Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-06-12
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dant On the courts l knew these statements to
be untrue, and naturally, felt iifdighaItyat such
an imputation on the INTEGRITY of ON Tnags-
ttrates and the good faith of our people, ] IL
qllred of many, Of our citizens if theykHew aIiy-
thing, or had previously heard anythingi Of the
petition or the alleged causes of grievance The
answer was invariably in the negative. Itherc
fore concluded that fraud had beematteaIpted
on the Senate, and wrote a. letter, to Hon. -.
NJ. Howard, with whom had formerly served
in Congress, expressing doubts as to the atl-
thentieity of the paper, and affirming that the
allegations in the petition were Untrue, and re-
questlng that he would send me a copy f.the
petition and ofthe names of those who were
alleged to have signed it. TO this letter Mr..
Howard replied on the 7th instant, and after
expressing his belief that the signatures were
genuine, from the fact chat they; were attested
BY a notary public, he added; The document
Is nov in the possession Of the Military Com
-nittee, and they object to a copy being fir
InEhed.R p DHo7z ~ 9GE g-i.5.% sssTs dti7v
/ After reeeiying Mr. Towards letter.. I had
nothing further to do with tlie subject I had
discharged what | believed to be my duty, as I.
good citizen ard the repTesentatiso elect to
Congress from my district, and / was, content.
Flf1 had nieditated any partisan or vihdictive
not have sought the aid of Mf. iHowaflIi in car
Eying it into effect. 4 .,;-,o4. h.-. -.;t-. as.s,
|" Tie seqhel would seem to. Show that my orig
Sinai suspicious were we'll founded A copy Of
the petition and of tho names aof the alleged
sllgnels have been procured and published, but
nQt.through any agency of mine. Ihereupon
a large number ofthe supposed petitioners have
published cards, Some denying that they had
ever signed, or authorized any one else to sign
their names to any such paper. Others declare
that the nature and object of the petition We're
misrepresented to them. Il further appears
from these cards, that while Dews, who seems
to have been the active agent in getting Up4he
petition, as well as the, acting notary public,
swears that all the petitioners arc. citizens Of
Augusta, while, in fact, many of them reside in
Roekbridge, and others in Pemlletono, county,
West Nirgnia.T .r~,.y t;,- ss,e,~ ba-isT
One OF the petitioners, o baker by trade, has
had the candor to acknowledge that he signed
II, and that he did so because he had found the
United States troops profitable customers whoa
they were here before and he thought, if they
were sent back they would enlarge his market
for bread. Probably others were influenced BY
motives equally patriotic and disintefested. 'onI
eOn. behalf OF the community which has been
aspersed. | challenge investigation, / conf
dently affirm that no credible testimony can be
produced to prove that IN any ease justice has
been denied, or any one put in peril, lin eonse-
quence of his Union principles On the con-
lfafy 1Ati9tlstl Was lne nfst county, IN all the
Southern States, which held a public meeting
IN favor Of reconstruction, and from that hour
to the present her people have yielded ready
obedience to the authority ofthe United States
4 sitting investigation sof' the facts connected
with this petition would lead to some useful
disclosures. - E .-.~E .,
| have no wish or purpose to impugn the
motives Of Mr.. Trumbull in Withdrawing tho
paper which is. alleged to have been forged from
the custody the Senate and restoring it to
the custody of the man who wrote it, but it re-
qures no great sagacty to perceive that the eff
feet must be, to stife inquiry into the authen-
ticlty Of the signatures and to enable the an
ment: st LII ALEX. H.. H. STUART.ir
+ Staunton, Va, May 20. 1866. .4 r. -,,n,,,