True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-09-23

borrowed a dollar from them.
] presume that your arrangements as
to depositing here are already made. If
not, though am bound in justice TO say
what have of the City Bank, l should
feel still more bound to ask your ia7ora.
bic notice of'the Mechanics and Traders
Bank, with which l do all my own bu-
siness, but in which | have no interest
as stockholder or otherwise.
Yours, truly,
s. p. CHASE.
Now, then, we ask, in all sOberness,
what is there in this letter that should
cause the writer of it to be saturated
with such huge bucket of slush as that
thrown this morning by the central organ.
1t is a very proper letter, There is not
word in this which Governor Chase nor
any friend of his need be ashamed of. 1t
was "private" note written by a gentle.
man TO personal and political friend
The banks spoken Of in the letter, when
it was written, were in as good standing
as most Of other banks, and merchants
and others deposited money therein every
day.
Governor Chase had no interest in
either of them. He was the Attorney Of
neither, though it has been charged that
he was the attorney of the City Bank
They were not located in "Chase's
Block" as he has been charged in the
Locoloco papers. There is no such
block in Cincinnati. Governor Chase
does not recommend Breslin to make the
City Bank depository of the public mo-
ney. He only incloses Mr.. Heaton's
letter to Mr.. Breslin. Mr.. Heaton was
an officer Of the Bank, gentleman who
is well known in Cincinnati, and is high
ly respect ed. If Gov. Chase makes any
recommendation, it is III favor of the Me-
chanics and Traders Bank, with which |
he did all his own business, but in which |
he had no interest, either as a stockhold |
er or otherwise. That Bank was never
selected by Mr.. Bresln, and 10 say that
this simple note influenced Mr. Breslin
to make the City Bank depository Of
the public money, is to pre- suppose that
Breslin was fool.
This letter is dated December 30th.-I
Mr. Breslin made no deposit of the public
money in the City Bank until the 23d of
February following, a lapse of nearly two
months, during which time Governor
Chase was in Washington, attending to
his duties as U. S. Senator. The Bank
may have been perfectly solvent when
Governor Chase wrote the above letter,
and hopelessly insolvent at the time the
deposit was made by Mr.. Breslin, though
of this there is no evidence. Tie Bank
did business for year and more, we be-
lieve, after BreSlin selected it as one of
the Deposit Banks. But the point we
wish to make, is this Does any man
believe that this Bank was selected as a
of the public money by the
Stale Treasurer, without his having first
made enquiry into its condition If he
did not first enquire into its condition,
he was criminally negligent in his duties
10 the public. II he did, then what be-
comes of the charge in the Statesman
and whether he did or did not, what is
there in Governor Chase's note which
renders him in the least degree RESPONSE
Bile for the condition of the Bank, or the
action of the State Treasurer! What is
there that is the question we put to the
people.
But we have already given this subject
too much consideration. 1t is one of!
those low and desperate games to which
only the most desperate causes are some-
times forced to resort. The vulgar
abuse Of Governsr Chase, preludes the
introduction of the letter, was intended
10 inaame the mind of the reader, so as to
unfit him tojudge calmly and dispassion-
atelv of the olfense charged. But the
Statesman has overshot the mark, and
the question will naturally occur to every
falr-minded reader "Why, what is the
abuse for ? | can see nothing in the
letter which in any way compromises
the character or honor of Governor Chase.
Ohio State Journal.
Immense Enthusiasm--Grand Rally of
the Democracy" in Columbus.
In the leading column of the States.
man yesterday morning, the following
announcement appeared, and handbils to
the same effect were posted in our
streets:
DEMOCRATIC MEETING.