The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-12-25


extend the road TO Dubuque Upon full consultation
with my colleagues in both houses of Congress il
determined TO permit the alteration to be made under
the belief that the whole bill would be defeated unless
consented to the change, and thought IL bet
ter to allow the change to be made than to lose the bill
altogether although did not think that our Iowa
friends treating kindly by attempting to defeat
great measure for our State on point Of the kind.
Under these circumstances did ceerully acquesce and
in the determination OF the united delegation
the State to agree TO the change by which the road
should be extended to Dubuque but carefully emitting
TO provide at what point the crossing should
at Dubuque at Ietc de Morris, at any intermediate
point | will only add that any nsinuiton. intma-
ton the part of General jones' any of his friends
that had any collision with him, and willing to
sacrifice the interests OF Gaena those Of Dubuque
any other point Is basely and UNANIMOUSLY false.
s. A DOUGLAS
II. q. CRoucn, Esq, Galena, Ill.
Gen JoHes's Letter IN Reply TO Ms Foregoing.
DUBrouE Qowa) Nov. 8, 1858
SIR Herewith is enclosed your letter dated August T.
1883 to H. g. Crouch editor of the Galena I'M Cou-
rer cut from that paper of the I'd inst with the edito-
rial accompanying the same headed A Base Calumny
will not condescend to notice the scurrous editorial
predicated upon the many tota misrepresentation of your
letter. preivrrng to deal with YOU more responsible
than your instrument. say 'tctfM misrepresentation
because yon say you have distinct recollection of the
facts in the case, and because the journals and debates
ute OF truth far you refer to my colleague, Gen
A. c. Dodge) myself, and friends having
pressed or entertained the idea, rs you say, of defeating
the bill unless the road extended to Dubuque "
though surely had us much right 30 to amend IL as
southern friends of Kentucky, Tennessee and Ala
bama had to suggest and require, as think they did
that you should make the road extend to Mobile through
those three States.
You knew well that neither you your colleague
Gen Shields had such consultation, either between
yourselves your colleagues of the House. before Of
fcred my amendment to make the road terminate mt this
place, instead OF ut Galena You knew equal
ly well that when approached you towards the close Of
the debate in the Senate the bill with my amendment
and asked you whether you had any objections to my Of
fering it, stating did. that it merely to extend
your road to Dubuque, twelve fifteen miles fur
ther West, you not only freely assented thereto, but
thanked mo for the suggestion and that immediately
thereafter in your presence and hearing, obtained the
assent also Of your colleagues to the effect That
then offered it, and it passed without dissenting
vote objection from any quarter whatever, the
ords show.
You must also recoect that within twenty -four hours
after the passage OF the bill through the Senate inform
ed you that had had conversation with Col Baker,
the then representative from Gaena in Congress- and
that he declared to that he would not allow the bill
pass the House without having my amendment stricken
from it, and that You then said that you cared not what
Baker wished that it right the road should tcrm
nate the Mississippi and connect with proposed
railroad and that you would state to your colleagues
Col Richardson Major Harris, and others OF the House
who would take charge OF the bill, and would prevent
Baker from making any such amendment in that body
The assertion your part that or my colleague
any Of friends, had determined to defeat your bill
upon the ground stated by you for any other
whatever is false and its publication being deferred until
the day of the late Illinois election too late to be
tadcted by myself Others, shows that you, and he
(your Gena organ who acted for you designed to mis-
lead the Caena people, and thus accomplish your selfish
purpose The journals and the debates of the Senate
show that Gen. Dodge and heartily cooperated with
you and your colleague in every effort and every vote
which was given on that question. For many consdea.
tions could not but be deeply interested in the passage
of that bill.
At the celebration Of the completion of the Illinois
Central railroad to Dnnleh held ut this place in july
1855, you compmented me in exalted terms in your
speech that OCCASION the person who procured the
amendment making Dubuque the terminus of the road,
and although you knew that hundreds your constit
were there present you did not intimate that the
had been done contrary to your wishes You
then addressing Iowa audience whom you wished to
propitiate.
Again. sir when you last visited Dubuque, (2Gth Au-
gust 1879 you had interview with j. Is. Dorr the
editor of the Express and Herald of this city, who had,
you introduced tho Kansas and Nebraska bill
in the Senate been your bitter opponent, and the oppo
nent of that measure. The next morning an editorial
article appeared in that paper of which the following Is
extract
"ut Illinois is not the only State which has been ben
Gifted by the policy and by the labors of Stephen A.
Douglas All the western States indebted to him for
the material prosperity WHICH is Observable within their
borders We believe however thai our Own State Iowa,
stands next to Illinois In her obligations to Mr. Douglas
To him than to any living man is owing the mag
ncent railroad system planned out for the system
which is destined to make her Of the weahest and
most important States Of the West Even good
city Of Dubuque owes IN great measure her present
Importance to the labors Of Mr.. Douglas. She knows
that the extension Of the northwestern branch Of the
Illinois Central to the opposite bank Of the Mississippi
has greatly added 10 her prosperity and the land grant
roads running from here To the interior win still add
towards making her the commercial metropolis Of
the region north and west Of Chicago"
Two numbers Of the paper containing the above
were sent 10 you the next day to Galena and
ter to ,.'eago, with the expectation that you would
,.ls o, ~. spurri .ae offer thus made you by
nave the honesty to the detrimcnt OF
your ne,cly-acqured advocate nov, Instead
myself for whom you then protested frlennsna,
OF doing so, however, the article repubished
In the Times, your organ at Chicago, and that, too
within very few days after it came out here and
whilst you were still at Chicago necessarily within
your knowledge, IL not at your request Thus sir ut
one time you exolled in terms for ca,s
ing Dubuque to be made tho terminus of the Illinois
Central railroad when addressing Iora audience Mt
mother you allow Dorr, your ally and my unscrupu
Gus opponent here to ch that which Justly belongs TO
ne and appropriate 1t to your temporary benefit And now
when arragned by constituents for allowing me 10
make an amendment to your BILL to the disadvantage of
ialena las the people there beeve you resort to the
htonea and un,eonhyprea Of saying you were compelled
her to allow the amendment to be made lose the
Jill entirely, because Mey myself and colleague ee i'm
aocabe and insisted on defeaay the bW &c Neither Gen
Dodge his father myself voted against you or
len Shields any amendment or proposition offered to
he bill The vote generally two in favor of
he BILL and IL finally passed bv--yeas and nays2e TO Ia.