The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-09-28
THE DUDLEY OBSERHATORY--LETTER
FROM PROFESSOR GOULD.
DuDIEr onsEnvAronY, Sept. 8, 1858.


Editors Aaas and Argus:
In the recent distressing controversy relative the
Observatory, / have, from obvious motives, refraned
from making any personal appeal to the public this
community Considerations Of proprety and of taste
alike seemed to require silence and endurance upon my
part Thus, although certainly the one most vrulenty
and ceaselessy attacked, have abstained from any
joinder having mean time the high privilege Of finding
defenders both scientifically and socially Of whose APP
probation truly proud and whose friendship is vel
coined as gilt beyond price. Such attacks upon my
character as are worthy of notice. they have thus far
proved ready and able TO repe and desire to regard no
| others. a4 "a
The recenty-issued Statement of the Trustees
tans throughout, assertions charges and mpuations
which impugn my moral and intellectual character and
which, II entertained by any one, would necessarily call
in question my fitness for the companionshp of good
men. Before long it will receive full refutaton, and
probably from those whose voices have already been
raised defend the from oppression and injury at
the hands of the many 1t is therefore, with much
luetance and only after long hesitation that break
through the rule imposed upon myself thus far and now
ask the public in advance of the period when it shall
be proper for to present my simple nara
tive At that period hope to such new charges
as may be brought forward after this second series has
been refued Yet the pecularty of the case furnishes
controlling motive for few words
Without attempting at present to meet any of the is
raised in this statement by the majority Of tho
boardfor these will be met and disposed of at early
dateI wish TO make the simple assertion that the
ges puporting be extracts from letters of mine are in
nearly every case falsfed distorted, and garbled.
The great of these alleged extracts is contained
upon the first ffty-one pages of the pamphlet Upon
these pages have found ftyve such quotations Four
of these have been unable to find in my letter books,
and am Ignorant whether wrote them noticing
only able to assert that if written at ALL they certainly
were not at the date cited One other / certain
that never wrote could have written.
Just fifty remain and these after much labor, arising
in great part from the incorrectness of the dates given
have been able to identify trace All of them
| ot,nl pt HAL 1rf
many of which written the word CONFIDENTIAL,
| ''Private." Only six given they came from my
pen thirteen essentially changed, though not
in such to manifest the design; and the re-
manning thirtyone grossly altered and perverted
sometimes by suppression of qualifying clauses, some
times by transposon and combination OF sentences from
different portions of the etter-fequently by actual in
sertion of words and phrases, and still frequently by
omission of essential words and sentences But In all
these thyone the motive is evidently to lead the
reader to false nfeences to make the writer appear
saying what he neither said nor intended to sayvery
Often indeed the of what he said distinctly
The reluctance with which l compelled to make
this public declaration needs assertion My opportu
mites of personal intercourse with the gentlemen cons
tuting the majority Of the board excepting the president
and secretary, have been extremely limited Relations
with the board sch have only existed since January
10, 1858, up to which date to the best of my
brance and belief never addressed any communication
whatever to the trustees to the president secretary
of the board in their official capacity. There may have
been exception although lido not believe it, But if
SO, it unimportant and copy of it exists among
| my papers.
| With SIX of the nine gentlemen who have thus
wrongfully dealt with have, far have enjoy
ed their acquaintance at ALL been terms of courteous
amity. If have given them any reasonable cause of
offence il is unknewn to me. And while compelled for
the protection of honor and repute to appeal to the udg
Of disinterested and impartial men, and thus to
continue in the attitude Of antagonsm in which they
have placed me, am willing to believe that they have
had part in this wicked plot to undermine my charac
for truth and maniness These gentlemen have, until
january last taken part in the affairs of the nsttu-
tion since my first connection with it. They cannot be
personally cognizant Of the truth sehood of the
scrtions in the Statement except indicated by doc
umens am willing to assume that they believe the
extracts to have been correctly given In the Statement
and that they accepted the representations of is authors
1t is my hope to pursue such will enable
only to meet the approval Of my conscience now
but also to leave record oil evidence requisite for us
tcaton defence and commendaton by those who shall
live after me. "
Very respectfully, your obt servant, .%#
ta& b. A. GOULD, Jr.
The foregoing is published at the request of friend,
who resides in this city,] -,