The Portland daily press., 1868-10-05
Gen. Rulier Hit Back.

We presume that it is pretty generally I'M
understood by our readers that we are no! par
ticularly veil pleased with the prospect of
General Buffers return to Congress by the
Republicans of the Essex, Mass, Congression-
al district, but the following letter from that
gentleman, attacking his foes, is so character
istc and 50 pungent that it is too good to be
lost:
~ GLOUCESTER, Sept. 20, 1868.
Editor Traveller: "A Jee2 ram. OF which the
copy is below, was rec lived in Boston on the
day of its date. Mr.. Atkinson, to whom it is
directed, has written himself into some notice
lately,i i'll opposing what he has been pleased
10 assert are my views on financial measures,
md specially 10y disclosure that he has de
frauded savings bank in Essex county, of
which he had borrowed $4,000 in gold, by
Saking advantage OF the legal tender act and
paying according 10 the "letter of the law" in
sreenbacks, worth at the time only 68 cents on
The dollar. by which the swldyws and or
phanS" depesIting their little savings there
lost $4,000. ~ -a sf - .-.5'r-
sam W ard, the sender of the message, is
cold Spectator of New York, now in Wash
ington who will be remembered as the mau
who telegraphed in cypher the instruction he
received from the Secretary OF the Treasury
as to the sales of gold in such messages as
Potter will keep quiet all this week, demur
on dead Ben gall which he testified meant
A1cCullocn VIII not sell SOlQ tn1S week, Duy
$50 600 gold short Ward was a witness be-
lore the managers of the Impeachment, and
testified shat he was one of the Presidents
friends and you cou d count them all on your
fingers" During the impeachment, Ward al
SO issued the invitations to that dinner at
which Woolly gor SO drunk that he sw1re be
did not know what he did with his corruption
money. -t.,s
u Sam Ward naturally does not like General
Butler, so that he has conspired with Atkinson
fhn Ifra1 In cfr,a
and to provide the people with a candidate for
Congress. 1t will be seen that he proposes to
pay for one running and insure his life for the
benefit of his family.
The gentleman whom Ward honors with
preference (and he does not always prefer q
man, but usually person in mans clothes, as
his contdant) having declined, the people of
the district will be curious to know who is
Sam Wards candidate to he "trotted out"
Monday next, for how much his life is insured
aud how much has been subscribed for the
benefit of the candidates family. But have
kept you from this delicious telegram too long.
| specially commend its poetry as showing
low the love of gold can inspire the muse.
Here it is: .,...
l WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept 26, 1868
Hon. Il. atkinson, Boston:
Am credibiy informed Dana declined NOM
nation to Fifth District because he cannot
spare time from his profession Are there not
enough wealth and public spirit amoug YOU to
insure his life or otherwise indemnify his fam
lily for the sacrifice, and thus prevent your
timc-honored Common wealth from being again
dsgraced by the "Great Inscriptions"
"Wlom friends and fees alike despise:
Whose soul squints through his devious eyes
In which, and in his face you
The devils Hkeliest eisy" SAM'L WARD.
. ~. VERY t uly yours.
BBNJiMIN Z. BUTLER.
ATKNsoN's REJoINDER.
But the matter was not suffered to drop
here, for Mr.. Atkinson raplied in as vigorous
trims as Butler himself could employ. After
stating he had met Mr.. Ward at dinner par
ty IN Washington and had no further knowl
edge of him except the dispatch quoted above,
he c)ntinues: HH
replied to this message by letter of which
l kept no COPY, but to this effect: "Mr. Dana
has not declined a nomination in the 9Th dis
trict for any reason such as you allege" Gen
Butler has become possessed of copy of the
message from Mr.. Ward, and thereupon makes
the following charge against myself: "Sam
Ward naturally does not like Ben Butler so
that he has conspirrd with Atkinson to man.
age the politics in the 9Th district and to pro.
vide the people with a candidate for Congress"
have some questions to put to Gen. Butler
No copy of that telegraph message has gone
out from my office; the original had been seen
only by myself and by the clerk who filed it
with my private papers. therefore ask Gen.
Butler 3 ,It
First-How did you get your copy of that
message? ~ -
Second-Did you bride clerk in the office
of the telegraph company? ..,-.
Third Did you conspire with Mr.. Samuel
Ward to send that message to me and to fur
nish you with a copy?
Fourth-What excuse have you to give for
printing private message which, unless you
received it from the gentleman with whom you
allege that have conspired, you knew could
only be in your possession through breach of
trust?
Except you received it from Mr. Ward, you
stand in the position OF receiver of stolen
goods!" If you received it from Mr.. Ward,
you are his confidant and fellow-consprator
notL. 1 beg Mr.. Wards pa don for these i'm
putations against him; from what | know OF
h 10 do not believe lie would conspre with
you or trust you in any bargain. You have
made the charge of conspiracy against him. l
have very slight acquant nee with him. Gen.
Butler 1T is for you to give or refuse answers
10 these questions. In my argument upon your
financial views ! believe have treated you as
gentleman. Have made a mistake in 80
doing?
In the first part of your letter YOU make an
other charge against me, and in your statement
OF the Case you conceal an important fact /
nave said that I, as an officer of a corporation
p1la note to a savings bank in greenbacks
"n'Sn were at the time worth only 68 cents on
q uo'la' ana which greenbacks had reason to
oeilese tne Dank invested IN 5 20 bonds. You
no" alSse I Ie pad that note as an individ-
ual, aud so detrauded the bank Yon concaaI
the fact that as an officer of corporation was
compelled to pay its notes in lawfnI ,n, n
but you admit that unless that bank raoa;usss,
its payment in gold for the 20 bonds it viii be
deffauded, and you are tho man who PROMISES
the measures that you admit will defraud thai
bank and others. The government has pro-
tected that bank and all other holders Of its
500 bonds by promising them payment in
coined dollars, and in the meantime paving its
interest IN in gold, and yen propose to repudiate
tnaI promise. No fraud will occur and no one
WIZ De injured if public faith be kept.
nope that the honest and honorable record
of the 9TH district will no longer he furnished
Dy a representative who can only promote his
own reelection by the dishonorable use of a
private Geographic message, of which he can
only have become possessed through bribe,v or
a breach of trust, or by collision with the nar-
son who sent the message to me. fo-
Among the late conversions to Republicans