Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-09-05
SHARON SPRINGS, n Y, Au1. %. 1855.
Respectfully,
K. RAINER.

SHARON SPRINGS, n. Y, Aug %, 1855.
DEAR SIR:-I have this day received your letter
dated 7th inst, but postmarked Raleigh 18th inst,
and also postnarked Saratoga 27th whence it has
been forwarded to at this place, where have
been since the 10th of this month. refer to these
dates and facts for the purpose of accounting for
any seeming delay in answering your leter-a delay
which regret as much as yourself | now hasten
to reply to it as briefly possible, considering the
nature and length of your communication. Omit
ing all comment on the tone and spirit of your letter.
shall refer to its material parts with every DISPOSE
ton to do you the most ample justice, consistent
with truth, remarking only that in my opinion, your
letter was not needed for your vindication.
As to the principal subject of your letter, the SUBJ
stance of the conversation had with by the
Pope's Nuncio at Madrid in reference to the appoint
ment of Mr.. Campbell member of the Cabinet,
have nothing to vary, add to or detract from the
contents of my letter to you of the 9th july, of
that to Mr.. Ellis of the 23d July, which latter has
been published. 1t is true that the Nunco was the
first person who told me of this appointment, and
that this took place before the organization of the
Cabinet was generally known at Madrid. But it is
not true that the conversation occurred before the
4th of March, or before the Cabinet was formed,
before Intelligence of this fact had been received at
Madrid. Information of the formation of the Cabi-
net had been received at Madrid that very day,
but it had yet reached the public mind, nor had
it then reached me, until informed by the Nuncio.
You ask, in your letter, how is this possible? The
answer is plain and may solve the doubts which you
seem to have and remove the error into which you
have, unintentionally fallen the subject. There
is telegraph from Paris to Madrid, and from the
French and Spanish frontier, which is $50
miles more or less from Madrid This telegraph (Which
is electric, but of signals, then is owned
by, and is under the direction of the Spanish gov
eminent well as the Correo," mail express,
from Bayonne to Madrid. In this way the govern
ment often, and in fact generally, obtains niorma-
ton of important events one two, several
days before Intelligence is received in the usual and
regular mode of conveyance by the mail. Iremem-
Der striking instance of this in the circumstance
that the death of Gen. Taylor vas made known to
the government by telegraph, and that the then
Minister of Foreign Affairs, in unofficial note,
communicated the melancholy event to me the day
preceding its public announcement by the press of
Madrid and several days before it finally con-
frmed by the regular arrival of American papers
and letters ut the legation. So in the case of the
conversation referred to with the Nuncio the gov
ernment had doubtless received information of the
formation of the Cabinet at Washington, either by
telegraph or express in advance of the intelligence
made public by the ordinary means and some per-
son connected with the government with that de-
partment of it, having control of the dispatches and
the mail believing that it would be agreeable to the
Nuncio to have this Information, especially
Der of the Cabinet reported to be Catholic,
mentioned it to him and it so happened that saw
him soon afterwards, when he mentioned the fact to
me, before it was known to the public generally
who were still in ignorance and doubt to the mat
ter. Whether the news actually received by
telegraph Or by written dispatches to the govern
ment, as was often the case, and then made known
to the Nuncio by some person having knowledge of
the fact, 1 have stated, cannot now pretend to
say Nor is it material. 1 sure there was no
improperly in the mode in which he was informed
and that there surprise on my mind about
it, nor, presume, with any other person familiar
with the facts. Whether other names of the Cabi-
net were mentioned or not, whether Mr. Campbell
was mentioned by him as having charge of the Post
Office Department, cannot now certainly remem-
Der, though my belief is that he did state. All
however was made known to me very soon there.
after, and think the next or succeeding day was
made known tn the Duh1ip Az
lance of time, do not remember the exact day
There was nothing extraordinary at all in the whole
affair, as extraordinary it certainly would have
been if the Nuncio had mentioned the circumstances
to me in such way and under such circumstances
as to induce to believe he had previous knowl-
edge that the appointment would be made; and
much more had there been any reason to believe that
he cognizant of any political bargain or intrigue
to that effect there certainly would have been if
he had informed me before he received information