Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-09-22

apologize; let the whole subject be discussed in its
theory and its practice, and the time is not far
distant, when domestic slavery in the South will
be recognized as an institution, whose abolition
would be an incalculable disadvantage to the
American Union, and inconsistent with wisdom
and true philanthropy. S.
RANDOLPH MACON COLLEGE, Sept Sd, 1855.
The Report of stephen A. Branch, Conn
missioner sent to England by the
know-nothing Common Council of New
York to Investigate the Birth place OF
George w. MatselI, Chief OF the New
York Police.
We alluded on yesterday TO this report, which
one OF our contemporaries pronounces the ''fnn-
NEST thing Of the age" The rector of the
church where the Matsell record was kept, was a
Rev. Mr.. Warren. From him lie obtained the
following note to the parish clerk at Brandon:
"Mr. Farrow will you go to the rectory with
the bearer OF this note, ask Mrs. Num- to go up,
or go up yourself and find the register OF bap-
tisms about fifty years back. They kept in
an iron chest, in the closet at the back OF my
room You copy out what registers he requires,
and send them up to me by him, and | will sign
them. Yours, &c., Samuel Warren, London,
Wednesday, Aug. !, 1855"
Mr.. Branch then proceeded to Brandon, and
lIluS nc RECORDS ms adventures:
went to the Rev. Mr.. Warrcn's residence, in
the suburbs of Brandon, through meandering
paths, passing through the churchyard of St.
Mary $, and the graves Of a thousand years.
Saw Mrs. Num-, who superintends the Rev. Mr..
Warren's residence during his absence in Lon
don. Told Mrs. Num- that | had note from
the Rev. Mr. Warren, addressed to Mr.. Farrow,
the parish clerk, who had gone to Berry, and
would not return until p. m; that inasmuch as
the Rev. MIR. Warren had mentioned her name
IN the note respecting letting the bap-
tismal record, and inasmuch as Mr.. Farrow was
absent from Brandon, that could not any
improperly IN her opening the note. She re-
piled that she was no scholar | then told her
If she would break the seal that | would read the
note to her; she did SO. | then read the note,
after which she went with myself up stairs,
| through very large room, into large closet,
where was a massive iron chest of great
tiquity; she opened it, and began to take out the
| books containing the baptismal death and mar
| rage records of several hundred years The
| first baptismal records that she handed me, were
from the fifteenth to the sixteenth century. After
getting down to 1900. she finally handed me the
records from 1901 to 1872 arhen my heart began 10
| beat rather tireig-my hands became nervous, and
could mol hold The book; but her head was turned
and she did not discover it. then began TO ex
| anime the baptisms and soon said TO her-"Mrs.
| Mum, as il will probably require some time to
Il
/ As | anticipated, she erideniiy liked This, and
turned TO the floors below, in the more domestic
| apartments of the rectoral mansion; | at the
same time accompanying her as far as the hall
on the first floor, where, al a marble table, and
much erciied, seated myself for my researches,
after the infantile bastsm Of man who had
| sworn when he became Police Justice, and SUISSE
| qCently Chief Of Police, that he was citizen Of
the United States, and before the Special Police
Investigating Committee, (Aldermen Christy,
| Voorhees,, and Wakeman, being present as
| spectators, and saw him kiss the Bible, they
having come to No. City Hall TO hold a.
session of their committee respecting Com
missioner Furey and the Eghty-third street
i ahair;) that the only evidence he had Of his
birthplace was that his mother told him he was
i born in America that his was George
| Washington Matsel; that he did not know where
| his father resided before he came 20 America; that
he was born in 1871, &c; man whom had long
/ believed was periured alien and had bamboozed
the Americans towards quarter Of century;
who had always in his high official position sym
pathized with foreigners to the exclusion Of
| Americans, whose sacred rights he has long
trampled in the dust. With these exciting facts
whirling through my brain began the search
and turned the leaves Of the Brandon register
until ] came 10 the baptisms of 1911, where,
running my giaring eyes down the third page Of
the baptisms Of 1871 discovered the following:
George, son Of George Matsell and Elizabeth
4
received Dec. &C." lfa supernatural being were
welding my pen at this point my feelings might
/ possibly be described; and yet think mott re-
Blenernber a sudden reclamation la nv chair, and
soon such exclamation as ''good God is it pos
sible!' and also clearly remember the cold aceat
| as il rolled down my brow and cheeks into my
mouth, as IL had Just emerged from house
fire; after wiping my face again and again,
arose, paced the hall some minutes, and finally
walked TO the beautiful lawn in front of the rec
| torial mansion, where, amid some noble forest
| trees and the exhlarating air my blood assumbed
| its wanted circulation ] then returned 10 the
| mansion and began my search for Augustus and
| Elizabeth Matsel, which / found in another
| book, under the baptisms Of 1873 and 1917, both
| Of which will be found below, precisely they
are recorded in the Brandon Parish Books, and
| this confirmed, every word in the memorable
affidavit Of Leritia Millgan, Of Geneva, New
| York. After taking copies of the baptismal re-
cords | called Mrs. Mum and told her that she
could replace the books in the iron chest which
she did, and after gazing, at the request of Mrs.
Num-, from the second story window Of the splen-
did cdifice, at the extraordinary beauties OF the
surrounding country, departed for Brandon pro-
per, some two miles distant, telling Mrs. Mum
that would return at 8 p m, with Mr.. Fauow,
the parish clerk. Soon after passing through the
rectOrial iron gate into the forest road ] espied
several males and females winnowing wheat (the
residue Of last year g crop,) with little children
clapping their hands and screaming, so! see The
iChisker man. o! zee The black tchisker man, /
scaled the fence and approached them, TO sec the
operation Of the wheat machine, and then depart
ed for Brandon proper, the precise spot where
then was having been the site Of old Brandon
many centuries since
Mr. Branch proceeded 10 London again, and
there spread before Mr.. Buchanan the astound-
ing testimony he had accumulated. lie saw Mr..
Buchanan, and addressed him thus:
"Mr Buchanan, after you have read these two
lines, directing his eyes TO Mr. George Matsell's
baptism in the parish register Of Brandon0 will
respectfully request you to certify TO the existence