Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-13
LETTER TO LORD MAHON.

LETTER TO LORD MAHON
Being an Ass,eer to has Charges coacerniag aemode
Of editing Washiagton's Writings
Ny LORD have had the honor to receive from you a
copy Of the letter which you have addressed as
rejonder to my reply to certain structures the
in which had edited Washingtons Writings In that
reply it was my main object to explain the plan and prn
cipes upon which it originally designed that the
work should be executed and which, as thought you
and others had strangely overlooked msapprehended
and also to show that had discharged the duties Of
editor in strict conformity with that plan and those prin
cipes. While thus reviewing my past labors and yind
eating my integrity of purpose had occasion to speak
with pointed dsapprobaton Of two three serious
charges in recent volume of your History, which
knew to be founded in error and which unable to
reconcile with the courtesy and candor be expected in
work from your pen.
is true, my lord you suggest had not then read
that volumes and, if had done SO, it could not in any
degree have modified my opinion Of the passages which
had seen, and to which my remarks confined. did
not pretend to your book" any part of it
except the brief extracts here alluded to- which in
way affected by the general contents Of the work If
had perused the volume most assuredly should not
have said, ga British historian might, perhaps find
something to commend in the result Of my attempts"
referring to the efforts had made in the notes and illus
pressons which had prevailed in America concerning the
motives and designs of the British ministry and military
commanders during the On this point your recog
milton of the fact is explicit and full
You also say:
Il" Mr. Sparkss own share in these notes and lustra-
lions is written only with much ability but spirit
on most points, of candor and fairness and the whole
collection is of great historical interest and Importance
trust that not insensibe to your candor and
fairness in forming this estimate to the liberay Of
the terms in which your judgment is expressed
But the questions at issue between of differ
ent character and require to be discussed themselves
You expressed the opinion that had printed no part
Washington's correspondence precisely he wrote it,
which opinion you conceived yourself g bound not to
conceal" You also charged with making additions
to the original text and unwarrantabe alterations and
omissions for the sake of establishment leaving your
readers to draw the conclusion which, if they rested on
your declarations alone they could not but draw-tha
the editor totally incompetent to the task he had
deraken.
You now withdraw the charge of making additions
unquesdonaby the most important, but you say:
"On other points / must declare myself prepared
though with all possible respect for your observations to
adhere to and maintain the opinions advanced
The withdrawal of the first charge ght close that part
Of the discussion at once you did still insist on your
you then supposed be entitled to confidence Let us
briefly consider this claim before we proceed further
The stands thus: You found in one of Washing
toms letters printed by me- the passage which here
follows in italics:
But it possible that any sensible nation upon earth
can be imposed upon By such eobpb scheme or gauge COP
eringf"
This passage did not appear in copy of the same let
ter as printed by Mr. Reed whereupon you charged me-
in strain Of sarcasm certainly unusual your lord
ships compositions and therefore the more to be re-
garded with having manufacturedt for the occasion
and by way Of establishment to the original text Hav
ing ascertaned that Washington actually wrote these
words absurd they seemed you and that they had
been omitted in the other printed copy by some accident
you now withdraw the charge And you add
al win even 20 further and express my regret that
believing did the charge to be well founded fully
proved adopted tone towards you one or two other
passages OF my History, different from that which
should have used had thought you wholly free from this
imputation."
am very ready to accept this as fair recantation
though not fully could have done II its value were
not diminished by the remarks with which it is con-
nectsl.
You maintain that under the circumstances you We're
justified in making the charge and in throwing out in
situations not less and scarcely less offensive
You ask:
(" Having found these passages will put II to any
candid person, and win include you, sir in the number
whether was to blame for the conclusion drew from
them Had | not q right to say that the cobweb
schemes gauze coverings seemed be Of your own
manufactured Had / not right to intimate a sus-
picon in two other parts Of my History whether
such Improvements had not extended further whether the
same manufactOry had not been busy elsewhere"
As you put these questions to me personally must
answer that can neither allow conceive for mo-
ment that you had any such right.
What was the real ground upon which you stood 2
From fifteen words Of suspected addition and the sup
posed change Of other word which you have since
Acknowledged is at least doubtful you ventured to
ard the opinion and to promugac it in authoritative
manner, that had made like additions and changes or
in your own phrase manufactured" them throughout
Washngtons correspondence editorial license which
you properly designate not at all short of literary
forgery Let me ask Jon, in all painness, whether you
lad right upon any principles Of fair criticism, to draw
50 broad an Inference duplicating not the literary
ability and Judgment of the editor than his integrity
man, from such exceedingly narrow premises Every
one knows how frequently errors result from accident or
through the mistakes Of anscribers and printers in
publishing original manuscripts moderate degree Of
forbearance might have inclined you to suspect an
from some Of these sources and cautioned you to wait till
your proofs were better established The event has
shown that this course would have been more malicious
certainly more just | must dissent therefore. from
your claim Of right to charge me with manufacturing