Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-03-22
70 THE PUBLIC.

% pacS. published IN Ills cily, mas tEOSsI.i u 10
assa tie members OF the lite hrm Of Selden, w ith-
ers Co through the umns of his paper, and to
charge upon them corruption and dishonesty In lieir
failure, and in the disposition OF their assets.
The publishers Of The other city papers hsve not
thought il incumbent upon them to pursue such
course. Mr. Rives stsnds alone in this work.
As one Of the members OF that firm, propose to
| show briefly 70 the public that Mr.. Rives has been
actuated 20 pursue this course purely 10 crafty feel
ings of hostility on his part, and that under The
pfompiings OF these unworthy motives he has not
| h sated-tVd5tony and rechI Ssiyto violate truth
| That the members OF said firm would be sub I
10 odium and suspicion Oh the part al those 10 whom
| they were ndeht q, and that mpuIation would be
cast upon them, was 10 be excepted. This is the
| common lot of all who have the misfortune 10 meet
with pecuniary failure, no matter what liz cause.
They trusted to the future vindicate them. feel
ing assured that the winding up of the affairs OF
| their house would result In the payment In full OF
all their Liabilities, and IN The full vindicaton Of
| their integrity Of purpose in their whole course.
In the year 1851 the house Of Selden, Withers &
| Co a, purchased two acceptances given by Blair &
Rives in favor of Barton & Co, Of New York, amount
| ances matured Barton & Co failed, and Messrs.
| Biar & Rives, (Mr. r. having the management
and control of the business who very wealthy
men, permitted their scceptances to be protested in
| December, 1881 correspondence took place be
| tween the house oi Seden, Wiihers i Co, icon
Quoted their part b. their then president Mr.. Sci
den,) and MesSrs Rves, Conducted On their part
/ by MIR. Rves,) which, in its progress engenti,fcd
feelings Of diSsa isfactOn on he part OF the men,
| hers CT the hrE, and, "a subsequent events have
| shown, hostility 0n The part of Mr.. Rives Mr.. r.
objected 10 the settlement of the drafts that time
upon the grounds that Blair * Rves had received
| no consideration for their accPptances and that
S-lden, WitheTs Go. had purchased he drafts at
less than their nominal amount, and iatimated his
purpose 10 avail himself Of the plea of usury Some
six months after the protest of their drafts, they
were settled by the notes OF b. R., al three and
four months From the time Of this transaction al
business relations between the house and Mr. Rives
% Tho ..lgC III
| not TO cash even the checks Gf Mr. Rives drawn
upon others.
Al the time of the failure OF the house. there was
no Indebtedness whatever on their part TO MIR. r.
Shefuy after the deed Of trust was executed by
the firm and was admitted 10 record Mr. R,yas Dr0
cured copy aud published il in his paper To this
there could be no objection cet3nly, il conveyed
information no doubt interesting 10 the public al
though the deed was q public record, and open 10
The inspection Of all WHO chose 10 ga TO the Civ
Hall and look al il.
MIR Eives' commentaries with which lie accom-
panied the publcatIon Of tine copy, Astounding in
coarse Vtuperatinn aud input iiiO.s OF dishonesty
| and fraud upon the members of the firiil and in
MISREPRESENTATION nf facts, betray the source and
motive ri The publication.
To make derOgaOry charges and 10 impute cor
fup and dishonest metives is very easy 10 be done
with those who, having self respect are ute,Iy
Careless, whether their statement. be true or false
so they injurc tho agans: whom they are uttered
| This A. MODE OF wart-re commonly pursued BY
| base and unpiinciped men towards those who have
! eainad their ennity. Honorable men will not EN-.
poy Misrepresentation tor any purpose, and espe.
italy will they be careful of stating truth Without
colOrinG, even in speaking OF those towards whom
they entertain unfritndly feelings Which of these
two characters Mr. Rives, III his course towards the
III OF Selden, NitheTs Co has exhibited, let all
just and honorable men decide.
10 general charges Of fraud and corruption with
out spec locations OF fact to sustain them shall not
reply. TO sustain some of his charges of fraud and
! corruption Mr. X. alleges the existance of certain
facts, viz:
That General Armstrong was shown by the SEIZED.
ule aitac led to the deed of trust be debtors to the
House %, GOD, when, in fact, he owed only about
Sl,OOo. That Petit Was shown TO be debtor Sl525
when in fact, he was debtor SIS IS only. That the
Clerk OF The House OF Representatives had 5000 on
deposit with the House; and that the sum OF SIS OGO
the payment of which was pref rred by the deed
OF trust io The redemption Of &l90 0O0-Of Va. and
Tennessee Railroad Bonds hypothecated with GER
tam pariics IN New York, was, in truth, due 10 s.
w. 4 Co. Ne1nseirss. These allegations are, sew.
eraily aud collectively, wholly unfounded i'm truth
The schedule of the assets Of the firm was made
out by the clerks of the house, Messrs Walker aHd
Best Whc lad ad tie sole and exclusive manage
ment o. the books. IL was made Out under the su
pervision AM direction OF The Hon. Sam'l Chiffon
who was the legal adviser Of the firm, who proposed
| The deed, and in the form directed by him Mr..
Chiffon desired i list of all the credits shown by
| the books (Which We're believed 10 sho@ sID 10 b.,
made out; clause was also inserted in the deed IN
cover oa other creditors, il any there should be- not
| shown by the books The schedule was no, Marie
ularly examined bv the members OF the firm haynr
been maize out with great b. Nessrs Walker
| ana Bestor, and supervised by MIR Chiffon. There
dd stand On The books of the firm against General
| Armstrong, balance OF $50 900, existing at the
time OF his death. His personal representative mr.
ifarrs) It Is true had power 10 check for sum- ac-
| cruns after the death OF General Armstrong which
/ u applied 10 the above balance, would leave due
SlSO0, but such appli alton hae not been made and
| The house had no power To make it, Mr. Petit was
| listed in the schedule as owing Sl525 and raj
So; as Mr.. HIVES alleges Misrepresentation
The Clerk Of tine House Of Representatives had
not che dollar Of either pubic private money ON
deposit with the house, but was in its debt about
| 5000. " - '"'''
The charge that the sum Of $4,000 preferred by
tie deed, was, IN truth, the pro perry and in fact
due 10 =. w, & Co. themselves il upon liz face 30
utterly absurd that IN the absence OF any allegation
even oi Selnt:lla or evidence 10 sustain H. does NOT
even call for denial but may be referred 10 As evil
deHce OF the utter recklessness of the statements
The gratification Of maevolent passions will some
| tinea actuate malignant men TO make
Mr.. RIves having gratliied his long cherished en-
| unity, having viianlly and herocally struck his en-
envy, who he supposed was "5ow1, - assuming nj,
the responsibility OF an act which only generous
| ana brave man would dare to do, challenges those
| he has thus injured to a SUIT for "ELel',
For myself, have neither time nor money re
| qii'te 10 conduct such suit. Ii is, moreover 4
resort which, in the vindcatiOn of truth "a exceed
ingiy uncertain, and but seldom affords redress
| Tor The injury which The reckless slanderer has
| peiPeifaled l was therefore inclined to await
| TIC SHulcation winch time and future GeVelop
| mems, was sure, would furnish. | was conten M
To leave Mr.. X IN the full and coneenial endowment
iiis course had no doubt afforded him-suppcsins
however, that his enmity by his first publication had
DeGn satiated. But in this have been mistaken
When the excitement consequent upon the fail
| ure oil the house is subsidng when some of the
members and trustees are putting forth every effort
to wina up its affairs and success is crOwning their
exertions-when confidence IS growing day by day
IN the public mind HAT every credito: of the firm
will AT no distant day be paid every cent due him -
again, within short time past, Mr. Rves in the
columns Of his paper assaS the members of the fiji m
with imputatiOns and vtuperation more degrading
and coarser than any before made or employed by
him. The article published by him is as follows:
From the Globe.
eve will answer briefly, iii the order in which The
deniais ma lie.
"One OF the men with whom we understood they
com promised for eighty three in the dollar is
b. French, ESQ Commissioner of Public Build
ings.
"Since we wrote the article TO which the adyer-
tisement is intended 10 be reply, we have learned
from an undoubted sOuice, that s., w. g. Co. have
compromised with Maxwell Woodruff. OF this civ
Tor eighty eight cents in the doll:r. They did moi
do il themselves, ia person: but they id il BY their
attorney, Dir Wylie There Is the miserable auib-
!