Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-07-07
For the Eastern Times,
MTruth crushed To earth will rise again.n

FRIEND NEwMAN.-Once more and only
once, ask the public through your columns,
to hear me for my cause.
At no time have been insensible of the
"unequalled presumption manifested by an
obscure mechanic, who earns his daily bread
by his daily toll in venturing to differ from the
President Of the Common Council Of the City
of Bath. am well aware that it is presump-
ton in me, to have any regard for my ''own
personal feelings" or 'sfor my family" or
'the community in which / live4 Having
nothing else to transmit to my children, good
name, and an untarnished reputation must be
of the least imaginable consequence whatever
A few days before the Presidents last eff
fusion was published, gentleman in his con-
fidence called upon me to give me timely
warning of what was to come. He kindly in
formed me that the President would prove me
mistaken in every one of my points, by ma
lority of the members of the Board, and also
by the certificates Of the Clerk and the City
Clerk. The gentleman further informed me
that the forthcoming article 'would speak Of
the individual purporting to be the reporter,
and the persons who really wrote the reports
assured him there was no ground whatever
for any such insinuation sob well, it will
give the impression. There is the whole
story. Il ,oiH give the impression. The Pres
dent, on certain memorable, never-to-be-for-
gotten occasion, made some remarks on pa
per purporting to be paper. In the ordinary
course of human events, they were published.
have not the presumption to say that he
found they did not add to his popularity, but
at any rate, something must be done. Had it
suited his august will and pleasure, to have
disclaimed the language or any part of it,
courtesy would at once have there ended the
matter 1t pleased, however the all-wise dis
penser of parliamentary law in the Council
room, to come out with nearly column and
half in nonpareil, two or three short para
graphs of which were addressed to the point,
and the remainder was a labored attempt to
give the impression that the whole Of my re-
ports for the Times, were tissue Of "errone-
Gus statements, +" inaccuracies, - "sparkling
wit, +" Limitations Of the police reports of our
larger Cities" and ''drafts from the magma
tion;" whose only object was to shack ,cater, 2
whose only effect was ''splash and noise. .
And wherefore! Can there be any other OBJ
ject in thus disposing of my reports Sin one
fell swoop," than to bring me into .discredit
upon the point at issue. Be it borne in mind
the report of his remarks is the real question,
notwithstanding the incidental manner in
which it was introduced and disposed of in
his first communication. The second docu-
ment made its appearance, containing the pas
sage which was to create ''the impression. y
And now what was the object of that insinua-
ton! Does any one for a moment suppose
that the President meant to say that the re-
ports were SO very able, or talented, or sac
curate," or so devoid of serrors,' = 'smisrep-
reservations and exaggerations;" or that they
were so ''creditable to the city," so ''graphiC
and litelike'' that they could not have emanat-
ed from the individual who has avowed him.
self their author. Not he. He had another
object in view; can any one fail to perceive
it 1t was not unknown to him that there
were members of the board who were ready
to substantiate the correctness of nv report o.
his remarks. He was not unaware that ont
disinterested witness of ''high character for
probity and intelligence" who did hear, and
does recollect, would outweigh ten times ten.
however high their standing, who did not
hear, and who do not recollect. 1t was
therefore necessary to forestall any evidence OF
this kind by throwing out an ambiguous in
situation, to create an impression, and
which could afterwards be adapted to suit the
eXlgencies of the case. If being member of
the Common Council does not entirely dis
qualify one from speaking the truth, as he
seems to insinuate it does, | declare explicitly,
that no person except the writer of this article
has ever seen one of those reports from the
time the minutes were taken son the spot,
until they were ready for the publisher in the
form in which they have appeared. And
further, that no individual has ever been con-
suited in relation to a single item, with the
one exception of the President himself, upon
a single point, which he cheerfully and polite
ly explained, and in relation to which his
wishes were complied with
1t is not for want of material or provoca-
ton, or Of ''unequalled presumption" even,
that do not pay him a few left handed COM
pllments in return for the dignifed billings
gate which he has SO lavishly bestowed upon
me, and which contributes so largely to grace
and embellish his article. | might hint in the
gentlest possible manner, that if his article
was marked by the absence of presumption, it
was no less marked, by the absence of candor;
and that both were amply compensated for, by
superabundance of arrogance
Intending however, to act strictly on the de-
fensive, | shall throw out no such ungentle-
manly hints.
The matter of the endorsement from the
Board of Aldermen, has answered the exact
purpose for which | introduced it. It was to
make him answer his own bubble, especially
the one on the word II am directed to make
the following report" and most effectually has
he done it. r nr-t