Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-07-15
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
no THE EDITORS.

wELL) which appeared in the Union OF the "a instant
Imposes on me the disagceabe duty OF obtrudng myself
on the notice Of the public in relation to matters OF
sonal character and in which the public may feel but lit
t,e concern II is the first time in my life that have
had occasion to resort the public press rpe unjust
attacks upon my character to vndcate the correct
ness Of my conduct
The personal relations Of nay colleague and myself
rather Of kind and friendly character previously to the
date Of his speech on the Nebraska bill indeed was
aware nor did suppose that any thing had occurred
then or afterwards Con the 18th utmo when he made
his remarks in responding to what Of my colleagues
in the Senate Co BEL had said in relation to the at
tack made upon him by my colleague in his FIRST speech
to create any hostile feelings his part towards my
SELF Twas very careful in my speech the Nebraska BILL
to make unkind ausonto the Of any of my co
leagues and In oil my statements and corrections inter-
posed, when my colleague yielded me that privilege
both occasions above referred to- particular to
temper them as to furnish just ground Of offence
my colleague. ALI nearly all, that said on those
casions was merely defensive.
My colleague and myself repeatedly conyersed with
unreserved freedom on the subject of the Nebraska bill
while il was pending in the House Of Representatives
and before it passed the Senate Upon several occasions
when the subject mentioned between he stated to
me that he occupied position in relation to that
which would authorize him to take either side of the
"
said that he had received information from
ing friends home assuring Rim that the people generally
cared nothing about the measure and that he would be
sustained whether he went for against it. But in all
his conversations with that subject he gave
understand that he had not made up his mind upon it.
and that knew what course he would take in
lation to it.
will not trust my memory so far as to state the date
of the last conversation had with my colleague the
subject Of the Nebraska BILL how long it before
be made his speech in its favor but could have been
kxubil Mar kunyu nj hn had al
to 60 for it until he got the floor to make his speech
then informed that he intended to speak in favor Of
the bill and must confess that greatly surprised
to Gnd did from the tenor and character OF hspeech
that he not content with avowng himself in favor Of
the object and principles Of the BILL which was informed
the night before he would do but that he had suddenly
become furious champion Of them that he felt himself
called upon to make most unkind not to say denunc
atory assault upon the Of all his colleagues who
had spoken against it charging them with close aia
ton with the Aboionists Of the North with the avowed
enemies to institutions and suggesting, without af
frmng, that, by irressble inference" they Abo
hionists themselves Such course say the least Of
it, strange, and wholly irreconcabe with any sin
cery principle in who had recently and after
long hesitation made up his mind upon which Of the two
sides Of the question he ought array himself After he
made up his mind to support the BILL at the eleventh
hour, my colleague appears to have thought it in
cumbent upon him to perform extra service for his
party atone for his hardness and apparent reluctance
in uniting with the friends of the b and he to
have thought that he could do nothing 80 becoming HIM
self, and effective in party point of view than to
anayze and call the attention Of the country the
ordinary congratulations had received the delivery Of
my speech and to point out by name the gentlemen
who had subscribed for it, with view its circulation
the country particularly those members of Congress
who he supposed were most obnoxious to the people Of
the South. BY this course my colleague doubt
pected 90 shot beyond all the early supporters
the bill in the House, and to securA for himself lasting
distinction and he not mistaken. He did 20 be-
yond them all in establishment for other member Of
the House could have been i1sigated to do the work
which he undertook, and he certainly acquired very
rare distinction
In his first speech my colleague stated deliberately and
positively that Mr. GIDDINGs, of Ohio had congratulated
me upon my speech replied to that charge from my
seat at the time that AIR. CDpINos not in the Dis
trict Of Columbia when made my speechs He then sta
ted that Mr. GERRIr SMITH, of New York. had done
corrected him again by stating that neither Of those
gentlemen had congratulated me. My colleague then
said that ha meant Of that stamp did; 70 which
replied that was congratulated Unfortunately by
Southern and Northern My colleague in his print
ed speech, stated that Mr. CAMpBELL Of Ohio who he
said Of the same stamp, did congratulate me- This
he did say in his speech as spoken Had he done
his statement would have been untrue in two particulars
First Mr. Campbell not Of the stamp with Messrs
Giddings and Smith; and, secondly Mr. Campbell did
congratulate My colleagues printed speech
in many other respects different from his speech spo
ken But win not notice further what he spoke his
first appearance friend Of the Nebraska bill what
he printed When my colleague, the 18th Of June,
made what will designate his second speech and was
npon nterrogatons put by Mr.: Campbell of Ohio fairly
driven to the wall and convicted by witnesses of having
been wholly reckless OF fact IN charging that Messrs Gid
dings, Smith, and Campbell had congratulated my
speech he made effort to amend his indictment against
me by charging that had received the congratulations Of
other Abotonists, and still affirmed that Abotonsts
had congratulated me and that did not deny it. l
replied that did deny it. He then said that Freesoers
and Aboitionsts had congratulated denied that
far knew, either Abotonsts Freesoilers had
congratulated Mr. Sage Of New York. called out to
him to give the My colleague said, Twill name
you first" Mr.. Sage denied that he either Free
soiler Abolitionist He then inquired if Messrs
Morgan and Mateson, of New York. had not congratula
ted me- Mr.. Matteson replied that he was in New York
when made my speech. Mr.. Morgan said that he had
congratulated me- and thah thanked God that he had
opportunity to do and he added that he had
been q Freesoiler OF an Abolitionist.
My colleague made the remark when Mr.. Matteson de-
MED that he had congratulated me, thcn nobody had
congratulated the gentleman" Mr. Washburne of Illi-
nois said from his seat that he had congratulated
and in answer to question by Mr.. Ewing of Kentucky,
he stated that he Wing Of the Henry Clay school,
My colleague then said that he had last ascertaned
that congratulated by at least man. but that he
did not know that he was Freesoiler.
This was what my colleague said in the House but
reported to have said that he had OF last asceraned that
I"was congratulated by Mt least one Aboonist" Upon
inquiry at the Globe Office Mr. Washburne found that the
reporters notes correct but that my colleague,
under his direction had altered the report by
striking his pen across the words g one do not
know that he s Freesoile and inserting in their place
the words one Aboltonst." Mr. Washburne, being de-
MED the privilege Of exposing this fraud in the House,
had to resort to card In the Globe to do it, II is as
follows:
HOUSE, OF REPRESENTATIVES,, JUNE 81, 1854.