Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-12-23
LETTER FROM SENATOR JONES, OF
IOWA, TO SENATOR DOUGLAS. -


forth the letter below from Gen. Jones, U. s.
Senator from Iowa. .al.s
From the Galena Courier, Nov2l
Base Calumny-Letter frem Mr.. Douglas.
At the last hour, when it is impossible To
stop the calumny, the enemies Of Senator
Douglas have started the slander that in his
action In securing the Illinois Central Rail-
road Grant, he wilfully sacrificed the interests
OF taiena Without expecting that the refu-
tation will so as fast as the falsehood, never
theless, IN justice to Mr.. Douglas, we publish
the following letter from him on this very sub
Ject 1t answers the charge and vindicates
him from all blame. What were the circum-
stances Gen. Jones had ii in his power TO
defeat the measure which has made Illinois
what she is to-day-one Of the first States in
the Union. He expressed his immoyabIe de-
termination to exercise his power, and thereby
sacrifice not only Galena, but a great State
not only one town, but an hundred towns with
claims equal to Galena, and for what? For
what would he have kept the millions of acres
IN Illinois, now dotted all over with farm
houses, schOol-houses, churches and peopIed
by hundreds of thousands Of honest yeomanry,
IN condition no better than that of a barren
dssert-ior what would he have defeated the
measure that has raised the value of Illinois
State stock from i6 cents on the dollar to les
and loo-a condition of solvency second to no
State in the UBion-for what would General
George Washington Jones (who now comes in
rs witness against Senator Douglas) have sac
rlheed all this greatness and prosperity! Sim
ply to get the road to terminate at DUBUQUE
Mas 1t not an exalted, statesmanlike course
Does Il not damn this man Jones to infamy for
allowing a narrow contracted local feeling 10
imperil a mighty measure for the good Of an
empire! He had il in his power to kill the
bill that had been brought to the very point of
success by the herculean efforts of Douglas.
ana ne vowed his purpose to do it, for the
paitry reason that it provided that the ter
minus should be at Galena instead of Du
buque. We ask any man, had he occupied
the position that Douglas did, as the champion
OF the measure, II be would not have pursued
the precise course that Douglas did-yield to
the demand Of the Incompatible Jones, for the
sake OF securing the great end in view? Bot
he did not do this until he had full consulta-
ton with all the members of both Houses of
Congress from Illinois, Wings and Democrats,
and they became convinced there was NO other
alternative. We say he acted the part of a
statesman, and we honor him for rising above
Ine standard OF such Puny whipsters as your
Jones, and your Washburne's, and Others of
that Hk, who cannot comprehend policy
higher than dollars and cents We honor the
man who, though reluctantly compelled to
yield point, did so, believing that the inter-
ests OF great State were paramount to those
OF one town.
Suppose Mr.. Douglas had insisted on keep.
Ing the terminus at Galena, and Jones had
defeated the bill, where would the execrations
OF the people Of this State have fallen? We
oPlne that even Galenians would have united
with the whole State in denouncing him a.
having acted with consummate folly. Noman
could stand before the outraged thousapds and
say that such a policy was right. Galena is
said to have lost by it; if so, hold Jones re-
sPonslble, and not the man who had no, the
power to change the determination of the
iowa congressional delegation, and others,
tha hal ~
Representative Baker-who was not q Demo
crat, responsible for not attending to his du-
ties; but de not thrust the responsibility for
his neglect and incompetency upon Douglas,
VINO was Worklng for the best interests Of every
town In the State Of Illinois.
The presentation Of the charge by the Re.
Publlcans At this moment, is Infamous and
eowsrdly. They could have made it months
ago, as well a now; but they knew il was IN.
just and could be refuted. There are some
other matters involved, Of which we could
speak. but as the slander has been produced
Tor the use OF day, We are content to leave
the vindicatiOn Of Mr.. Douglas to the iudg-
ment of candid men. The following is his let
ger, written from Winchester, in this State, in
August last:
WINCHESTER, Aug. 7, 1858.
Ny DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 18th of
July, communicating to me the fact that there
i rumoT In circulation in Galena, supposed
10 have come from Gen. Jones, of Iowa that
pending the Illinois Central Railroad grant in
the Senate Of the United States an arrange
ment was made between him and me, by
which the interests Of Galena were sacrificed
to those Of Dubuque, is received. / have a
distinct recollection Of the facts Of the c Ise
and they are in substance as follows: The bill
as drawn and introduced into Congress by N.Y.
self, provided for a railroad from the southern
terminus OF the Illinois and Mich gan canal to
the mouth OF the Ohio river, with a branch to
Chicago, and another to Gaiena, the north
western terminus of the road. Gen. Jones'
MS colleague, and perhaps some others, OBJ
lected to Galela as q terminus, on the ground
that the road would not connect with the Mis-
sissippi river, and thus hiatus would be Gre
sted in the railroad between the east and west
s,de Of the river. eHdeaUoTea to dissUalLe
them from their objections, and to induce
them to allow the bill 10 pass in the shape
had introduced ii, but they Lcere i1lmOraJls,
s4d rHJISfsd or defeating ths bill unless we
would extend the road TO Dubuque Upon
full consultation with ny colleagues in both
Houses of Congress, it was determined to per-
NIT the alteration to be made, under the be-
lief that the whole bill would be defeated
unless we consented 10 the change, and we
thoug ght il was better TO allow the change to
be made than to lose the bill altogether, al
though we did not think that our Iowa friends
were treating us kindly by attempting to de-
feat great measure for our State on q point
.Ot the kind. Under these circumstances,
did eheerfaliy acquiesce and concur in the de-
termination Of the united delegation Of the
State, to agree TO the change by which the
SJsd should DO extended to Dubuque, but
carefully emitting to provide at what point
She crossing should be, whether at Dubuque,
At Tete de Morts, or at any intermediate point
1 will only add that any insinuation or init
nation on the part Of Gen. Jones, or any Of his
friends, that had any collusion with him, and
was willing TO sacrifice the interests of GaIena
to those OF Dubuque, or any other point, is
basely and UNANIMOUSLY false
Very respectfully, your friend,
s. A. DoUGLAs.
III. G.. Crouch, Esq, Galena, Ill.
Gea. Jones' Letter I'm II eply to the ForesoIrs o..
DUsUoCR, Iowa, Nov. 9, 1858.
HON. S. A. DOUGLAS, Chicago, m.-Sir =
Herewith js inclosed your letter dated August
!, 1855, 70 II. u. Crouch, editor Of the Galena,