The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-02-10
THE ATTORNEY GENERALS
REPLY TO TOD.
ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE,
COLUMBUS, o., january, 1864.

the House of Representatives would, ere this,
have taken some action in reference to the
matters hereinafter mentioned, at least so far
as to afford ms an opportunity to vindicate my
Official position against false charges, I have
delayed the publication of this statement but
now, upon information that, probably, no
channel of an official character will be afforded
for this communication, I submit it to the
public.
Gov. Tod in his late message to the General
Assembly uses the following language
eThe past year has been one of severe labor
to all concerned in the administration of the
government ; and / take pleasure in bearing
testimoney to the faithful and vigiiant manner
in which the Auditor of State, Treasurer of
State, Secretary of State, Comptroller of the
Treasury, Superintendent of the State House
Superintendent of Public Printing, and the
Librarian, have severally performed their
Responsibilities. I regret that L cannot include
the Attorney General and the former Commits
sioner of CoAamon Schools in this commenda-
ton"
Although the first portion of the paragraph
asserts, "that the past year has been one of Sc
we're labor to all coRcerned in the administra-
ton of the government" yet the latter part,
excluding the Attorney General from the Gov
ernor's CONNIE nda.:on, being a contradiction
os the former and implying some neglect of
duty, which implication a portion of the men,
bers of the House knew to be grossly false and
unjust, the Hon. Daniel S. Uhl promptly offer
ed for adoption by the House a res, luton re-
q~uesting Gov. Tod "to state, in writing to this
House, before his term of Office expires, what
particular official duty or duties the said At
torney General has failed faithfully and vigil
autly to perform"
Before this resolution was offered a political
opponent of the Attorney General, and a polit-
lcal ard personal friend of Governor Tod, more
anxious TO please the Governor than to do
right, consulted him in regard to the intended
resolution of inquiry, and, when it was offered
in the House, meveda substitute, in pursuance
of Todis expressed wish, coupling the late
School Commissioners with the Attorney Gen
eral in the inquiry Of specifications. This was
Tod's invention to get the opportunity ofsend
ing forth to the public false and trifing char
ges against the Attorney General, associated
with the prejudice which surrounded a differ
ent department., as to which, charges might
more readily be believed;
This attempt of Tod shows the animus of
the man, and affords to the world an illustra
ton of how the Chief Magistrate of a great
State may basely prostitute the power of his
position and the purposes of q State paper to
crafty his personal ~rnalignity.
In reply 10 the resolution of-tbe House re
questipg specifications, Governor Tod says =
Although I certainly disclaim any Intention
Of preferring charges against these officers (the
Attorney General and School Commissioner
in that portion of my annual message which re-
ters to them, l row, in response to the request
of the House, give the reason why l could not
include the Attorney General and former
School Commissioner in commanding to the
Legislature and the people, the several State
officers"
After stating the specific reason for thus ex-
Guiding the Attorney General from common
]arion, the Governor gives expression to his
manifest non s~equitur II had, therefore, eth
Err to omit any words of commentator to any
one else, or to exclude those l believe not en-
fal. e reason for making a false charge. He ev-
identity supposed that he could more efe, tual-
ly stab the Acknowledgement under the cover
of ccmmonding others. And when it is re-
mcnIbered that Tod knew scarcely anything
about any of the State Departments, and that
his pretended commisseration for the other off
GERS in view of the association of the Attorney
General with Them in his commentator, in
dictated a refinement of feeling heretofore uu-
suspected in BIS coarse, vulgar nature, his rea-
sen still appears the more false and absurd.
: Aui in his response to the request of the
House, it will be observed that the Governor
''disclaims airy intention of preferring charges
against the Attorney General" And yet the
implication in his message covered all charges
which ordinarily could be made against a pub
lie officer. That the Governor was Influenced
by the basest motives and afterwards forced
in5o the grossest perversion- of truth, will, l
think, be manifest in this communication
To return to the response to the resolution of
inquiry. The Governor prefaces the main
question by saying "my specific reason for this
omission Ito commend the Attorney GeneraD
was the fact notorious to all in any way con-
uccted with the administration of affairs Of the
State, myself included, that both these officers
greatly neglected the performance of official
duties" What a "spccifc reason" a general
lie. rather, go far as the Attorney General is
concerned ! AT no time during the past year
had Tod sought at this Office a single opinion,
or the performance of a single duty.
During the year, L gave tw~enty-eight writ
ten opinions-twelve more than my predeces-
sor gave in the same length of time. On the
26th of December, my official report was pla-
ced in the Governors hands. HaG he consul
ted it, he would have known, what he does
not seem to know, the scope of the duties of
this office, and would have learned from it
that during the past year as much attention
had been given to my department as it requi-
red, and as much as had previously been given
by any of my predecessors ; and that no inter-
of the State whatever. which came under
my charge, had suffered in the least. That
the Governor had rumors to the effect he
speaks of may be true /; for scarcely a day pass
ed since I assumed the duties of this Office,
hat some villifcation has not been promulga-
ted ly one or more of the political parasites
who habitually fawned in the executive pres.
But an honest, well-meaning man
have asked for specific cases of neglect,
instead of being contentto rely upon and repub-
ish mere rpmor as q Specific reason" for a
grave charge in a State paper. IF Governor Tod
lad given as much attention to the affairs of
ny Office, as he did to me personally and po-
he would not have resorted to rumor
md falsehooa to bolster up the slanderous ac-
:~usatiop in his message. 1t is not only bad
aste, but bad policy, for a Governor to under
axe, in his messages, to commend executive
,tate officers. 1t is in bad taste, for they de-
i've their position and'authority from as high