, 1859-03-25
Letter Of IIOB. Joseph Lane, 10 the People
Of Oregon.
WAsHNGroY, D. c., Jan. y, 1859.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. II, 1859
FtLLow CITIZENS: At no time since /
have had the honor of seat in Congress,
as your Delegate have thought it neces-
sary 10 adopt this mode Of addressing you
with view to the vindicaton Of any part
Of my official conduct in yonr service. |
knew that people as Just as they are gen.
erous-a people from whom had received
so many proofs Of confidsnce-would be
slow to convict me Of any delinquency, in
my absence, upon charges preferred by
personal or political enemies, without n
shadow of evidence to snstain them. Con-
scious of the rectitude Of my intentions,
and looking only to the welfare Of those
whom served | have not deemed it ne
cessary to reply to every idle charge and
false accusation; whilst, ut the same time,
l have never shrunk from the most search
ing review Of my official conduct, the closest
scrutiny of my acts and motives on the
part Of those, who, having honorcd me with
their support, were to some extent respoa-
sibe, or might consider themselves respon-
sible, 70. my actions.
l might refer TO the recent act Of your
representatives in elevating me to seat in
the Senate, as verdict OF approval of my
conduct on your part and theirs; and such
indeed, must be permitted to regard it.,
But, my friends, with regret learn that
few among you-a very few, hope-do
not acquiesce readily and heartily in this
expression Of your sovereign will. Some,
] am informed, from whom expected, and
think had q right to expect a different
course, seek, by insinuatiOn, and inuendO,
and even direct accusation, to awaken un-
Just suspicious Of the integrity Of my mo-
tives, and place me in false light before
the people who elected me. have never
expected that each and every one Of my
acts would meet with universal approval
have never had the vanity to suppose my
self infallible. No man can expect an en-
tire exemption from error; and though, on
reviewing my political course, cannot dis
cover any great error that have commit
ted, do not claim to be more than mortal.
All that ask-all that any public servant
can reasonably ASK is, that his acts should
be reviewed with candor, nothing exten-
uated or aught set down in malice"
In the Oregon Statesman of August Sd,
1858, l find o communication, over the
signature of Metropolis" which purports
to have been written at this place. Al
though the writer, for reasons known to
himself, withholds his name, the charge he
brings against me is Of SO grave a churac-
ter, and places me in such false light be-
fore my constituency and the country, that
l would be doing myself aud you great in
justice, if did not take some notice Of it.
The following is all extract from this very
extraordinary production:
"Your State admission bill, which was
passed through the Senate by the efforts Of
Mr. Douglas, Chairman Of the Committee
on Territories, failed in the House, and
from what cause, am unable to tell. Its
passage through that body, after it passed
the Senate ordeal, was regarded as certain
here and over the country, and how it came
not to be acted upon in the House, | have
not heard. 1t was not called up there, l
believe. After its passage in the Senate,
wherc you had no representative and
friend at court l supposed it would GER
tainly go through the House, where you
were represented. 1t was subject to be
called up there by majority vote at any
time in the same manner in which it was
taken up in the Senate. think there was
no great opposition to it in the House, and
that coming from impracticable and ex-
tremes, mostly from Abolition States. This
failure must be regretted by the Oregonians,
for it will leave them in a state Of between
ity and uncertainty very perplexing, if not
detrimental, to their interests. But, it is
an ancient maxim, that it is an i'll wind
that blows nobody good which will proba-
bly, apply in your case. While you may
regret the omission Of the House to concur
In the passage Of the bill, you can console
yourself that the unlocked for failure will
be some advantage to your Delegate, in
case the State is admitted next session. 1t
presumed here, that Gen. Lane will be
one Of the United States Senators, and in
that case, be will claim mileage and pay,
amounting to over $4,000 per session.
both in the capacity of Senator and Dele
gate at the next session, in case you go in
then, making him the comfortable little
sum of about seventeen thousand dollars,
as his pay and mileage for the next three
months session. And if be should chance
not to be chosen to the Senate, he would