The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1852-10-04


1t appears that in conceiving Capt. Ma
gruder's letter forgery or counterfeit, we
were not alone in our suspicious. Imdeed,it
appears now to be very well settled that this
remarkable letter, principally remarkable be-
cause it gives Gen. Pierce the credit of be.
ing brave man, was the workmanship of
some brilliant Locofoco, who must have bee n
sorely tried in body and spirit by the impu-
tations against the gallantry of the mighty
General. Knowing the success attained by
certain quack medicines from the use of GER
tifcates, he got up this certificate to help de-
ceive the people as to the qualities of General
Pierce, SO they might swallow him in good
faith. But it won't do. =. There is something
entirely too Proridential in the time of its APP
Pearance. 1t suits certain exgency entire
ly too well.
We have seen number of articles giving
most excellent reasons why this letter is un-
doubtedly forgery. The following, hoNev-
er, from the Washington Telegraph, appears
10 enter deepest into the subject, and we in
vite to it the attention of our readers
In our notice of this letter yesterday, we
used the expression-"L authentic" Veto
day refer to it to ask" Is ii auttenticr 1t
may be so. Gen. Pierce would not forward it
to the Union if he doubted its authenticity !;
and the editor of the Union would not publish
lit if he doubted its authenticity. Yet either
or both ofthem may have been imposed upon,
as we suspect they were.
In the first place, this letter is not. i'm the
|opinion of gentlemen near us, who know
Col. Magruder well, like the usual products
of his pen.
In the second place, it assumes knowl-
edge of the career of Gen. Pierce, which it is
believed Col. Magruder's opportunities did
not enable him to possess.
j In the third place, it evidences minute
knowledge on the part of the writer, of the
present politicalaspect the Eastern States,
which it is believed Col. Magruder does not
possess, and which the most sagacous and
experienced politicians could scarcely be pre-
sumed to attain.
In the fourth place it is written with the
most consummate skill to meet the precise
exigency that now exists with reference to
the McLane letter, presuming that certain
occurrence did transpire as it has been i'm
pressed upon the mind of Capt. McLane.
In the fifth place, the coincid, nee Gifts re-
ception at the moment of the publication of
Capt. McLane's statement is mraculousiy
wonderful.
!, In the sixth place, the time consumed in its
passage from Capt. McLane TO this city is in
sufficient. 1t is dated August 18th, and it APP
pears in the Union September 10th, just 80
days after. 1t must have been received by
the editor of the Union OH Friday or Saturday
morning, for long and labored editorial was
elaborated, after its reception, to accompany
it in the columns ofthat paper Gen. Pierce
and the friends near him, must have taken
} time to read and consider it, decide upon its
\ publication, and forward it to Washington
from Concord. This must carry the date of
its reception by him back to about the 18th,
reducing the fifty days to forty-four. 1t is
} not pro- able that Gen. Pierce received it i'm
less than two days after the arrival Of the
steamer at New York. This brings it down
to forty-two days. We are to suppose then,
that without stumble or balk, in {, rty. two
days after its date, it reached Gen. Pierce,
and in eight days more appeared in the WASH
lington Union, JUST READY TO MEET CHARGE,
WITHOUT CONTRADIcTING 1T, and to be intro
duced so deliberately, though fiercely and vim
dicatvely, by the editors Of the Union.
i Let us trace its course through forty-two
days of its passage to New York. San Die
90 is five hundred miles below San Francis
CO.
The only steamer that touches here, in
each month, as We are informed, is that OF the
FIRST. The only other means of sending a
letter to the east is by first sending it to San
Francisco; and in order to reach here i'm
time for its present use, it must have left San
Francirco on the 10Th of August, the merit day
after IL sras rritten, FIVE hundred miles distant,
and that, too, "by the skin of its teeth"
We are hence to assume either that re-
markuble letter, full of adroitness and app!i-
cabi!ity to passing scenes here, was written
BY COL Magruder, and offered to a political
adversary for his use and benefit, and convey
ed 10 General Pierce in a manner equally un.
precedented, or that some talented and I'M
scruPulous Democrat, knowing that the near
approach of the election forbade the POSSIBLE
ity of denial, has fabricated the letter, and
imposed upon General Pierce and the WASH
ingtOn Union, and, through them, upon the
public, by means of base forgery!
| Our suspicious and the grounds upon which
they are based, are here revealed. If they
are uncharitable and erroneous, we shall of
course regret having entertained them. Yet
they are entertained in honest sincerity. The
Prooi-the autograph and the postmark is in
the hands of Gen. Pierce or the editor of the
Union. Its exhibition will help their own
cause, by silencing the suspicious, not only
OF their opponents, but some of their friends,
ako.