Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-09-26

MONUMENT BoARD.--During the late z lber.
Material canvass In Virginia, which resulted 80
disastrously to those who invested funds In Mr.
Eiiiss assurances of victory. paper in that State
alluded to cetain fiscal transactions simultaneous
win thai .genfleman's exodus from the Old De-
mnlon. Mr.. Ellis, then editor Of the 90 Organ
was so indignant thereat, that he RECALLED his sub
SciIDefs win two or three columns of editorial
matter complaining of the disingenuous attack
Had Mr.. Ellis recollected this incident in his
pc sonal biography, he would not have written
me letter which was printed in Mr.. Fenton's pa
per last w ednesday. The remembrance of the
pam he felt, until that misconstruction had been
rectihed, would have withd rawn him from po-
sltion which, in the first interval of reflection. he
VIII regret having assumed. Ii his purpose
was to propitate a certain class of clients by dis
playing, in that communication. his adroitness
In suppress1ng or pervering facts, il is the best
professional advertisement he could have issued
pity his condition; for he seems to have reached
that deplorable cliInacteric, when the mind has
lost either the desire the ability to discrimi-
nate between truth and error"
The facts, in relation to the draft from Ala
balna are simply as follow:
On or about the 2Oth of last August, draft on
New York, drawn payable to my order as agent,
&c, was received by me in letter I endorsed
it as agent, &c, and IL was cashed by the Bank
OF Washington.
Now, what else ought to have done, II was
drawn TO my order as agent, and my signature
alone could give il negotiable value. Had paid
the proceeds to the Board after the Bank had
cashed II, they would not have teleo ra phed to
New York to protest the draft, but it would have
been sucked up, quietly: into that vortex whence
there is no regurgitation But, suppose / had
taken that course! Even while | record the fancy
my goose Quill gapes wider with merriment, and
beautiful emeraldine hue seems to suffnss INV
eye. i affected no concealment of what | had
done, and without delay mailed the letter, which
had contained the draft. TO Vespasian Ellis ESQ ,
the LIST Vice President of the Board with the fol-
lowing note:
MIR. ELLIs-Dear Sir: The annexed communi-
cation, enclosing a sight check for $40 was re-
ceived yesterday. ] have placed the proceeds of
the draft OF forty dollars to the credit of the Board
on account Of the balance due to me for salary I'M
paid: Very respectfully, sly ArLEE.
Mr.. Ellis never answered this note; and SUD-
posed, OF course, that my proceeding met with
the appreciation of the Board Mr. Ellis, in his
late letter in the American, denies that any bal
ance was due to me. Such special pleading or
clubbing for the purpose of suggesting odium
on feliow-citiZen is as ''ungenerous' as the al
legations against himself by the Virginia editor,
aud shows the desperate strait to which he is re-
duced in his vindication of the Board. He heard
the report frequently read, in which the balance
due to me was stated 10y a committee specially
appointed to examine my accounts. But he is
technical enough to deny anything, even that
Flournoy is Governor OF Virginia
If the Board were dspleased, why was moi ad
vised of their objection? Why have they allowed
a whole month to pass away, and then, without
the slightest premonition to me, make il a topic
lOI tie newspapers. II, dS one OF the surviving
quorum, open and decorous dealing was not al.
lowable. why for the sake OF lang svne and in
accordance with bis duty towards X night Com.
panion Of the valiant and magnanimous order of
the Unfinished Monument did he not give me
timely warning ofthe approaching danger, Verify
st. Paul well taught the Corinthians that "evil
communications corrupt good manners ard the
majority of the Monument Board of 1855 have by
a seasondble withdrawal from communicating in
huences, manifested saving faith in the oracle
of Tarsus.
My resignation as Secretary of the Society was
sent to the second Vice President Of the Board on
the Both of Nav, and have reason to believe that
it was duly referred to the Board; but, IN to the
present moment, have received no official no.
nee that II was accepted How can the delay be
justified! When was elected to INV predeces-
sor's vacancy was duly made ACC uaintcd with
the order of the Board, and the public were adj
vised thereof through the Organ, edited by the
nr5t Vice President. The country was thus at
least semi officially, informed that communica-
ton TO the Board to be made thereafter,
through a new channel and this fact was more
Particularly inculcated In numerous subsequent
publications
IL similar precautions were neglected by the
Board after my resignation had been transmitted
Iey must abide by the consequences of their own
fdchSS, aud they cannot now claim ADVANTAGE OF
their own wrong.
have never been absent from the city since the
first OF June, SO that there can be no excuse for
not serving due notice upon me Neither has Il Q
public been notified by the Board of my resgna-
ton, and of the name of my successor How can
the Board explain such remlssness! did not
however, forget their interests, and was, for two
Or three weeks in June, industriously engaged in
discharging certain duties imposed upon me by
that body. At the adjourned regular meeting of
Tuesday, May 18th las, the following resolution
was adopted
Rssoirsd, That the Secretary make out in
writing anycharges he NAV have to make against
the Board, and, at the ensuing special meeting
OF the 2lst; my prompt compliance with said res-
olution was demanded
in for NV aSk hint
circumstances forced ME into resignation before
could lay the result of my labors before the
Board. j, nevertheless, fulfilled the obligations
imposed upon me, and my report was published
in the Statess and consisted of five charges, viz
that
J. The Board had perverted the organization
whose affairs they had been administering to
partisan and sectarian purposes.
. That they have grossly neglected the inter-
ests of the Society.
B. Thatthey have not kept fair record of their
T. That they have permitted the II elsurer to
disregard, without reproof, his Official duty, az
set forth in the Constitution OF the Society.
5. That they have, after asceTtaining discrep-
ancy in the fiscal transactions of an employee or
employees of the Society, suspended final pre-
ceedings; and thus connived at irregularities
involving the loss Of funds, intrusted with pa
cular sOlemnity, to the custod; of the Board.
| sustained these charges, as well as could,
from official records; and, as the Board listened
and uttered no sign of dissent, congratulated
myself that had, for once, given that querulous
quorum unanimous satisfaction. But, since Mr..
Ellis has entered his appearance attorney for
self and associates" some of my late specifca-
tiOns may he controverted. Ii ought to be an
easy thing for him to do so, for he wields
quintuple weapon he can spare pen piece for
the several charges
/ see, by Mr.. Ellis's letter i'm the Americana
title, by the way containing an atroeions and
an unmitignted caiumuy''-that said draft has
been, by order of the Board, protested, and may
probabIybe put in suit The threat does not in the
least startle me. although four tfths Of the g
viving quorum are attorneys and counsellers at
law. In conclusion, | would recommend Mr.
Ellis to cease vexing the public with his
cracked " Organ - and, in conjunction with his
associates, 20 to work and finish the Monument
by the 22d day Of February, 1859.
IL SAMUEL YoRKE ATLEE
MARRIED,