New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-08-21
EVERETT AND SUMNER.

Some of the more unscrupulons of the Demo
cratic organs repeating the stale and unfounded
charge that Mr.. Everett united in testimonial OF
sympathy for Sumner, after his chastisement at
the hands of Preston Brooks. We avail ourselves
of the following recital of the true facts Of the
case, made by onr able cotemporary, the Coum.
bus Enquirer:
Finding, short time sinee in the Montgomery
Mail and Columbus Times denuncation of Mr..
Everett for having signed the Sumner testimo-
nal in 1856, we asserted that Mr.. Everett shortly
after signing it, published card letter in which
he stated that he put his signature to it while sick
without reading it or being aware of the language
which it contained, and that he did not approve of
its tone or sentiments.
In the meantime we were looking up the letter
of which we had SO distinct recollection, and we
have it now before us. 1t is dated Medford. Mass,
Oct. 3, 1851 and it shows that Mr.. Everetts whole
course in reference to the excitement in Massa-
chusetts attending Summers Gaming was an en-
deavor to caig and stop it, and to produce better
feelings towards the South In the letter before
Us, after referring to the great excitement against
the South whiek had been aroused--an excitement
SO intense that, in the opinion of some persons,
if a leader daring and reckless enough had pre-
sented himself, he might have raised any number
Of men to march on Washington MIR. Everett con-
tinues:
Immediately on the receipt of the intelligence
an indignation meeting was called in Faneail Hall,
which was invited to attend. Not disposed to quit
LlE fGEreInenb from pOlltIcal lie caused DY Ill
health year before, believing also that additional
excitement was to be deprecated-I declined to at
tend the meeting. 1t was, however, attended and
addressed by very sound conservative men. In
the course of the following week, having occasion
to repeat my address on the character of Wash
ingfon,' prefaced it with few remarks on the
recent occurrences, the object Of which was to i'm
part more ehastened and sober temper to the
fiery indignation which peryaded the community.
These remarks were extensively quoted and ap-
proved in conservative journals, both North and
South. They are the same which are alluded to in
the closing paragraph OF Mr.. sneed's card. I en-
close you copy OF them.
"A day or two after the appearance of these re-
marks in the public papers, a young friend, after
expressing his cordial appreciation of them, re-
quested me to subscribe to testimonial proposed
to be rendered to Mr.. Sumner. He did not show
me the paper, nor mention in whole or in part the
terms in which it was to be expressed. Supposing
that it would accord in spirit with my own remarks
just alluded to, felt it my duty, in order to avoid
in the existing state Of the public
mind, to comply with his request, which accord
ingly agreed to do. The paper was sent to me at a
very early hour the next morning in my bedroom,
where, from iilhealth, had passed a bad night,
and was stllunder the influence of etherrepeatedly
inhaled as an anodyne. 1t was engrossed on very
stif sheet, rolled up the lower end outward, Iun-
rolled it up TO the names already subscrbed those
which struck my eye were of judicous and reflect
ing persons; and without reading or seeing the
caption signed my name. This Of course was
great indiscreton, but OF kind perhaps not I'M
natural under the circumstances of my illness.
This is the paper given at length in Mr sneed's
card.
As soon as I saw it the next day in the public
prints, informed the young gentleman who had
procured my signature that could not have signed
the paper had been aware Of the spirit in which
it was drafted and the terms in which it was ex-
pressed. / made the same statement to numerous
friends and correspondents in different parts of
the country. | furnished memorandum to the
above effect to the editor of the Boston Daily Ad.
yertser, TO be published when he should think it
proper. authorized two friends in the Senate of
the United States to make the necessary explana-
ton should the subject be alluded to in that body
as thought il possibly might be and as soon as
Mr.. Summers health was sufficiently recovered to
make il properto do SO, 4 wrote to him to the same
efect.n