The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-05-20
A CARD from Matt. ward,

JeCt mat1er oI " ID, mere 10 deh suspen-
sion Of opinion till the full proceedings OF
the trial, as taken down by ste nogra pher, be
published. But We give the card below. 1t
10 singular presumption or his part, that the
great mass of editors in the country have
thus been speaking on this subject without
any proper knowledge of what they were
talking about, or that no proper knowledge
of the proceedings of this trial can be gain
ed, except through the report to be published
by the Appletons, and Immediately under
the patronage Of the Ward interests. Matt
Ward has no right to ask this suspension OF
opinion-he has no claims upon the generos-
ity Of either editors or the public. So far IS
the verdict of the Jury in his favor can help
him, he is welcome to its benefits, but the
character of the Jury, and of the means used
to influence il, are too well known, to permit
the verdict of such body given under such
circumstances to enti,ls him to the grace OF
4 suspension of public opinion
TO THE EDITORS OF THE UNITED STATES:
Gentlenen-If felt less confidence in the
justice and magnanimity Of the American
people, would not now intrude myself upon
yo,r notice. My position is one which may
well be considered peculiar in the United
States, where the laws have hitherto been re-
spected, and where the verdict of a jury has
been regarded as fl al in all criminal cases.
Acquitted, though still accused; Tree, though
still prosecuted, must appeal, through the
columns oil the Delta, TO your generosity, and
beg suspension Of opinion until the evidence
in my case can be laid before you.
| can blame no man for feeling strong pre-
JUDGE against me, or for expressing the loud
est condemnation of that unfortunate deed,
which has been 80 darkly and ingeniousy
exaggerated by my enemies. the public
have as yet seen but one side Of The case,
and that one has been most unscrupulously
misrepresented Ly those eager for my blooi
and ruin. have been acquitted by jury CT
my peers, ard in most cases this would be
Ivindication enough, and even in my case,
perverted as it has been, my acquittal should
at least argue a presumption Of my innC.
cence, strong enough to induce the most
hostile to pause till they can examine tie
testimony produced at my trial. This is all |
desire, and surely il is not much for man to
ask who has uncomplainingly submitted to as
much as have done.
A full and impartial report of the tes,mo-
ny in the case has been prepared by Mr. A
ID. Richardson, one OF the most accomplished
short hand writer's in The West. and will
soon be issued from the press of Messrs. APP
pleton e. Co.. New York. Although fell
the highest confidence in Dir. Richar sons
ability and irpsrtiaiy, yet when remem.
bered the former course Of nv enemies, the
> pre:aution was taken to have the report an
,hen,icated by several gentlemen. whose
positions place them above even the soaring
accusations OF the Courier.
A that ask from you, gentlemen of the
press, is silence until this report can be pla.
ced before the public, and il you do not ,heh
discover some better reason fr my acqui,,al
than the corruption of the jury am Wiling
TO submit to your universal cund, mnuiion.-
have made no previous at empt to resist The
designs Of my enemies--not, as they would
} falsely insinuate-bscause h ad no defence
TO mske, but because I relied with confidence
on the just administration of the laws of my
country. ] break that silence now, which
the better judgment OF friends formerly i'm
posed upon me, only bee 'ase my prosecutors
, seem to have lest all respect for law, and
, have constituted themselves a higher trbu.
nal, to reverse the decisit n Of jury regular
y empanneled by the proper authorities Of
the Stale.
Once more appeal to the generosity OF
the press in this country. and conjure every
editor, In the name of justice and huma nitv
to read the report Of my trial-weigh well
the testimony on on both sides, and then de-
clare to the world whether have not the
right to say that injustice, black injustice, ha Is
: been done me. And If many are convinced
by the testim my that my prosecutors have
not been sustained in the case which they
made out against me, have to much conf.
dence in the magnanimity of American ed-
tors to doubt that they will confess that they
have been mslsd. and will expose the unjus-
tiiable means used to deceive them and to
injure me. Be just, be generous, gentlemen
Of the press. Read this report and consider
closely it's contents.
The Louisville Courier has, believe. pro-
posed to publish my trial in pamphlet form;
but the gentleman who vas employed by
that paper lie not stenographer, and the re-
port could not be full aud satisfactory in all
the details Of cross-examnation, even il his
notes were fairly published. Mr.. Cole would
not, know, make an unfair report for any
consideration; but from past experience ]
should apprehend that some liberties might
be taken with his notes before they see light.
| make this suggestion for his sake as well as
my own. 1t is fact worth noting, too. that
whilst DIR. Cole was preparing this report TO
the Courier, he wrote letters to his paper,
the Cincinnati Gazette, in which he express
ed an opinion that would be acquitted,
which was based en- the evidence in the case.
We may hereafter have an opportunity of
comparing Mr.. Coles opinion of the testi-
mony with the version the Courier NAV give
1t. MATT. F.. WARD.
! Unable young man, committed suicide at
Brandon, Mississippi, in the following man