The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-15
Mr.. Lester's Reply to tho Assaults Of the
Cabinet.


We.are in a new age Of our republicit it Is the
reign Of faction God send that it uay be short; for
if lasts, it will wind up our history One of the
most painful and notifying illustrate Ems of this il
seen in the fact that cabinet has got ino power that
presumes to rob every citizen of the right t., express
his opinions about their public policy; and tLe paid
organs OF the administration, evading every a'cusa
tion and argument brought against them, single out
those independent men who pass their criticisms
upon them, and devote them TO sacrifice It will be
described hereafter by historians the reign Of the
bowie knife. This administration deals with Ameri.
can citizens as summsrily as Robespierre did with
the Gir0ndsts in the reign Of terror. No man oan
express his opinions like freeman without being
struck down like highwayman. The Cabinet can
not, indeed, muzzle the PRESS although they some
times succeed in buyingit They substitute pap for
gag. When they cannot send their policemen they
send their lackies; and these emissaries are now
swarming all over the country, like the locusts Of
Egypt to suck up the last dregs of citizen indepen
dence. The days of fair argument and manly debate
have gone by; and now, the only weapon in use is
the knife and it is stabbed into the private charac
ter up to the hilt. The Presidentelected by accla
mation-greeted on his Inauguration to power by
the fervent and generous wishes aud prayers of
great people-mounts that high eminence, and every
body says "God speed you" He goes everywhere
for his Ca onet and gets everybody The unit is no
body-no thing-nothing. Here was the grand mis-
take of the Presdent he deserted the main column of
his national army to head pquet guards of deserters
from the camp and the whole nation felt bereft Of its
leader. or all his Cabinet what Of them had not
been all sides of all questions, SO fer the OBJ
80 h
lie observation? The world knows with what regret
it was compelled to feel that Gen. Pierce had made
so great mistake. First the still, small voice of
friendly counsel limited it, the bolder told him SO to
his face. At last in signs upon the whole sky, he
could read the flush of national Indignation.
The country did not look unconcerned upon the
hand that assaulted the fair fame ard the personal
character Of Daniel S. Dickinson one Of the file
leaders of the national sentiment; but when the
Cabinet grew SO shameless 10 send to Judge Bron
son that insulting letter. what national did not
feel bumbled in the humiliation Ct his country
l did not geek such companions; my ambition
courted such ilustrious associates In this official
assassination but struck at as have been speak;
and win show this Cabinet that an independent
American citizen, when wronged and outraged at
home, no matter how high the villain who strikes
him may stand, as sacred ss he who, wandering in
distant land is levelled by the blow Of tyrant.
NEW YoRK, Oct. IA, 1853.
Hon. WILLIAM L. MARCY, Secretary Of State :
SIR--A few days ago the Washington Union and
the Boston Post simultaneously published most
unjust and bellous attack upon my private AM pub
lie character. The authors say that they got their
information from the Department of State. II ap-
pears that you had libel against me in the archives
committed to your trust and that you chose to pub
lish it, shall therefore hold you responsible for it
Yeur colleague, Judge Campbell, refused to fur sh
copies Of libeous information against Mr. Watson |;
perhaps it would have been well for you if you had
followed his example The public also held you re-
sponsible for those attacks me, because they ap
peared in your two principal organs. Those org ans
base their charges Of ofisial misconduct during my
Consulship in Italy, upon the testimony of Robert
Wcklf, Jr. who was Charge d'Affaires at the Court
OF Sardinia part Of the time while was Consul TO
the same kingdom also, that it in pursuance OF
Mr.. Wickliff's charges that was recalled. You
have invoked the testimony man no longer
among the living The same HAND Of the dead shall
write my justification. 1t is very easy to blast cha
racter and sometimes lie will live. The stab, espe-
cialy when it comes from an unsupported quarter,
cannot always be foiled. There is often no remedy
for tie virus Of caumnys sting; but happen in this
case to have one. The same charges Of Mr. Wickif,
now in your dep art1nent, were made against me in
Italy, where he says, in a letter to me =
al have learned from the most unqnestionable au
thority that you have, over your own signature,
offered to sell for money the Vice Consuship Of Ge
noa end for the same consideration to procure the
appointment of an inhabitnnt Of Turin IS Consul Of
the United States at Caglari."
also hold the following retraction from Mr.. Wick
lift, written two weeks later =
~ was.satisfed before you left that your conduct
had been slandered am now without shadow OF
doubt the su. iect. Since you left have Disco
vered that my informant (Sho had been recommend
ed to ne as man of respectability, and who
thought credible person) IS a most infamous
scoundrel, aud no better than common tig.
haze ordered hun nerer ogdnts set foot tnmy house.
and my friend the Marquis da Cacoiir has put hni
under the surveillance Of the police. am particu
larly happy to learn thai Mrs. L. is restored to her
usual spirits, and | trust hos no hard thoughts
against for step which, under the circumstances,
duty Obliged me to take. set great value upon her
good opinion and beg that she will be assured that
my feelings towards her and yourself the same as
before this calumny was poured into my ears
II. WIoKLIFF, JR.
This retracton was also sent to the State Depart
ment; and with it, without much pains, / presume,
ore OF your clerks could hud copy OF despatch 70
me from Mr.. Buchanan, then Secretary Of State
exempting from all charges of official misconduct.
To show that Mr.. Wiokliffs charges against me
had nothing to do with my recall, reprint the fol-
lowing note, which he wrote after was recalled
TURIN, Nov. ID, 1S47.
SIR--In reply to your letter Of the 10Th ult in
quiring Of whether you have been recalled at the
instance Of this government have 10 state that that
is point upon which haze no knowledge, and
am therefore unable to glve y0u arg Information
The dispatches Of Mr.. Buchanan simply inform me
of the nomination of Mr. John Mcpherson, of Va.
in your place. and transmit his commission for the
purpose of obtaining an exequatur.
r. WIcKLIrF, JR.
This deem sufficient for my vindicstion just now.
The man you have quoted proves that your organs
are mistaken. Your organs accuse me Of hanging
around Concord several days, and importuning with
characteristic efontery the President elect for Office
General Pierce knows that this is false. went TO
Concord in the middle of February for ,ne PURPOSE