Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-09-29
Reply to e. W. Noise.
WEsrovER PLANTATION, July /,

To b. ". Noise, Esq, U. y. Dtst'7ct attorney:
Sir:I have Just read your letter of the goth
ult, published in the New Orleans True Delta,
and addressed to Messrs Nolan Stewart and R. A.
Stewart Committee for the Sugar Planters, &c.
As these gentlemen have recently left home for the
North, without having the pleasure Of seeing your
letter, and as am one of the same Committee ap-
pointed by the Sugar Planters of West Baton
Rouge, to employ Counsel to asst you in prosecu-
ting the Bechers, and others, for evading the Re
venue Laws, l feel it my duty in the absence of
those gentlemcn,-my friends and neighbors,-to
reply to your exceedingly funny and very fictitious
letter. This my apology for addressing you this
communication.
have no doubt, my dear sir, that you are now
pluming yourself very much, your recent literary
poduction, and that you prize the manuscript there
of SO very highly, that it will be fled away a
State paper in the archives of the general govern
ment, side by side with the reply of Daniel Webster
to Chevaier Hulseman. The great American
statesman demolished the Hulseman, but you,
Sir Knight, have put to route, completely vanquish-
ed the race of Sugar Planters.
What sir, is all this fuss between your serene
highness and committee Of plain, practical sugar
planters? How stands the case? Bear with me
while detail certain facts that are admitted, that
cannot be denied
1t appears that the Belchers of ST. Louis, and
others in the United States have been in the habit
of importing into this country, for many years, a
large amount of brown sugars and having the same
passed the custom house as molasses 1t appears
the Belchers were finally detected, and three of
their cargoes seized. When the Government
guager was called on to guage this concentrated
molasses" he found that his guaging rod would not
enter. 1t was not moasses; it was sugar; moIasses
can be guaged by rod made for the purpose, and
poured through bunghole but this stuff is better
than our inferior sugars When the custom house
appraisers detected the fraud-or it is nothing but
a fraud on the revenue laws-he declared the car
goes to be sugar, and not molasses The Belchers
were dissatisfied, and appealed from his decision,
and, as provided By the laws of Congress, experts
were appointed from merchant appraisers. The
Bechers did not object 1t wasat their suggestion
and appeal
These merchant appraisers affirmed the decision
Of the government appraisers and declared that
this concentrated Molasses was good brown
sugar. The Belchers are not satisfied with the re-
port of these experts; not satisfied with the de-
cision Of men against whom they could raise no OBJ
lection at the time, but, at this late hour now
charge them with being in the interest of the sugar
planters This charge, Of course, you know to be
false, for no sugar planter knew that Messrs Ker-
nion l. Walker were appointed as merchant ap-
praisers did very large majority of the sugar
planters ever hear of these gentlemen before they
saw their names appended to the report The
citizens Of West Baton Rouge learning these facts,
and also hearing that the Bechers had some twenty
other cargoes which they daily expected in New
Orleans Of this same concentrated Molasses, "
alais Malada, alias good brogn sugar, they called
injecting at their Court House and passed the re-
solutions that have been published to the world,
amongst which is the resolution that has given you
so much offence and caused you to pour out the
vials Of your wrath upon US. It was resolved that
a committee be appointed for the purpose Of en-
poyng counsel, to assist you in the prosecution of
the Messrs Belcher, on the arrival Of their nu-
merous cargoes for we learned that they were de-
termined at all hazards to take their case into the
Federal Court and from there if they lost it. to the
Supreme Court Of the United States. They had
employed two very distinguished lawyers in the
city Of New Orleans and, rumor said, had bespoke
the services Of others in the Federal City.
Under all these circumstances Sir we met to
look after our interests With such an array of
legal talent against you backed by milionares,
who evlnced every disposition to lavish their money
upon their counsel, we thought in the simplicity
OF our hearts that we were doing great service,
and that we would receive your heartfelt thanks
not your foulmouthed curses
In compliance with the last mentioned resolu-
ion Messrs. N. & R. A. Stewart visited New Or
Icons. They saw Randall Hunt ESQ. who told
them that the Government could only act through
It's legal representatives and that the District At
tofney had entire control over this prosecution.
Mr.. R. F. Garfield was requested to consult you
On this subject, and learn your views. He did
consult YOU and you did not object; but suhstan-
saaily gave your consent that additional counsel
should be employed to assist you. Upon this Mr..
Hunt was retained, and you, very respectfully ad.
vlsed Of the fact by the chairman of the COM
mittee. III g8sf #
10 this letter Of the committee you issue letter
Me- IN which you got upon your Official stills,
and show much more self conceit than ever
thought human hide could hold Why. sir, no
man dreamed that your fastdiom sensbilities would
oe disturbed or that your frothy vanity would re-
ceave the slightest wound; we thought that gen
teman OF your late multifarious employments. a
gentleman who had heretofore had his washing
done in the parish Of Plaquemnes, slept in Jeffer.
son, drank his claret in the Citizens Bank. and
practiced law in New Orleans and electioneered
promiscucusly, largely and generally, al over the
state, and now wants to be the next Governor
thereof, we thought sir, under all these circurn-
stances, you would really be glad to receive the as
sstance Of even Is humble an individual Is Ran.
aal Hunt in attending to your duties as District
Attorney OF the United States But no instead oi
,epyng to the committee as any modest man would
nave done, thanking them for the assistance they
n.d furnished, you complain Of want of etiquette,
Mfeonrtesy, and cvince bad heart and an ugly
temper IA %.