Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-09-26
To me Hon. DAVID ToDD:-

IlueS AOuu.E7. "
| To THE HoS. DAVID ToDD:-
SIR:-On my arrival at home last evening, at
ter an absence Of some eight months, Mrs. SHAN
son placed in my hands the Weekly Union, of
the 18th instant, paper published in the city
of Pittsburgh, containing speech Purportlng
TO have been made by yourself, at dcmOcrat tic
mass convention held in that city, in which you
are represented as saying, among other things,
in speaking of the affairs of Kansas, that "lf
President Pierce had been fortunate in his first
| selection of territorial GovernOr-one who
would have faithfully carried out the prinCi.
! pies of the Nebraska act, then there would
lhaye been no trouble Reeder was not honest
and his spccuations in lands led to his dismiss
sal The President was equally unfortunate
| in the choice of Shannon Of Ohio. He tods u
diunkGrd." When read this portion of your
speech must confess l was utterly astonished
l-astonished at the bold and reckless impudencc
Iof the calumny you uttered on an old personal
and political fricnd-the low demaSogueism by
(which you were evidently governed in what you
4 said and the base iugratitude andflcarticss dis
regard of private character you displayed
/ This speech was published the same or the next
! day after delivered, and the infamous calumny
| it contains against myself has not only went
forth to the citizens Of Pittsburgh but to those
! of Pennsylvania, and indeed the whole Union
1t was uttered in the presence of a large and
highly respectable audience as well as in the
1 hearing of distinguished members Of the demo-
cratic party from distant parts of the Union.
1t exhausted from n son of Ohio, who all, or
nearly all, present would presume was well in
formed rs to my habits, and consequently the
charge would be credited. Up TO this time you
have acquiesced in its accuracy, it is therefore
fair to presume you have been correctly report
ed. Had this speech been made by one of these
strollins lecturers on Kansas affairs, it would
h. Eorf1, fbo C1JnChtoSf
tee. I am not in the habit of noticing the yari
Gus calumnies both on my private and public
character that unprincipled and INSCRIPTIONS
political opponents are in the habit of putting
forth for mere political purposes. The public
generally in due time will set these matters
down to the right account. Indeed, situated as
| have been, in distant territory. fifteen hun
dred miles from the scene where these charges
4 haze been used for political effect, and not see
| ing them until they had become stale and serv-
cd their purpose, and being constantly occupied
/ with the duties of the most arduous position in
the government, it would have been impossible e.
venif Ihad beeninclined to dose, for me to notice
the numerous false charges made against inc
while holding tho office of Governor Of Kansas.
But when a member of the same party to
which have always belonged son OF Ohio
one who had once been honored with the sup
port of the great democratic party of the State
as their candidate for Governor-one who had
represented our government at foreign court
aqd one whom had always looked upon as a
personal and political friend, and towards whom
ii had on all occasions acted as such; when
such witness comes forward and becomes the
endorser of the calumnies of political enemies
seeking to make capital for their party, it is due
to myself and family, as well the public, that
1 ] should notice the calumny thus endorsed and
sent out to the world, 1t will not do for you to
say that you have heard me charged with being
a drunkard-no man ever made the charge who
knew me. Your residence is only seventy miles
distant from mine. In two days you could at
any time have obtained correct information as
to my habits. You are personally acquainted
| in this part of the State with numbers of high
minded and honorable men of all parties from
whom you could have obtained full and correct
information. If you had desired ornow desire
to obtain correct information as to my habits or
moral department while Governor of the Terri
tory of Kansas, you could and now can easily
obtain it by writing to the Rev. TnoMAs JOHN
son, the first delegate in Congress from the
Territory, and for twenty-five years in charge
lof the Methodist Shawnee Mission, with whom
| / lived for some five months, or by writing
to the Hon. Ely Moons, Register of the land
Office at Lecompton, and long leading member
of Congress- from the city OF New York, or to
the Hon DAH1EI, WooDsoN, SECRETARY of the
Territory-Dr RoDRIerE, of Pa. or indeed, to
any substantial man either of Lecompton or
the Shawnee Mission. | appeal to you if it
Twas not duo to an old friend that before
making this charge you should have ia
ken some little trouble to ascertain its truth.
But this, it would seem, did not suit your
purpose You were willing to blast and destroy
my character, lacerate and wound the feelings
of my wife, my daughters, and children grow
ing up around me, and trample under foot the
sacred obligations of former friendship for the
base and infamous purpose Of shifting the whole
responsibility Of the Kansas difficulties on my
shoulders As soon as recover from the eff
fects Of q severe attack Of fever shall present
to the American people full vindication Of eve
ry act Of my administration in Kansas In do
L 49, - .nR A.nk