The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-08-05
Charles James Faulkner.
WHEELING, August
Etiitors intelligence:

extract, from an article in the National
IEitelIi1encer, In reference to Hon. Q. j..
Faulkner. &i G.
We notice that some careless Jour
nails of the North, in abiding to this
gentleman, have charged him with
/ lending his influence and efforts to the
/ interest of the rebels during the last
| few months of his service as Minister
tof the United States to France. We
are satisfied by recorded evidence in our
columns that there is no foundation for
this imputation. No such CHARGE SO
far as 1--WE are informed, has ever been
made against him by the State Depart
ment, or any person protesting to act
in the name or under the authority of
tho United States. The fact of his in
flexible fidelity to his trust seems to
have been conceded by all who are ia
miliar with his movements in Paris.
Our own intelligent correspondent in
that city, as well as the correspondents
of some of the leading Republican
! journals of New York, bore at the time
unequiyocal testimony to his fidelity to
OF his mission. It is true Mr..
| Faulkner was arrested in this
city, en- route from Paris to his home,
and the public, in the absence of better
information, might have very natural
ed on some objection to his conduct as
Minister. But this was soon ascertain
| ed not to be the case; and in annOunc-
! ing the real ground of his arrest, which
we did in the IntettigenceI' in August,
| 1861, Ito wit: his detention as n hostage
for the safe return of Harris and Ma
graw,) We took occasion to remark that
tive were sure our readers will be glad
to learn that the arrest of this diSting-
uished gentleman has not been prompt
ed by any considerations relating to his
personal demeanor as citizen, or as II
foreign representative of the United
States" We feel perfectly satisfied
that every inquiry into the conduct of
Mr.. Faulkner whilst Minister frOmthe
United States to Francewill strengthen
his claims to the character of Il faithful
representative of the interests and hon
or of the country whilst abroad.
There is another error in regard to
this gentleman which justice requires
us to notice. Heis represented in one
of the Northern papers as having been
Il Especial Confederate Commissioner
to Europe" by another "as member
of the Confederate Congress-" by an
other as "high civil functionnry of
the Confederate Governments. !" These
statements are all erroneous. We have
the best authority for saying that Mr..
Faulkner was never offered, and never
filled any civil, political or diplomatic
position of any kind under the COnfed-
crate Government, and none under the
Rebel State Government of Virginia.
He accepted for few months, i'll the
winter of 1868, II position on General
StOnewall JNcksOn'S staff, to perform
an act ofprivate friendship to that re-
markOble man, and left as soon us that
was performed. With this exception,
he Ind no connection with the affairs
of the COnfederncy, but lived as II pri-
Rif In
is understood that Mr.. Faulkner looked
at no time with favor upon the seces-
sion movement of the South, and inva-
rinbly spoke of it as, pregnant with
calamity to that section of the country.
We publish the above extractin com
pliance with the request of our CORE
spondent. 1t is due, however, to truth
to say that the "white-washing" at
tempt of the National ImtelIIgencey is a
very feeble affair, and in no wise credi-
table to that paper. We apprehend
that NIessrs. Gales and Seaton, the old
conductors of the. InteLIigeucer, in it's
other ana better days, would never
have suffered themselves to be manipu-
lated by the dextrous fingers of the
slippery and unreliable Charles James
Faulkner, man who has been every
thing by turns in politics, and nothing
long. The above whining apology is
simply absurd. Who believes that
Stonewall Jackson solicited Faulkner
to take n place on his staff, not know
ing his man? Or, that Faulkner took It
as n Union mann The idea is ridicu-
lous. If Faulkner was what he now
wishes to be thought, why did he leave
his home ut Martinsburg and go South?
He did so of his own accord. On his
way home from Europe his reticence on
the steamer was noted by travellers.
Amid all the knots and groups of speak
ers, Faulkner never said word for the
country he had been representing
abroad. Not n state paper appeared
from him while in Paris, after our
troubles began, in the interest of the
Union. He put off South us soon as he
settled up his accounts at Washington,
and stayed there us long as there was
any hope of the rebellion-until the
| whole thing was on the very verge of
its collapse. Then he laid trap, the
particulars of which we will not now
Idisclose-to come into our lines by a
back door operation-a scheme perfect
ly consistent with his present inno-
cent, make-belfeve and ridiculous story
about his position on Jackson's staff.
Faulkner will not do. He is one of
4 the last men whom the President
should pardon. The Government
should guard against such ambitious,
slippery and mischievous fellows for
the present.
West virginia News.