Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-08-15

that no one shall take or destroy them
/ without your express order IN teriting,
except you are released. Will see your
wife again this evening. Respectfully.
]. N. ASHLEY.
c. A DUNHAM
! This note is not written In ink, but in
pencil, and though dated "H0use Reps" /"
Is upon q hslEsheet of plain note-paper,
I apparently tOrnfrOm some note which had
been carried in the pocket. II comes
/ here Ia an envelope, superseribed, in PEN
! ell, &C. A. Dunham, Esq, prison. !"
/ This envelope shows, also, some Rppa-
rently idle seribblings.
M April. g, 1857.
DUNHAM. It Is all right. The matter
will rest for the present, or till the thing
is argued in May. You will not leave
the city Gd interim. Mr.. A. will return
next week, when any other matters will
be adjusted. Yours, w. B. NJ.
This Is written on a small scrap, in ink,
superscribeG &C. A. DunhRm, present"
On a still smaller and much s0iled scrap,
in pencil, but evidently by the same
hand, is this memorandum, or explana-
ton:
lGi
/. The "court" cannot act without
being a " "pC.rttceps criBlinis.u
2. Congress viii, at the proper time,
exercise as pOtOeT.
8. Witnesses will be first called before
the committee.
This, Mr.. President, completes the full
and literal recital Of all the papers or
other adhering datS before me. The
parcel, comprising all but the pardon
papers, reached this Office in an envelope
from the executive mansion, indorsed
I" Received from Mrs. Durham, July 80,
1867 The papers having come from
the hands Of q person whose application
for pardon was undergoing official exaIni-
nation here were, for very obvious reasons,
associated with it ia considering the
matter. Struck by their extraordinary
character, yet, remem bering in how
unexpected and casual q manner they
had been received at the executive
office, / Immediately determined that
until l should have made this re-
port, their quality and significance,
whatever these may be, should remain
unchanged by investigation, or by any
extraneous connection or association
whatever, not only Of record, but, as far
ss practicable, in my ewn mind. This
course il is necessary to bear in recOllec-
ton in the act of estimating the prob
| able weight or value of the allegations.
/ There is, indeed, one exception 70 this.
I Never having seen the handwriting Of
/ the Hon. J. NJ. Ashley, thought it due
| to him that l should not proceed with
/ out acquiring q notion of his genuine
| ehirOgTaphy. I therefore exhibited that
1 letter which was written by Mr.. Ashley
/ to recommend the pardon of Durham TO
q gentleman acquainted with his hand
/ writing. The latter, without hesitation,
recognized that letter as genuine. The
| others stTikingly resemble il.
In conclusion, beg leave to express
the profound sensibility with which 1
find myself obliged to bring to the seri-
Gus notice of the president Of the United
States accusations and papers which
must occasion him painful embsrrsss-
ment. They expose prominent members
Of the legislature Of the union to the
shocking suspicion of having conspired
with a convicted peTjurer for 8 stupen-
dOus mpOsitiOn-first upon the house Of
| representatives, then upon the people,
aud then upon the senate Of the United
States, for the purpose Of effectiBg the
| impeachment and removal from Office of
a president Of the United States, solely
upon suborned testimony. / need not
| say with what establishment mankind
| would hear Ii charged that a scheme so
! peculiar wickedness Of attempting to in
I duce the intended victim himself,
| through appeals to his clemency, to quail
| ify, by a pardon, with consequent COM
| potency to act and testify, the principal
I instrument of the impOsture But, i'm
probable az the existence Of such a con-
/ spiracy may seem, is not the president
/ exposed to q grave accountability for
| whatever consequences may possibly
/ follow an incredulity too generous in the
premises, TO be INDUCED merely because
| these adventitious data have been thrust
upon his casual notice by a party who
| has been dishOnored by a criminal YER
dict, but who is still, In the expressed
opinion of competent professional per-
sons, qualified 10 be vehicle of truth in
/ a court Of justice2
1 thus lay the whole matter before
your excellency, for your better judg-
ment. In the meantime the application
| for pardon will be suspended.
I Very respectfully, your Obd't serv't,
JOHN NJ BINCKLEY,
Acting Attorney General.
| To ANDREW JOHNSON, President OF the United
]