The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-03-30
Tom Ford Played Ont


ciiy of Mansfield, in th- CeahtS of Riehland
sd State of Ohio, has added anew and ,ex
remeiy interesting chapter to his tsriIliant
personal history.
His testimony before that august and aw
! ful trio, Edgertor, Reenefin and Morgan, was
| unique AID an entirely unsurpassed testimony
| hut the commentary of Bresiin thereupon.
adds richness, If not grace, to this feature in
| he pro eeding.
| 1 seems that Tom Ford undertook to'be a
go between for the adj ,s'ment OF Breslms
and Gihsons somewhat complicated 6uancial
ioperarians. with the State of Ohio To this
end he wrote te BresTin, and had correspond
/ eace and interviews with Gibson, proposing
4 10 use his mighty and rtsistIess il,dnence to
carry through the Ohio Legislature measure
of compromise. by which BresIin and Gibson
arres'. and their respective securities released
from liability. He seemed to act upon the
principle that he was dealing with corrupt and
nnscrupulnus men. who are revelling in III
j gotten gains and be seemed TO think that he
might, in al innocent way, finger part of the
same, The measure of his exceeding self
rorceit may be conceived of when il ia con
!, s;9e ed that he rated the value of his influence
with the Ohio Legislature at twenty Eve thou
sand dollars. He went to Canada and visited
BreSlin in person and intimated TO that reiiret
6nancier that with twenty Eve thousand dol
lars be could get the aforesaid 'cnmpromi<.
measure through the Ohio Legislature. Hi
views were certainly moderate when we take
into consideration the fact, that half million
had been distracted from the State Treasury
Mr. Breslin has written long statemen
which is published in the Ohio Statesman, il
, which he delineates the astonishing, and patri
: otic, and disint nterested feats of Elk Lieutenan
: Governor Thomas Fl Ford. We quote:
shall hold this INSCRIPTIONS man to stric
I account for his testimony, SO far as am con
= cerned. Others can do as they please. N.
one more keenlv appreciates the overwhelmin.
disadvantage under which I must appear be
fore the public ! have great deicacv in s,
doing. and il Is indeed in violation IF deter
mina,ion long Stree fixed and adhered to u ii
= the present. not to suffer myself to become in
volred in newspaper controversy with an,
one ID reference T." my personal troubles Blu
| am prompted now to notice what appears t,
me a. mass of most malicious, dishonest, un
truthful testimony. given for no other purpos,
than to CRAFTY feeling of revenge DO no
r claim to be exempt from censure and excoria
a ton where trnrh will Justify either, and th
q par administering The cas- igation is himsel
e an honest man. Bnt have seen so much
and so manv. statements, just as absurd an,
It untrue as those which came from the lips o
Ford as testimony that at times am almos
t "serborne by their efFron'ery.
e The TRUTHS uttered against me in my pres
, ent difficulties, it would seem natural, in th,
estimation of every generous man. TO be sriffi
cient punishment and humiliation for me; bu
TO be illuminated ard pursued by those VIII,
have the vanity to believe that their rockies
y testimony against an already ruined absen
:. aud defenceless man. will iAate them int,
d con equence, as having been among til,
!. wi-eacces who knftD sonuething,'-no matt
e what,-ip the great drfalca,ion bneiness,' is
9 llittle more than even the most stocal which
J by no means admit myself to hp) as to tht
i good opinion his fellow men shall form of him
wonld he wiling to unconcernedlv endure
8 Probably it will be said l have mrse,f t.
bfame for these things Suppose admit that
it will not justify wrong. or a mis- statement
= o my rju'y, ny any body else. II 10 no
manly to tra.iuce another with fdLsehood
(sho is already at your mercy. because you
have reason to believe that his position is suct
that he dare not refute them
Ford in his testimony said be knew Bresl;l
. some Is or 20 years ago. when he (Bresin
e worked as a printer in Mansfield. Breslil
de les that he ever worked aa printer il
r Mansfield, that he ever lived there, or that h
9 ever bad any intim lie acquainta ance with Fort
that he was stranger to him ill after h,
9 was nominated for Lieutenant Governor-an,
. . Indignantly repudates the claim which For
I sets up to special, personal intimacy. For
: says Breslin wrote to him-ihe Latter says tn
II former wrote first, and be (BresiiDJ wrote i
reply. We quote from Breslins statement:
. Breslin wrote to me 7 All did he? VIII
;, did he write? will explain: After Ford ha
: reached hone ON Columbus-his term O
!, office having expired-he, voluntarily and !,
), me most Unexpectedly, wro'e to ME, s atiug. i
n substance that before he left Columbus, it ha
:, ton to propose sore Legislation ia behalf O
i mys IT. snre, ies. &C.; that he had no douh
% sonnet hing CO. ii be done. and he would b
,r happy 10 contribute any assistance in hIs pow
er &c Receiving letter of this characte
$50 wholly unlocked for, and from such
distinguished and. it was understood, nfr
.0 ential >oerce-with DO personal reasons, tina
Is / was aware Of to justify such condesceDsio
is and kindness. to one now unable to reqnite
II gere; isv, was 6lled with gratitude | sa
. down. and, for the first time in my life tke1
: IN ANSWER TO THAT LITTER. and not previonl
g had the honor of addressing my first letter t
st Hon Thomas H Ford. Mansfield Ohio;' ez
,e pressing herein my thanks for his proffere
aid and informed him that | would write +
Mr. Gibson at once; also adding. l believe
that I understood Mr.. Gibson would be a
!. Columbus during the week. where. donhtles
20 he could meet hun, il desired &c. If For
: insists that wrote 10 him 6rst challeng
: : him to place nv letter in the hands of job
: z Glessner, Esq, to be published without a
7 tprafion. -
But Ford's interview with Bresln in Canad
is the richest of all B eslin describes it thu.
Well, Ford as he says visited me at Ham
e, ilttn. What his purposes we're conld nc
e, divine when first met him. 1t seemed to mt
that surely, he did not travel over three hur
1t drei miles to answer my letter of few week
II nrevious! Then I addressed myself careful
;. to what Ford had to deveiope. in ref renee t
. all points, the compromise. or anything elst
IS aud to await bis suggestions generally Afie
m discussing other matters. he commenced hi
narr ative of the causes of the defeat of tn
.. comlron ise;' varions delicate limitations son
" nterspersed his remarks. as to what could hav
: heen dome if things had been got up right