Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-07-09
OHIO, TUESDAY MORNING. JULY g; 1861.
[Priqate..1 KnnxuItIr rann Ma, M .6l Z

[Pivste. KnoxvILLE. Tenn May Is, '6l.
Asnos LduSenee. Esq. (neay) Boston, Macs 80
Dear Sri received your Kind favor on yes,
tetd4y, and, hasten 20 reply. ss.a- 40
Thabk you for the high regard you seem to
have for my patriotism and my devotion to my
country. r 1919 80 n9cr b1ci't II .yi4si3 u
What assurances can I have from yon and
your people of material aid In the way OF money
men and srms, If can succeed In arousing my
people to resistance TO this damnable treason ID
the South7 This is very Important, We have
sformidable Union element in East Tennessee
which can be judiciously managed, If we can
obtain the aid alluded to. Harris, Governor ol
this State, will not let US have arms nor money
therefore, we must appeal to you. h1'A A7G =
Let me hear from you forthwith. Of
s g.. Very respectfully ~, ,,.,,, p
Your obedient servant.
7i's. w. 'sf'h5 ANDREW JOHNSON.
:. KSoxvrLLE, Tenn, June 1861.
Amos Laurence, Esq, (neay) Boston, Mass: f
My Dear Sir-I received your two letters to-
day. Thank you most sincerely for your prof
fered aid. We need it--need it badly. As yet
have not been able to use your draft-am
afraid to do 30. Send me, if you can, $5 600
or $40 900 in, New England currency, in large
bills, by mail, via Cincinnati. Be sure to do II
promptly Don't delay can now purchase a
lot OF arms il had the money. -' arH r''
How do you propose 20 introduce aid or arms
into East Tennessee7 By what route, and by
what method? Answer soon. =
Respectfully your obedient servant, -
Oh G Gs os7hiiANDREW JOHNSON ~
pronounce both Of the above letters deliber-
ate, willul and unmitgated forgeries, perpetrs-
ted, no doubt, with the view not only OF injur
in una ht,t nf da ma ooin ha ITptno anh nf
Tennessee, by connecting me with northern
men and northern means in manner supposed
to be obnoxious to the noble patriots of my own
State. ... .,... .......-
The letter Of the 18th ult, It seems, Ia the
private letter to which Mr.. Lawrence refers in
his letter as published in the Enquirer, and up.
on which the draft was drawn. This Is the first
forgery. ....-...... ........s ........
The letter Of the 9Th inst, clearly elbows that
the draft-wbich could not be made available,
30 palrable was the fraud-Was to be retain ed
and used in the work of injuring me Just as cir
cumstances might favor; while the call for
"$5 600 or $40 600 in New England currency,
ir large bills" II fayorably responded to would
have served individual purposes, and, | doubt
not, would have been unhestatingly used there.
for. To make this fraud and bold attempt at
robbery still more conlusiVe, will state the fact
that on the 18th May, the date of the first letter,
was present at and addressed CuiOn meet
ing in Elizabethton, one hundred and eigh cen
miles from Knoxville, where the above letters
were, written and mailed, and on the b of
June, the date of the second letter, was filing
one OF the series OF appointments at Montgom-
cry, about forty miles west of Knoxville. This
town Knoxville, let 1t be remembered, is about
seventy five miles distant from Greenville, my
postofice address I will add, further, that
there s not, either in the body of the letters or
the signatures thereto, the slightest similarity
to my handwriting or signature.
IL would have been impossible for such a
fraudulent and mail-fobbing transaction to have
been carried in the postofice at Rockville
without the knowledge or consent of the Post
master, and he and his confederstes must be
held responsible for IL by an enlightened public
Judgment. Time may develop all the facts
connected with this and other transactions of a
similar character perpetrased at the same post
Office.
Lave not made this statement of facts for
the purpose OF exonersting myself from the
charge Of treachery, treason and corruption,
bced upon the publication of the Rlcbmo d
Enquirer, for feel that stand beyond the
reach of their shafts Of calumny and defama-
tion; but my object is to expose the dishOnor-
able and wicked means resorted to by "seces-
sion" TO carry out It's netarious and corrupt de
signs, in attempting to overthrow and break up
the best government the world ever saw
ANDREW JOHNSON.
Washington City Jupe 80, 1861 -