Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-06-23

- ACSiuShts Has tApehucu d
large quantity Of paper and ink, in laudable
endeavor to g set history rights
In this praiseworthy attempt however, Ire
greet TO notice, several erroneous statements
have inadvertently crept into his otherwise YER
table history, and as works, historical es-
peclally, which are intended to go down to
posterity, are valuable only as they may be
strictly correct, it must be matter of regret
to every one, that he has impaired the value Of
his elaborate work, by admitting into it state
ments, which all who are conversant with the
facts must admit were drawn g largely from
the imagination
In his structures upon the Board of Alder
men, he says, & they disposed of all the above
amendments 'in one fell swoop, by the follow
ing endorsement read and nonconcurred In the
amendments. " As Imay have occasion again
to revert to this error, pass it with the single
remark that the report in question contained
g no such " endorsement. Having set history
right in this particular, proceed to notice the
corrections which the President has attempted
to make in my report of his remarks in Com
mon Council on the LIST inst. No one, pre-
sumo, for moment supposes that an extern
pore speech will be reported word for word
and letter for letter if the exact ideas are Civ
en- in as near as may be the precise language
of the speaker if nothing is distorted or dis
colored if, as in the present case, in speaking
of third person, the report is made less of
fensive than the speech really was surely no
speaker has right to complain. Nor does
the President complain of Misrepresentation,
or attempt to show it, except by inuendo or
insinuation. He does not deny that he charged
the Mayor with making false report, without
the possibility Of mistake; that he departed
from the truth in saying he was directed to
make said report, that he was unworthy of
confidence, and had exercised power worthy
of despot. If it is an undeniable fact that
he did convey those ideas, does not the Presi-
dent do himself injustice by repeatedly quib-
ling upon words Let us see.
The first item in order is the 90 decision - Of
the committee. Will the president deny that
he distinctly conveyed the idea, that there was,
if not :" decision" an agreement, or an under
standing, or that the action of the committee
was based upon that principle That it was
urged by himself and his colleagues on the
committee as an aggravation of the offence of
the chairman! Ifthey thank him for thus rem
dering pointless their very pointed remarks, /
shall not complain. For his grammatical criti-
cism am much obliged, and hope everybody
will attach to it the importance it deserves in
the question at issue.
Error No. 2. g But here is paper signed
BIC. Bailey, commencing With am directed
by the Finance Committee to make the follow
ing report" Says the President, &c deny
using those words, and to show how accurate
your reporter is, it is only necessary to say
that the report does not begin with such words,
neither does it contain that sentence in any
part of it'' Be astonished, o readers of the
Times, when you learn the extent of this mis-
representation The exact words of the re-
port are" The joint standing committee on
Finance have had that subject under consider
alton, and hare directed me 10 make the fol1o,c-
ing report" g Any such words y is the Ian
guage of the President.
Error No. 3. Mr.. Shaw's motion was
seconded, and stated by the Chair g This is
not correct" Beg pardon, Mr.. President
But Mr.. Lemont seconded the motion, and
that it was entertained by the chair the reccol-
lection of members, other than the reporter, is
clear and distinct
Error No. 4. The one man po,cer. used
no such words.'' There it is again. g Much
virtue in " such. Seriously, that the presi-
dent conveyed that exact idea, with that exact
amount of coloring, is incontrovertible. A
friend of his in the Council has disclamed for
him the word Autocrat. That neither adds
to, nor diminshes the force of the sentence,
and it is very possible that may have misun-
derstood the name of the individual who was
in company with Louis Napoleon. Ofthe i'm
portance, whether it was the Autocrat or the
Pope, the public must Judge. How far the
president may be in favor of the g one man
power may be inferred quite as plainly from
his decision on the evening in question, as
from his published declaration.
/ now ask the public to decide, if any or all
Of the inaccuracies which the president has
discovered viewed in their worst light, are
equal to that Of his own already alluded to in
relation to the Board of Aldermen. The pub
lie will hear in mind that when | used the
word @ such {" in relation to that matter, | had
high authority for the sense in which it is
there employed
The charitable supposition of the president
that my inaccuracies ".may be - owing to a
want of experience, does credit to his heart,
and charity will doubtless decide that the alb
creations Of memory he has manifested, must
be owing to the fact that there was slight
departure from his usual serenity of temper.
The pleasant sarcasm in which he INDUCES
at the expense of the police reports of our
larger cities, is the last thing, the last kind of
thing which shall ever disturb my equanimity.
If he found relief there to his pent up indigna-
ton, none will rejoice more sincerely than my
self. This hope for the future is encouraging,
a consummation devoutly to be wished for.