Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-11-01

An article we copy from tho State Journal
disPoscs of the attempt of Forbes and The N. Y.
Herald to mpIieato Gov. Chase in tho Brown
movement Senator Hale being in Chicago
whom the Herald containing the "Forbes Dis
closures" arrived, the Editors of the Press and
Tribune addressed him note on the subject, to
which tho following is his reply. It will be
seen that Senator Hale also efTectually disposes
of the lI,rald's infamous charge
LETTER FROM SENATOR HALB.
RICHMOND HOUSE,,
Chicago, Oct. 20, 1859. 4.
GENTLEMEN
Since received your note this morning, /
have seen a number OF the New York Herald
to which you refer, and find in an editorial
article, the following; "The main thing proved
by this correspondence is, that for the last year
and half at least, the project of the Harper's
Ferry outbreak was well known to Seward, Sum.
ner, Hale, and others. and that they in their inr
tense selfshness, and TO forward their political
or commercial spoculations, suffered the project
to rpen, and hear the disastrous fruit that it
has borne. They-not the crazy fanatic John
Brown-are the real cuprits and it is they,
not he, who if justice were fairly metcd out,
would have to grace the gsllows."
In the same paper, l find in large letters the
iollowing "SenatOrs Seward, Sumner, Hale.
Wilson, Chase and other Black Republicans
implicated in old Browns plot"
And again, in the same paper, under the head,
"MosT INPoRrANT DIsCovERIEs," in large let
ters, the following, viz: Further documentary
testimony involving Seward, Sumner, Hale,
lawrence Chase, Fletcher, and other promi-
nent Abolitionists correspondence between
~ 1 nd hic ahnliftrr,fgt friop1g -,
terview with Seward, Sumner, and Hale"
Again ia another article in the same paper,
which appears to be editorial, as understand it.
appears the following relative to Col Forbes
"AGain, he had interviews with Sumner and
BALE also in Washington; and, in fact, it ap-
pears that all the leading Republicans and Abo-
litionsts Of the country were fully cognizant of
the plans of Brown. and If they did not fully
identify themselves with him, they did not de-
nounce him to the authorities"
have not read the paper through, and do
not know but tue same thing is repeated many
times more in the same paper but have quoted
enough TO answer my purpose The foregoing
extracts charge in no equivOcal language, that
Seward, Sumper, myself and others knew all
about Browns projected outbreak at HaIper's
Ferry, encouraged it, are implicated in il, that
this is proved by documentary testimony, aud
that We deserve a felOn's fate on the gallows.
| shall not undertake the task of indicating
either of the gentlemen named in connection
with nv self, from any charges which may be
brought against them, collectively or individu-
ally, by newspaper. or in any other mode, but
leave them to their own hands, not doubling
their entire ability TO do it far more ably and
satisfactorily than l could. SO far as relates to
myself, can only reply by denying every word
and syllable, and pronouncing the whole from
] f.,o onl arI;
and challenging the world Tor a particle of
testimony, written or verbal sustaining one of
the charges thus recklessly brought against mo,
or for single circumstance calculated TO cast
a suspicion upon me in an unprejudiced mind
| never had any knowledge or intimation
| from any one that an insurrectlon, or outbreak,
or ANYTHING OF tho sort was contemplated by
John Brown or any one else, in Virginia, or
elsewhere, nor had the rcmotest suspicion of
the fact, and when the knowledge OF tho late
occurrences in Virginia weTO first made thro
the newspapers of the land, am suro that 20
no human being were they more unexpected
and surprising than they were to myself or
heard by any one with more regret. ] do not
know how TO make this denial moro broadly
thtn l have; but when the jaundiccd eye Of
some political opponent in the Free States
who is now eXulting aud rejoicing over this
sad history, in the hope that il may be made of
some account politically by which the Demo-
cratic party may reap some benefit, and the
Republican party injured, shall have pointed
out some possible omission, behind which
may be supposed to have sheltered myself,
will be ready TO meet that. Bot | will 20 fur
iher, and say, that if thcro be any such evil
dence against me as is charged, let it be laid
before the Grand Jury of Maryland or Virginia,
and let them find bill against me for any VIC.
| e 4 ba nf al nf
and pledge myself TO 90 at any day into any
State Of the Union and meet the charge, IN
person, before aIy judicial tribunal.
But you ask me to state my connection "with
and knowledge of the authors of these letters,
and the insurrection now happily at an end -
The latter part of your inquiry l have already
answered In regard to the other, viz: my
knowledge of and connection with Col Forbes,
will answer you to the best of my recollecs
ton / think tho first time l saw Col Forbes
to know him, was several years since, when
he called on me at the st Nicholas House in
New York, ond asked mo to attend a meeting
to be holden in some public Hall, to express
appreciation Of the conduct of Capt. Ingraham,
of the U. s Navy, for his conduct in releasing
KosZla from an Austrian vessel of war
Once, after he called on me in New York to
attend and think presiIed at a meeting of a
portion of the foreign residents of New York,
in commemoration Of some event in the history
Of liberty in Europe, the precise nature Of
which has now escaped me. Subsequently he
called on me several times in New York, and
once or more in Washington.
The character of that interview in Washing
ton is correctly stated by Colonel Forbes when
he says that he informed me that all his expec-
tations of poeuniary remuneration for going to
Kansas had utterly failed, OF nearly so; that in
consequence, his family were in a most suffer.
ing and destitute condition, and ho urged me,
not once only, but several times, TO use my
influence with my friends to do something for
their aid. Indeed, euoh was their dostitution,
as he depicted it to me, that he was unwilling
to leave Washington till collected something
| for him to remit to them, and did collect from
several gentlemen to whom / stated his case, a
small sum, do not remember how much, which
| | gave to him. When have stated tho above,
have stated briefly all know of Col Forbes,
and all the communications, written or verbal,
that ever received from him, except should
add that at the time first became acquainted
with him, he represented himself as intenlly
watching the state of political affairs in
Europe, and was living in almost daily expoc
tation of being recalled there by some levolu-
tiOn in which he was to act a part To the
best of my recollection, as is stated in the same
number of the Herald from which the extracts
| have quoted are taken, 81 confined myself to
explaining the urgency Of sending relief to my
family"