Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-08-13


| with him this subject.
! did not name the neg tatien had with the Fedora
Government through you until forced to do by their
friends the House of Commons Notwithstanding tn,
repea ed attacks made myself and my in tn,
American and English press, and by the parans of th
North at public meetings and elsewhere. To have re
malned longer silent would have been construed into ad
mission that the charges made against correct
and therefore felt the time had arrived when l mus
make some statement on the subject.
hope your family are all WELL and remain, my dear sir
Yours very truly, JOHN LAIRD.
| COMMENTS ON THE ABOVE LETTERS.
| Some of the newspapers, both English and American
sharply crcse these anonymous letters containing
thing whatever to sustain the assertions OF Mr.. Laird thai
be had been approached by agents of the Navy Depart
men for the purpose of engaging him to build
for Government, We copy the comments of the New
York Evening Post upon the subject, follows;
Every body remembers the letters which Mr. Spence
of Liverpool wrote to the London Times 1861 and 1862
support of the rebels These letters protested to come
from Engshmen Of independent opinions and as such
they had certain influence until by the capture of
rebel despatch bag ard the publication of the dispatches
h advocate of slavery and rebellion saaried secret
agent of the rebels Since this discovery was made Mr.
Spences letters pass in England for just what they
worth-the special pleas of hired attorney.
Another and equally disrepuabe transaction has lust
been brought home to smother English supporter of the
rebels Messrs Laird, Sons s. Co, of Brkenhead near
Liverpool b d Aahamas and ron-clsds for Jeff Davis;
and Mr. Laird the senior partner OF the firm member
OF the English Parliament OF the propriety of member
of the British Legislature engaging in such business we
will say nothing here though if ever hereafter me mber
OF the United States Congress found to be engaged
fitting out prvaeers to prey under foreign aud uure-
cognsed flag, on British commerce, doubt We shall
receive lectures enough the subject fro the London
Times,
But Mr. Laird was not content to reap his gains in 81
lence; he must eDdeaSor to Justify himself; and some
me ago he erted in Parliament positively, that at
tm6h bad received ram the Navy Department of the
United States an order to build ships for service
When this brought to the attention of the Secretary
OF The Navy be promptly aud explicitly denied the truth
OF the assertion ard this denial made public in Eng
land Thereupon Mr. Laird seeks shelter behind certsn
anonymous letters which purport to be written in Wash.
ngton and New York. by person whose character posi-
tn AMI antecedents Mr. Laird him self takes to
youch for in any way and whose language betrays him
be foreigner and IN all probability aivenurer-pro-
baby of those lobby agents who needy and unscru
puus fastened to Washington the outbreak of the
try to turn d honest penny by dn of mpudence and
pertinacty.
This wonderful correspondent of Messrs Laird Sons
o. Co. was not the only according to Mr. Welles who
importuned' the Department in behalf of Mr. Laird
We hope the remainder of Mr. Lards bagmen were more
skiul PEI than this snony writer whom he says
he believed though it is evident that he did not trust
him enough to take the trouble to send him plans and
bids for shot and shell proof battery such he asked
for.
"Mr. Lards correspondent speaks boldly enough of
government but he betrays himself udicrously when
he speaks OF tie hequent interviews with Depart
ment OF Naval Affairs and of the Minister of the Navy
two phrases used in this country at any me and
which none but recently arrived foreigner ignorant eyen
OF the commonest phraseology of de-
partments, could have invented Yet, while thus con-
victed Of ignorance he constantly speaks of aairs
as though he we're cz"n Of the country In July this
person speaks repeatedly of our Minister of the Navy
but by October he has learned better and writes Of b
Navy Department
" In the mean time why did Mr. Laird correspond with
suon person Is IL The fashion of great English mer
air huona .xpfh
termediares' Mr. Laird says he believed his corresoo,
dent We can only say that if he had written at s-
our Navy Department when be received the i, 20 70
ne would have saved himself from what mu.' lesIe'
ting and ridiculous position, in which 20 hu,ana
we are quite sure that an Amer> an I,;na, paoou ~
eansi eminence would have taken aims frat f III
se py spphSaap to headquarters Of the
character OF the agent who lad approached him,
80 lar, We are taking ior granted that M Tard, 40
sertons are true ana hst by his oy and
us 90 pel1eo himself to be vctmzed But we are
name OF ms correspondent he will fall uuder suspicion Of
wore conduct than this On this head the London
Daily News says pointedy
i, But Mr. Laird can hardly suppose that when fact
mas Deen publicly affirmed and publicly denei by the two
most the question between them can be
decded by the production Of anonymous letters We
agree WIN the friends whom Mr. Laird consulted that he
mao eht 20 use all documents including the Washing
ing letter of July 3Oth in bis vndication; and in
aetd tDat the question having become a public one
ps.Ween TWO Governments It was his duty to do so;
evidence, he must publish the of his correspon.
dent II he cannot do this. his case breaks down for
want OF evidence. If Mr.. Laird merely wishes to show
how he came TO be possessed with certain belief these
letters may suffice, but if he to convict tie AMER
can Government they worthless The departmental
memorandum which Mr.. Laird publishes and to which he
appears to attach Importance contains no reference To
him. and is just such an would be given to an Anne
rcan contractor There must have been scores of similar
memoranda issued at Washington to persons who were
providing the American Government with home built ships
We submit to Mr. Laird that he cannot let the matter rest
where 10 is There must have been appalling Wing some
where and we hope the guilty party win be found out In
the mean me Mr. Lairds letters prove nothing to the
purpose
THE LETTER OF SECRETARY wELLEs
The letter of the Secretary Of the Navy which has been
so frequently referred to- printed in the London papers,
as follows:
NAVY DEPARTMENT
Washington, May 10, 1863.
Hon. CHARLES SUMNER
DEAR SIR, You invite my attention to the speech Of
Mr. John Laird, delivered In the Britsh House of Com
mons the 9Th March, in which he represents that the
Secretary Of the Navy made application to him thronb
ntnra 10 h,lI IL. e..