, 1866-04-18
THE NEW JERSEY SBNATORSHIP.
Letter from Hon. i. M. Kcovel.

Letter from Hon. J. n Bcovel.
Editor Chicago Tribune:
Sir: Some one has sent me your paper Of
tho 5th instant. The article criticiaius me
severely has yet such a show Of fairncss, that
am tempted TO explain some things which
the public do not now understand.
Your correspondent says:
"Mr- scovel spent long time here this winter,
400 Aboted as hard as any one during his stay, to
seeuse the rejection Of lhe cla1s u Mr. Stockton 10
seal IN the Senate BY that body. He contributed
rs much to the resus OF that case any outsider"
There is no truth, whatever, in this state
msnt. I have been to Washington but twice
in four months, and on neither occasion did I
say one word about the case Of hir. Stockton,
On the contrary, my opinion was publicly ex-
pressed that John Stockton was legally
elected.
In this opinion WAS Strengthened by the
course Of Lyman Trumbull Chairman OF The
judiciary Committee of the United States
Senate, an eminent iurist, and among the fore
most of American statesmen. But. Say my
most ardent friends, when the United State
Senate decided against Mr.. s., why didn't you
submits There, perhaps, ! WAS over-bold In
sdher1De to my opinions.
LIST. That Mr.. Stockton WAS wrongfnlly
ousted.
I'd. That the man who mots peysfsten7y
hurled Stockton out Of his place in the Se,ats teas
not tie ,aan scso ought 10 take as vaeant chair
h the !Senatf.-Hiae Tia Laehryme.-The
Centznl Committee of New jersey has PROM
1sed tor consideration {perhaps many
thousands spent In the campsign) that Mz.
Cattell should be the man. He was from my
county. could not support him. frankly
said 60. But was willing more than this !;
Iwould have gone On my bended knees to get
into loint meeting for any reliable Republican
who had real claims on the people outside Of
bis balance Ia Bank-but No ! the Central
Committee md 'sthc ring' were too strong
for me, they said s'Csrsar or nobody" They
got-nobody.
Now as to the cunningly invented tamors
and positive statements mot founded on iact)
TINT Camden & Amboy controlled my course:
Those who know me best know that no living
human being, no influence, no combination OF
influences can control my coprsc. took my
position when the plurality rule, carried by a
Republican vote, made Mr.. stockton'a clcc.
ton possibility. Iopposcd TINT rule. Mr..
Ten Eyck tRepubllcan) favored 1t. 1t {tbe
plurality rule) gave, by majority vote the
right to plurality to elect. A plurality did
elect No man. says plain principle Of Law
antakc advantage Of his own wrong.
Millions would not have tempted me to
take the position did, but having once taken
it, because I I6e'iered It to be right, the whole
world iu arms could not drive me, for QUO
instant, into au abandonment Of my course.
would rather have been shot dead In the
Presidents chair than have shown tho white
feather. did falter. I hare taken the
consequences; public and present odlum, aud
the blttercst calumDy. But MS Abraham Lin,
coin once said to me, tslet a man plant him
self on tho right with courage and sooner o,
laicr the great world will swing round to
him.
That sentiment Is tho key to my position
"God bless you young man," wers the last
words Mr.. Lincoln ever uttered In my pres.
ence as We parted at the White House Just
ono year ago. Before nc now lies lettes
from that dead statesman whom We a1l loved
to tho Secretary Of State which says, "!Ar
Stortt has jas, carried a rery eost Senatorial
dufrif In teto Jtrsey for III at the late election
and Il really one Of our btst .tritnds." (Sov
IS, 1861
Within my OVID conscience feel that have
never deserted the teachings Of this pures'
and best Of men. What matters popular
csamor 10 man who knows be Il
night and who Will g1adly b}de hi.
time till returning reason sanctions hi.
course. lam Republican citizen and otIlct
is not 70 dear to nc that can afford to pur
chase It At the price OF my honor. And tlt
hnn EtAat rhoy1
scious that stood between both angry fac
.a~-. :" she New Jersey Senate-as hostile te
the DemocGat1c pe.1. as,an apd now as have
| been for seven ycars-the salls4-~a-~ 7 fe,
then, aad feel now, preventing what deem
| ed to be an act OF Injustice, Is dearer to nj
| than an election to the Presidency Of tn
United States, If purchased BY an abandon
ment Of principles which a1e parl of life It
| self.
But to return to the charge that Camden
Arnboy controls me. Ny record on that sub
iect Is known to the world. The cxclusiv,
privileges Of that Road would have been OK
tended In 1868 aud IN 1884 but for nc.
speak that l do know. During this sesaio1
the most liberal Railroad policy has prevailed
Ny votes and my record show this, and It
therefore q cruel wrong to charge this thin
upon nc, who hare almost single handed
aided By two Republican Senators BUCKLE,
of PassaIc, nnd Homer) nnd three Democrati
Senators tJenkins, Doughty, and Kennedy
I won the fight against tho extension Of exclu
sire privileges in New Jersey.
! have satd more than I intended. 7 1eaS
my case with you and submit patiently, bu
With an unfaltering trust to the judgment o
candid world. Yours very truly,
JAMES N. ScovE1.