St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-06-17

Letter from Judge Calls

FOR the 81. tnaTRc tHy ihtciibVutVi'
Letter from Judge Calls
WASHINGTON Cry, May q, 1858.
MEssRs. HILDRERH & CARVER Il find
in your issue of the 18th inst very
long and very remarkable letter from
Hon. James Thorington, in which he
takes occasion to make some grave
charges against Mr.. I. F. Mack.
While would very much dislike a
newspaper controversy with any one,
and especially with Mr.. Thorington,
after having read his letter, I think it
due to Mr.. Mack that your readers
should be put in possession Of few
facts. Mr.. Mack never sought, and
very reluctantly accepted the task of
securing in Congress a recognition Of
the rights of Northern Iowa. At the
earnest solicitation of the friends Of
the McGregor Railroad, he finally con-
scented to come on here and take hold
of the work, with the understanding
that other parties should soon be here
to relieve him.
But having once taken the helm, he
has not been permitted to let go, and
at the time Mr.. Thorington's letter
was written he had paid all his erpen
ses ont Of his oaon pocket. He has offer
cd repeatedly to give the company all
the time and money he has expended
here, if they would employ another
agent. Mr.. Mack has been here all
winter, and mainly at his own ex-
pense, working faithfully and efficient.
" for the interests of Northern Iowa,
and l think it very ungencrous in Mr..
Thorington to make such false and un.
called for charges.
believe Mr.. Thorington will find it
difficult to satisfy the Northern third
of the State "that the interests of
Northern Iowa were" not basely sac
ri6ced in the management and pas
sage" of the Iowa land grant bill. I
have lived in that portion Of the State
ever since the bill passed, and l never
heard it doubted. Some lay the blame
upon Gen. Jones, some upon Mr.. Thor
ington, and some upon both.
Gen. Jones is believed to have
great influence in Congress, and Mr..
Thorington's great experience in Iowa,
and in the Rocky Mountains, and with
Kit Carson, together with his early
associations in Alabama, doubtless
gave him great weight in Congress
They both claim to have been devoted
to our interests, and get ace got no grant
Mr.. Thorington says, Mr. Hall and
Senator Harlan were as free as new
born babes, further than their mere
votes went" l certainly have but
little idea Of what he means by the
expression, but if the effect of being
" free as new born babes further than
their votes went" was to relieve them
of all responsibility in the matter, l
think it was peculiarly unfortunate
for Northern Iowa that Mr.. Thoring-
49,. d" Dover Fa,,sna', i,s--itut,-,l tlei,"-
ted whether this or that road should
be stricken out" Perhaps if Mr.
Thorington had hesitated," when
Eastern capitalists demanded" that
our road should be "styicken out :" if
he had paused when Eastern capital I"
was brought to bear upon him, before
betraying the vital interests of his
constituents, the Northern third of
Iowa might not have been left to the
tender mercies of corrupt monopoly
But / had not intended to say a
word upon these points. If Mr.. Thor
ington has done any thing for North
crn Iowa, he has only to let it be
known, and he will receive due credit.
Gen. Jones processes to be warm
friend of the McGregor Railroad, aud
! stand ready to give him credit for
any thing he may do to advance it's
interests.
Whether we shall finally succeed in
getting from Government some help
to build our road remains to be seen.
Our prospects are certainly much
brighter than they were in the winter,
and many of the Oldest and ablcst
members of both branches of Con-
gress arc confident that Mr.. Mack's
bill can be ultimately passed. But
as Mr.. Thorington has intimated, it is
a Herculean task to get bill of the
kind through Congress, and the man
who shall succeed, contending az he
must with the mastery inactivity"
if not the secret hostility of some Of
our own delegation, will be entitled
to the highest praise.
Very truly yours,
ASA G. CALL.
Q A Director of the McGrcgor Railroad, and