The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-05
UTLER AND ATKINSON.
Spicy Controversy Between the Statts-
ticfan and General

BosToN, Oct. Ito the editor OF she Eoening
1raueder:-l find in your paper of this date a
letter from Benjamin F. Butler, in which he
gives a copy of a private telegraphlc message
which was received by me a few days since
from Mr.. Samuel Ward, of Washington.
have met MIR. Ward in Washington two or
three times, and once at dinner party in
New York, but never bad any communication
from him, by letter or telegraph, before or since
this one.
His message was as follows:-
in F sIc bcanss n pSaa declined
time from his profession. Are there not enough
wealth and public spirit among you 70 iosure his life
ard thus prevent your me-honored commonwealth
from b. Ing again dissracsd by the Great Un-
Whom friends and foes alike despise:
whose soul S sSp1n,s al M through his devious eyes
The DEVILS likeliest efigy.
replied to this message by a letter, OF which
/ kept no copy, but to this effect:-'Mr Dana
bas not declined a nomination in the Fifth Dis
trict for any reason such AS you alege."
General Butler has become possess ed of q COPY
OF the n essage from Mr.. Ward aad thereupon
makes the following charge against mysen:-
SO t6aI Re has son;siIed Win Atkia,Sn % sasss
peSpe % with candidaie ior Congress 70 provide tue
have some questions to put to General Bat
ler. No copy OF tnat telegraphic message has
seen only by myself and by the clerk who fled
1t with my private papers, until his letter ap-
peared. /, therefore, ask General Butler:-
First. How did you get your copy Of that
second. Did you bribe clerk in the office of
the telegraph company?
Third-Do you conspire with Mr.. Samuel
Ward to send that message to me and to furnish
you with a copyl
FouIth-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 DOSspSslOn through breach Of
trust?
Except you received it from Mr.. Ward, you
stand in the position of Receiver of stolen
If you received it from Mr.. Ward, you are his
confident and fellow consprator, notI.
beg MIR. Wards pardon for these imputations
against him; from what know OF him do not
believe he would conspire with you or trust you
in any bargain. You have made the charge of
conspiracy again him. i have very slight
acquaintance with him.
General Butler-lt is for you to give or refuse
answers to these questions. In my argument
upon your financial views | believe treated
you as gentleman. Have made a mistake In
so doing.
In the first part of your letter you make
another charge against me, aud in your state
ment OF the case you conceal an important fact.
have said that l, as an officer OF the corpora
tion, paid note to savings bank in green
backs which were at the time worth only sixty
eight cents on dollar, and which greenbacks
had reason 10 believe the bank invested in five
JWtLly DOIus.
You now sllege that paid that note as an
individual, and so defrapded the bank.
You conceal the fact that, as an officer OF
corporation, | was compelled to pay its notes in
lawful money, but you admit that unless that
bank receives its payment in gold for the Five
twenty bonds ii will be derauded, and you are
the man who proposes the measures that you
ADMIT will defraud that bank and others.
The Government has protected that bank and
al other holders of It's fye-twenty bonds By
promising them payment in coined dollars, and
In the meantime paying Its interest In gold, and
you propose to repudiate that promise.
No fraud will occur and no one will be injured
If public faith be kept.
hope that the honest and honorable record
OF the Fifth District will no longer be tarnished
by representative who can only promote his
own reelection by the dishonoTable use of q
prlVaIe teieeraphic message, OF which he can
only have become possessed through bribery or
a breach ~ trust, or by eollusion with the per-
son who SEM the message to me.
EDWARD ATKINSON.