Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-05-29
0blo Stateslra1.
Letter from Jacob Thompson.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES sovEREIGNTY-CIyn
WAR.

To the Editor of the N. Y. Tribune:
SIR-When hostilities between the North
ern and Southern States broke out, and es-
pecially prior to that time, | entertained, 1
| confess, deep and strong prejudices against
| you and your paper, on account of your
| violent attacks upon Southern interests aud
institutions. But since that time j have
really sought The Tribune to learn the truth.
| There is a frank and manly directness in
your columns which / admire; and there
fore ! now make an appeal oyour generosity
| to admit this communication into the col
umns of The Tribune. Surely, there can be
no longer any existing reason why North
ern papers should desire to stain and stab
| the reputation of Southern men and sup
pose the press will be muzzled no longer,
and difference of opinion no longer bere-
garded as treason.
The search of a good man is for truth.
To set that before the people Of the United
States is the work in which | ask your as
| sistance and that of all who hate uni ust per-
secution.
have been attacked often in Northern
journals within the last four years, but here
tofore have attempted no reply. To deter
longer, however, if the avenues to the pub
lie ear are opened to me, would argue q con
tempt for public sentiment OH my part
which do not feel, and silence might be
construed into an admission of the justness
of the attacks. ..
Last summer, when my name was unne-
cessarily drawn into a correspondence be-
tween yourself and some of my friends at
Niagara Falls, The NeU York Times began a
regular charge upon me for "thieving"
while Secretary of the Interior, using the
epithet "Mr. Buchanan's thieving Secreta-
ry," and others of the same purport. The
Herald afterward INDUCED in the same kind
of expressions. What was the transaction
by which these expressions are sought to be
| justified? |s.H
A Mr.. Russell, a large Government con-
tractor, holding certain evidences of debt
from the War Department, induced a clerk
| of the Interior Department, who was the
custodian of the bonds held by the Govern
ment in trust for the Indians, to exchange
the bonds for these securities, with the
promise on the part of Russell to return the
| bonds within given time, and thus avoid
all exposure. The transaction became
known to me, as the head OF the Depart
ment, by the voluntary confession 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 to the
Speaker of the House of Representatives a
message asking for an investigation into
| the whole affair. This was ordered
made the suggestion that the committee
should consist entirely OF my political OPP
ponents, which was adopted, with only one
exception. Before the committee reported,
| Mississippi had seeded from the Union;
| had resigned my seat in the Cabinet; the
prejudices against Southern men were
growing overwhelmingly strong and there
was an evident willingness on the part OF
the committee to find out and show any
completely of mine in the transaction COM
planned of Yet they unanimously report
| ed there was evidence of no such thing.
You did me the justice, in reply to the arti-
Gle of The Times, to say there was no proof
of corruption or completely on my part,
and for this simple act of fair dealing, |
thank you. l refer Mr. Raymond to DIR.
Stanton, at present Secretary Of War, then
Attorney General, for full and accurate in
formation about this whole affair. And, as
gentleman, / call upon him to do me the
simplest act OF justice, to right the wrong
so far as true man can, by withdrawing
the unjust epithets through the columns of
| The Times. .'..nl
An editorial appeared in The NeU York
Herald, evidently suggested by General Dix,
in which the impression is sought to be
made that | was in some way connected
with the ehotelburning in New York. This
seems to be an inference from the fact that
Mr.. Mcdonald was arrested, and held in
dread of his life for some time, because OF
his supposed participation in this attempt
at incendiarism. The detectives find out
that this Mcdonald has brother in Toron-
to, G. w., who Is greatly devoted to him, to
whom they make an appeal to save his
brothers life, and point out to him how il
may be done, and that was to appeal to the
generosity and magnanimity of those who
were engaged in it to eXonerate the pris-
oner as they had no doubt it was true he
had taken no part in the affair. The broth
i er, under the guidance of his feelings, bit al
the bait and hunted up and induced the
young men with whom his brother was
charged to have been associated to state his
entire innocence of all connection with
them. The young men, tearing the strength
of w. l.. McDonalds feelings might induce
him to act unwisely with their statement
and having full confidence in my discretion
and friendliness, directed him to place it il
my hand, to be used whenI / might deem il
necessary 10 save the prisoners life. l did
not see the young men on the subject. At
terward, the detectives induced the differ
ent female members of the family to make
the most piteous appeals to me for the pa
per. never believed its production neces
sary to save the prisoners life, because each
messenger reported that General Dix did
not believe the prisoner guilty, but refused
to release him until he could obtain this
negative testimony, thus playing upon the
feelings of this most estimable fam
lily. When l saw the game that wa;
played, wrote letter to Mr.. Mcdonald
in prison, saying was willing to certify
that l had paper signed by some of the
parties engaged in the burning, in which
he was entirely exonerated from all partici.
patton in it. Butthis did not satisfy the au-
thorities. Finding they could not move
me, they turned upon poor Captain Ken!
nedy, then under sentence of death, and In.
duced him (under what circumstances
know not, but presume when he was in
toxicated) to certify to statement as
true copy of the paper Iheld, but which
was no copy, and which contained what
have since ascertained to be absolute false
hoods. They stimulated and excite6 Cap
tain Kennedy against me in every possible
way, but they could not in his most despert
ate moments get him to implicate me in
the plan for the burning, because he knew
twas false. But you see the extent of my
connection. 1t assumes this proportion, ne
more. -H .t4H .,
But of all the astonishing things which
have happened during this war between the
States, the late proclamation of the Presi-
dent Is the most unreasonable and unjust
It seems there has been created d new bu-
reau called ''thel Bureau of Military Jus.
tice." In that, it seems there is evidence
that the assassination of the late President
was 'incited, concerted and procured by
and between Jefferson Davis, at Richmond
| Va - and myself and others in Canada arlC