The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-08-27
The Qulprit Pleads Not entity"

uu OuipIlb llonuo NOb 0ulAbJ'
A few days since we exposed the shameful
imposture practiced upon the readers OF
certain copperhead paper in this city, In Its
SO called "Washington CORES pondenee." we
presented the Internal evidence that the letters
published under that head are concocted, or at
least interpolated, much nearer the printing
Office than their place OF date indicates. Facts
or alleged facts are stated in Washington at
the very moment they purport TO have &C.
CURED sixty or seventy miles distant, without
the aid or intervention of Geographic commu-
nication, and from twelve to twenty -four hours
earlier than the knowledge OF them can reach
the nearest telegraph station, perhaps distant
only twelve or fifteen miles
What reply does the author of such wicked
trifing with the public mind make to these
facts =? Why he makes the same reply that we
supposed he would--ihat every rogue makes
when charged with offence. He says Not
Gu uy" OF course he would say this,-for
he has said these two words so often of late
that they slide rapidly from his tongue
but man OF his intelligence no more ex-
poets his word to be taken in such plea, than
the ielon in the dock would expect similar
plea to be received in his case. When men
Intentionally deceive or practice an imposi-
ton, they are prepared to swear it through,
and they will do it without wincing.
This audacious copperhead makes the re-
markably sage proposition, to convince Hon.
John L. Brown, or John Lynch, Esq, or any
other like honorable and truthful man tthe
paper containing this proposition publishes a
deiamatory article about Mr.. Lynch, grossly
malignant, and denying to him every element
and vestige of tfuihlnlness and honor that
said Washington letters are genuine, by erhtb-
iting TO them the original manuscript, il they
will call at his office!
Does he think to pull wool over intelligent
mems eyes In this way? Don't they know
that he would be sharp enough TO make the
copy sent to the compositors appear like gen.
uine paper? He is not so big fool as to
leave such tracks uncovered, and we were
only surprised that we did not discover the
ear-marks which have so Enthusiastically re-
vealed the shameful imposition TO which we
have referred.
The malignant slur at Secretary Stanton
does not aid him any more than the equally
malignant statement about the Associated
! Press. The telegraphic accounts OF the She
/ nandoah Valley battle were given as early as
| he transpiring of the events would admit.
They were seasonable and prompt. There
was no suppression, no holding back, nor did
/ they come through or to Secretary Stanton,
nut from Harper's Ferry-twelye or fifteen
miles from the battle feld--to Baltimore
paper
The malignant assault upon the Associated
Press, for its corrupt and one-sided reports,
is understood perfectly. The Association
have been obligued to cut or that paper and
! to refuse IL their regular and reliable dis
patches; because of the proprieior's refusal 10
J pay the rates ch:sged to other papers.
But say what he may aad file in Offset what
I ever plea he may. the fact stands out unde-
4 niable and unconlradicted, and TO be read OF
! all who will take the trouble to examine, that
the Washington letters referred TO are either
written elsewhere than at Washington, or that
! they are mutilated and interPolated after they
leave that capital. They have in one instance
at lesst--the instance already referred to-
made statements that were Lot known and
could not hare been kaown at Washington at
the time OF their date, aud they have been at
least one day quicker than lightning.
More than this: The style of the letters
themselves, aud the spirit which they mani
fest amount TO proof strong as holy wit that
they emanate from the same brain that serves
up the reasonable drivel with which that pa.
peris flled. Tney contain the same assaults up
on the Government. reveal the same sympathy
for the rebels, abound with the same maliguily
against Grant and other efficient commanders
indulge in the same expressions, aud have the
same ear-marks that are found In the editorials
referred to; assaults, sympathy, malignity
expressions and ear-marks which stamp and
identify their authorship as Enthusiastically as
4 the Image Of Caesar upon the Roman coin de-
noted the die from which it was struck.