Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1857-06-18

on account Of the repeal Of the statute OF
the Territory, governing cases of this
kind. Then the query again recurs,
who owns the .NsbrdSkidn Press 7 The
%enterprising Sherman & Strickland, in n
very early day in the history of this Ter.
ri,ory, dragged this press and type hun
dreds Of miles across the Western States,
through the mud to Nebraska. This b.
Ii. Chapman, when running for Delegate
at the first election in this Territory, told
every second man he talked with, that he
did not own the Press. Did he claim to
own this Press when he urged that the
first public printing should be given to it :
Do moi honorable gentlemen, now living
in Omaha, who were members Of the
first Legislature Of Nebraska, vote for
the public printers, Sherman& Strickland,
solely on the ground hat THEY were the
owners of the Press, and would be the
recipients of the PROTEST Was it moi
published 10 the world in said paper that
Sherman and Strickland were its owners
and proprielors
We know hat Mr.. Sherman still
claims the ownership of this Press, and
WI have every reason 10 believe from
what we know of him, as an honorable,
heightened gentleman, of stern integrity
formerly n resident of our Territory, and
now the District Attorney for Pouawata-
mic County, Iowa.-that what he would
state in candor would be consistent with
truth, and we are from these premises
doubly sure, that from the personal know
ledge, Mr. Sherman had of this b. b.
Chapman, before and since they saw Ne
braska, that he would be the last man 10
place himself as sponsor in the sum of
Ten Thousand dollars for the honesty of
b. B. Chapman!
Again, we are not willing to believe
that the editor-a simple agent-who re-
ceives a salary for the services he per-
forms, would jeopardize his responsibility
in the sum of Ten Thousand dollars in
such q cause, wherein the honesty of such
a trickster of a politician as B. b. Chap
man, is his only surety. We are strong
ly of the opinion that the editor, having
the past so plainly before him, is a man
of too much discrimination and good judg-
ment to take any such risk.
We are then forced to conclude that
the present claimant, b. b. Chapman,
himself, is the individual who "authoriz.
ed" the editor to offer the reward. If so
we would rather have the offer backed
by some other property! But the intehi'
gent reader W Il say, hold! are not Brown
vile lots, Kearney City. and Nebraska
City blocks, Dakotah shares and deeds o
part of School Lands, good for 50 smal
an amounti We answer, in homes
hands they would be good! The caution
manner in which the reward is worded
shows conclusively that ii was drawn b
b. B. Chapman. 1t offers the reward
any n who will prove that he has eve
obtained any ciiy-lots in Brownville," sc
|, for locating the Land Offices. What il
| telligen, man, with a full knowledge
; facts, which are in every persons moutl
through the length and breadth of the TIE
r ritory, would make the nice hair-splittin
+. difference in intent-where a party agree
i to do q certain thing, which may not
the letter of the law been FULFILLED W
care not whether Mr.. Chapman agre
himself or by his agent, to take as a CO
e sideration for his valuable services, Il
and blocks in various cities for doiI
: what would have been done without b
assistunce-and what was his duty TO d,
or whether he actually received a bon
in advance. The presumption is, 4
q parties contracting with him, were M
who exhibited a degree of caution usu
, in cases of corruption and venality, nj
agreed to do their part upon condition
for the faithful performance of a certa
. amount of corrupt and venal serviC
, which we think a certain man has imp
dence enough TO ask, and receive pay fC
% 1t is a principle in law that what a hi
% does by his agent, he does himself. 1t
% also a principle, or a safe deduction
/, criminal cases, hat what a party agre
. to do, with a knowledge of all the ia,
:. befc re him, he will do himself, only 81