New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-05-22
A LETTER FROM JACOB THOMp.
SON.
Assassination - State Sovereignty - Civu
War.

and Southern States broke out and especially prior 10
that time. entertained. confess deep and strong
preludces against you and your raper account Of
your violent attacks upon Southern interests and ins
tuons. But since that time have really sought THB
TRIBUNE to learn the truth There Is frank and manly
drectness in your columns which admire and there
fore now make an appeal to your generosity admit
this communication into the columns of The TRIBUNE
Surely there be no longer any existing reason WIN
Northern papers should desire to stain and stab the
reputation of Southern men; and suppose the Press
will be muzzled longer and difference Of opinion
no longer DO regarded as treason.
The search OF a good man is for truth TO set that
before the people Of the United States il the work in
which ask your assistance and that of all who hate
unjust persecution.
have been attacked often In Northern Journals with.
in the last four years. but heretofore have attempted no
reply To defer longer howeve. II the avenues 10 the
public ear opened to me. would argue q contempt
for public sentiment on ny part which do not feel
and silence might be construed into admission of tho
business Of the attacks.
Last Summer when 'my name. was unnecessarily
drawn into correspondence between yourself and
some Of my friends at Niagara Falls, The Yep York
Times began regular charge upon me for "thieying"
while Secretary Of the Interior. using the epithet Mr..
Buchanans thevng Secretary and others Of the Same
purport The Herald afterward INDUCED in the same
kind of expressions. What was the transaction by
which these expressions sought to be justifedt
| A Mr.. Russell n large Government contractor. hold.
| ing certain evidences Of debt FROM the War Depart.
ment induced clerk Of the Interior Department who
was the custodian of the bonds held BY the Government
in trust for the Indians to exchange the bonds for these
securities with the promise the part Of Russell to
return the bonds within given time and thus avoid
all exposure The transaction became known TO me. rs
the Head of the Department, by the voluntary con.
fesson of the clerk Immediately denounced and ex
posed the whole arrangement dismissed the clerk had
him delivered into the custody of the officers Of the law.
and wrote 30 the Speaker Of the House of Represents
tyes a message asking for an investigation into the
whole affair This was ordered. made the sugges'
ton that the Committee should consist entirely OF my
political opponents which adopted, with only one
execution Before the Committee reported. Mississippi
had seeded from the Union had resigned my seat In
the Cabinet the preudices against Southern men were
growing overwhelmingly strong; and ihere was an ev
deut willingness on the part Of the Committee to tnd
ont and show any completely of mine in the transaction
complained Of. Yet they unanimously reported there
was evidence Of no such thing. You did ne the justice.
in reply TO the article Of The Tes TO say there
proof of corruption or completely 90 my part and for
this simple act Of fair dealing, Thank you refer Mr.
RAYMOND to Mr. Stanton at present Secretary OF War;
then Attorney General, for full and accurate Informs
ton about this whole affair. And as gentleman.
call upon him to do mo the simplest act Of justice to
right the wrong far a true men can, by withdraw
ing the unjust epithets through the columns OF The
Times
An editorial appeared in The ~ y Herald, evidently
suggested By Gen. Dix in which the impression is sought
to be made that in some way connected with the
bote.burnng in New. York. This seems 10 be an in
ference from the fact that Mr. Mcdonald was ar
rested and held in dread of his life for some mc be-
cause of his supposed participation in this attempt at
incendarsm. The detectives fed out that this Melon
aid has brother in Toronto, c. W., who is Greatly
devoted to him. to whom they make an appeal to save
his brothers life and point ont to him how 1t NAV be
DONE and that WAS to appeal to the generosity and
magnsnni,y Of those who engaged in 1t to exon
crate the prisoner they had doubt it was true he
had taken no part in the affair The brother under
the guidan Of his feelings BIT at the bait and hunted
up aud induced the young men with whom his brother
was charged to have been associated to state his entire
innocenc. OF all connection with them. The Young
men, fearing the strength of W. l.. McDonald's feel.
irgs might induce him to act unwsey with their state
mert and having full confidence in my discretion and
fiendlness directed him place it in my hand. 10 be
used when might deem it necessary to save tho prs
oners life did not the young on the subject.
Anerward the detectives induced the different female
members of the family to make the most pi'eous appeals
10 ne for the paper. believed its production
necessary to the prisoners life, because each
messenger reported that Gen Dix Gid not believe the
prisoner guilty. but refused to release him until he
could obtain hi. negative testimony thus playing upon
10 feelings Of this most esmsble family. When saw
the game that was played wrote letter to Mr. Nc
Donald ~ prison, saying j willing to certify
that / had paper signed by some OF the
parties engaged in the burning in which he
was entirely exonerated from all participation in 1t.
But this did not satisfy the authorities Finding they
could not move me they turned upon poor Capt Ken
nely then under sentence Of DEATH and induced him
under what circumstances know not. but l presume
when he was intoxicae) to certify to statement as
true copy Of the paper held but which was no copy.
and which contained what have since ascerained To
be absolute fasehocds. They stimulated and excited
Capt. Kennedy against me in every possible way, but
they could not in his most desperate moments get him
to mpcate In the plan for the burning because he
knew It was false But you the extent of my con.
nection. II assumes this proportion. no more.
But of all the astonishing things which have hap.
pened during this war between the States. the late
Proclamation Of the President the moot unreasonable
and unjust 1t seems there has been created new
bureau called the Bureau Of Military Justice In
that it seems there is evidence that the assassination Of
the late President was 'ipcited concerted aud pro-
cured by and between Jefferson Davis at Richmond.
Va. and myself and others in Canada and that myself
and others are Rebels and traitors harborec " Can
ada" When thisIProclsmation reached me, was In
New Brunswick on nv way home. This is novel