The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-02-08
From the Indiana Journal.
A Dirty Business Disposed Of:

Some days ago . circular signed John
Fahnestoek'' was distributed through our
streets. in which Gov. Morton's public and
private character were assailed with filthy
virulence, and an afectation of literary pol
ish, as remar kable as they were disgusting
We paid no attention to it. partly because
the charges against the Governors public
conduct were old fslsehoods refuted twenty
times. and those against his private charac-
ter were so grossly vile and absurd that they
needed no contradiction; and partly because
the public in this vicinity understood quite
we'll the secret of Mr.. FAhnestock's ahimos
i,y, and rated his letter at its true value
II has fallen dead here. Bat abroad there
may be some who will accept its reckless
falsehoods as an indication of the opinion en-
tertained of Gov. Morton, if they are no:
noticed, and 1t is for that reason only that
we publish the following letter from the Of
ficers of the Eleventh Regiment during the
three months service. vino having been as
sociated with Capt Fshnestock can speak
intelligently of him. and the credit due to
his st,temnets. We regret the necessity
which conpels the publication of this letter.
but when a public officer is assaulted in SO in
famous manner. it is due to the people OF
the State whom he represents that the assail :
ant should be known and his motives under
stood.
When the circular was first prin ted a
copy of it was shown to Gov. Morton BY H.
w. Ellsworth, OF this city, who stated that
the writer declared he would publish it il
the Governor did not send HIM a commission
witAin four or fre days. To this attempt 10
procure an appointment by "black mali the
Gov. answered, with more emphasis than
politeness, that MIR f. might GO to tn e
devil" Subsequently Mr.. Andrew Wallace
of this city saw Mr.. F. and said to him that
some of the illusions, in the circular would
bring him into collision, not with the Gov
ernor, who of course would pay no atten.
ton TO it, bat with other men who were as
sailed by him, and he had better he careful.
Mr. F. replied that he would modify the
letter. and he did. by striking out two of
the most offensive illusions, fact which
shows quite clearly how much value he at
tached to hi own charges. Mr.. F. also
stated to Mr.. Wallace that 1.-THE Governor
did not send him a commission within few
days he should publish the letter. The
purpose of the infamous affair was thus dis
closed. Mr.. +. wanted a commission. He
loaded blunderbuss with dirt. and held it
at the Governors head. with the demand,
"a commission or I'll shoot" How much
credit Is due to the charges of man who
resorts to this mode of procuring an office?
He wanted to ..blach mali the Governor
in giving him an appointment which his
inportunate, shameless demands proved he
had no capacity to fill, and failing he let fly
all the filth he could get his hands upon
But this is not all. In postscript to his
circ liar he intimates that the Governor
threatened him with personal and even
bloody chsstisement if the publication were
made. This is a lie The Governor made
no threat. and never cared enough for the
dirty thing to trouble himself with thought
whether it was published not. This
falsehood may stand as specimen of the
whole document.
This attempt to .sblack mall the Gov
ernor into an appoint ,nent for Mr.. +. was
only the concluding act of a whole year Of
persistent, shameless. importunate begging
for an Office, Last fall he beseged the Gov
ernor for a long time to give him the Office
of Quartermaster-G General. Failing in that
he tried and begged for the Office of Adiu-
tant General Then he went into the three
months service and what he did there the
letter below will show. He resigned his
commission in the 18th regiment at the
ment was forced to retreat towards Penn
sylvania He went to Washington to beg
for place in the regular army. He failed
again. Positions in the regular army are
not given to men who resign when the FIRST
sign of danger comes. He came back |
home, and wanted Colonel's commission,
He begged the Governor for weeks to give |
him any field office, or let him raise a regi- |
nent. He wrote letters time after time, and |
among others the following rather juicy pro-
duction:
July Cd, 1861.
Gov. MoRToN--Dear Sir: understand
Capt Fahnestock desires the appointment
of Colonel to one of the new regiments to
be raised. l am told he is a good officer. |
honest, reliable and moral withal. Would
you not do we'll to appoint him, are not
such men needed? He belongs to the |
Methodist Church, and his friends would
be pleased to knoac that you do not over
look. in your appointments, the church that
is stronger than any other in Indiana or in
the United States. The influence of that
church may be of service to you, and 9TH |
ers connected with you, hereafter
Yours, very respectfully,
(Signed) A SINCERE FRIEND.
This is an pnymous, but the original Is in
Mr. F's hand very slightly disguised. The
Governor refused. The 1Ith regiment. |
which he had deserted in the first hour of
danger, protested unanimously against his
appointment. He still begged, threatened |
and wrote. He beseiged his friends to help |
him. He tried to get an artillery company. |
He advertised to raise Printers Resi- |
ment." He was eaten up with the idea of |
office. But be failed all the time The |
volunteers would not trust him. the Coy
ernor would have nothing to do with him.
At last, driven to desperat on. and hopeless |
Of procuring an appointment in any honor
able way he escorted TO this circular to Obtain
bis object By ''black mailing" With these
acts the public will be able to Judge very
accurately of the decumen. and its charges.
PADuoAH KESTuCKY,
January 26th, go
EDrroR INDIAN, SrArE JorRSaL-Sfr:
Having had our attention called to a lying
infamous and scurriious circular. directed to
,ox ppor Mcrtoo and s,p,ed bv a follc-