal cournge and
force az my colleague and in saying THE ! would
/ not say n deprecating word Of my colleague =
courage or fJrce. What was tho reason that Hg
was the only person who could be found 70 bring
| these char ges-a citizen of Massachusetts-a for
mer neighbor, fellow citizen. and friend Of the
Secretary Of Statel Are not thus led TO the
consideration, whether there IL not some "levelld
malice, some hatred bercy" When my colleB que
! warns the House not To attach any importance TO
the suggestions Of political bias, and advises them
TO consider facts alone, without reference 10 any
unpleasant or uniriendly associations, has he not
been conscious in his own mind that his own course
was governed by the very causes against tho in
lucnce OF which he warned the Houss,
My colleague is particularly earnest upon the
subject OF corruption lie PROCESSES extreme fear
VI corruption. Now, there j. particular piece
Of corruption, I consider II, occurring 10 our
own State, before bis own eyos-l might ssy oc.
curing at his instigstionthat thiuk his tai
ents and force might be prohtably directed
sgainst than in hunting up these trumpery charges
against the Secretary Of State. Now, what are The
ficts' There are three parties in Missschusetts,
and mean TO bring THE matter close home, 40 Tar