Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-05-02
adge Birch and Commissioner Hen
Irf<

adge Birch and Commissioner Hen
!drfeks.
Below We give letter from Judge Birch.
Of Missouri, an old Democrat. in relsiios
to some Of the speeulstions of the Demo
cratic candidate for Governor Of this State,
while Commissioner of the General Land
Office at Washington. Judge Birch is a
Democrat of unquestionabls integrity and
appears to write like one having the truth
on his side. We viii look with interest to
the full development Of those charges, and
if they are true. Mr.. Hendricks certainly
cannot expect the votes Of honest men:
and il they are not true, it behooves hiu
and bis friends to make the record clear.
We have copied, from the papers pub
lished at the very home of Turpie, the
Democratic candidate for Leut. Governor.
his drunken carousals and scottish indcl-
geuces, and now we place before our read
ers, charges of sficial corruption, made BY
Democrat against the Democratic csndi-
date for Governor. The world is evidently
growing worse when such men are leaders
in party organization. II those things
are true about Mr. Hendricks, and
il Turpie is the drunkard his neighbors re.
port him to be, the Democratic leaders,
presume too much, when they expect the
true men of this State to support them.
Here is what Judge Birch, Of hissOuri,s .
Democrat, says Of Hon. Thos. 4. Hen
dricks:
PRAIRIE PARK, (Mo.) April is, 1860.
EDS. Observation-Disclosures Some person
OF the 1th inst, 10 which ind steno.
graphic report Of the speech Of the Hon
I. A. Hendricks, at Lavrenceburg, Ind,
on the previous Tuesday, will. OF course,
be accorded permission, through the same
medium. Of requesting at least suspen
sion OF any opinion to my prejudice, until
the Congressional Committee, who have
again taken charge Of the controversy be.
tween us, shall have drawn forth and pre-
sented the facts upon which it is predics.
ted. In the mean time, il is due to nv.
self TO state as respectfully and briefly as
possible that the version Of the transac-
ton as presented in the speech Of Mr.. n.
is not only studiously, calumuiously and
basely untrue, but that the reckless and
dernier afterthought TO which he has thus
cravenly resorted, will be rendered
so apparent and abhorrent to ever
member of the committee as TO render i'm.
possible even the poor exeHsafsry protee.
ton which, in the stress of his present re-
lation to the Democracy Of his State, be
doubtless relies upon from the democratic
minority OF the committee.
It will in like manner be demonstrates
that it was solely because the Secretary Of
the Interior and himself were base aud da-
ring enough, in my absence, to suppress or
withhold from the Committee the most
material portions Of the record in the case.
that they finally wrsng from portion of
them the half aud half report upon which
the Commissioner then hoped TO escape.
and upon which he now affects SO compls
Gently to rely. In short, gentlemen, uu-
less the speech thus made by Hendricks,
/ in conjunction with other means in which
he is a practical adept, shall have the effect
OF procuring the "go-by" 10 the pending
investigation thus publicly repledge my
self not only to make good before Congress
and the country the dishonoring charges
under which he stands arraigned in nv
pamphlet, Letters 10 the President" but
10 demonstrate that neither be nor the Sec
retary Of the Interior have ever drawn sn
honest breath in relation to this most ne.
farious transaction but that on the con.
trary, under the cover Of a deliberate and
persistent falsifeatiOn Of the public reeords,
(and net as he now tries to 'tpatch il up"
in order to propitiate the support Of plain"
and poor men, forty one citizens Of Mis-
souri, and other States were officially rob-
bed of their homes and their lands, in
fraudulent favoritism to the client specu.
lators Of the Hon. j. Clancy Jonesl
As Democrat of at least older and hard
er service than either Hendricks or Thomp-
son, may regret, but not shrink from the
duty they have devolved upon me by their
mendacious attempt TO escape from Official
crimes, by still baser official and personal
ealumnies. II, therefore, after / have so
stained and stamped them by the record in
progress, that an honest man would refuse
to sit by them in Jury box, il shall still
eomport with the political purposes or ne
cessities Of my party in Indiana, to continue
the disgraced Commissioner at the head
Of their State ticket, the fault or nisfor.
tune will be fkeirs-not mine. IL they can
do no better than to risk the coming Presi.
dency upon the preliminary success Of Q
moral and official LErER, ! may regret, bat
cannot help it.
1 Adding, therefore, the simple request,
that such editors in your State or elsewher
as may have copied the calumnious per-
versions OF Hendricks, will extend to me
hejustice Of inserting this notice Of them,
and OF hereafter publishing the report OF
the Committee, whatever it may be.
I remain, &C.,
JAMES h BmcE
] 49,