Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-03-31
QDbiJ Statesman,
WASHINGTON LETTER.
from the cinsiun.si coun.rsl.l.l
wAsHINGroN, March 81, 1868.

4vrat VncAAlNWAVN LIZA HAss i I'd
.rs tFrom the Cincinnati Oomnsrelal.l
sSnn w WAsHINGToN, March 81, 1868.
so ''ie STURDY OLD BEN. a'i a'ia = e
"Lord, Lord, how this world is given
to lying.'' But whether the lying is
done by sturdy old Ben. Wade is with
unparalleled unanmity by all who un-
dertake to write about him, not settled
question yet. / had an interview with
sturdy old Ben. last fall wrote about
it to the Commercial, lengthily, and I'll
swear ,truthfnlly-but, sturdy old Ben.
said 1t was all a id lie. He never
said Grant talked horse; oh, no, not he;
and az for the profanity with which that
letter of mine was favored, why, bless
your souls that was pure malice on my
part. "I'll be d-d to hell if ever I
swors ipimy. lifs,n' said sturdy old Ben.
lin denying the contents of that letter,
and made other high-toned remarks
which couldn't insert in the Commercial
without translating from the original
Benwadese-the American court lam
|gusge of the near future, gentle reader.
"Misery loves company = and I am
happy to know that I am not alone In
the enjoyment of sturdy old Ben.'s
wrathfdl denunciation. l had previous
lily. an associate in the person of one of
the editors of the New York Times, to
whom sturdy old Ben. gave the lie for a
report Of his agrarian speech in Kansas,
and on the question Of veracity thus
growing up, Fornsy assured the country
that sturdy old Ben.'s word was as good
as his bond-which take to be fair
warning to sturdy old Ben.'s bondhold-
ers to sell out at sacrifice. To Mr..
Seymour Of the Times, and the infamous
and unprinciplsd Mack of the CONNER,
ciaz, is now added Mr.. George Alfred
Townsend, who, 1t seems, has been gross
ly slandering sturdy old Ben. Forney
decides the case against Townsend as
circumstantial evidence, to-wit: the use
of profane and ungrammatic language
He says it can not. be true that sturdy
old Ben. spoke i'll of Mr.. Chase because
Townsend represents him to have done
it in language at once irreverent and un-
syntactic.i That's Forney all over; but
TO- my mind the representation of sturdy
old Ben. without a swear to every other
word, would be primd tacie evidence Of
fiction. Fifteen minutes as a gentleman
would ruin sturdy old Ben., by destroy
ing his strong hold upon the American
heart, which is7called blufness in him,
but goes by the unsayory title of boor-
ishness in others. - 10 ''ts<
3 But sturdy old Ben says it's a id
lie, and the question of veracity comes
up between him and Mr.. Townsend, as
to whether he did or did not abuse Mr.
Chase and the Clevelaad Leader. ]
have, seen gentlemen who were present
at the conversation, and they concur in
vouching the truth of Mr.. Townsend's
statement, except that it omits much Of
sturdy old Ben.'s blasphemy. Mr.
Townsend addressed him respectfully as
an applicant for pass to the reporters
gallery, as the correspondent of the
Leader, whereupon sturdy old Ben
launched forth into a torrent of bias
phemous invective against the Leader as
"a Cd dId Chase paper" and all
that sort of thing. lam glad of it. ]
rejoice that Mr.. Seymour, of the Times
and myself have found partner in dis
tress. The Leader pouhced on me last
fall, picked up sturdy old Ben.'s disclaim
er, and brandished it in my face. "G-d
d-d Chase paper" eh! How does the
Leader like it? When the scriptura
ragamufins made sport of venerable
gentleman, who had no hair on the tor
of his head in the place where the WOO
ought to grow, grow, grow, the bears
got after them. The Leader made NOR.
than sport of me, and a bear has got aftel
1 it. The Leaders experience will bs
like mine, that every time you refer Il
sturdy old Ben.'s record, you "wake tt
ecstacy the living Tyre" under sligh
photographed modification. Won
somebody else try their hand at the bus
mess. The noble army of martyrs il
increasing. Three d-d liars will d
for start-Seymour, Of, the New Yorl
Times, the undersigned and Mr.
Townsend. All who want to join ou
brigade must first call on sturdy oil,
Ben. and write something about him
Sturdy old Ben! bluff old Beni dea
old Ben! sweet old Ben truthful oil,
Ben! e&1 ssL
THE IMPEACHMENT.
I. The subject of impeachment and it
probable result offers prolific theme 70
j speculation in the newspapers, but
need not say that nothing is or can b
known on the subject until the final vot
lis taken. Senators are very reticen
even among themselves. I am told 'tha
they abstain from discussing the suIjec,
and newer mention it even in private .
There are those who pretend to hay
positive assurance that certain Republ
:. cans will vote in the negative-enoug
| of them to acquit the President. But
doubt if they have any thing more tina
guess-work to guide them to the happ
conclusion The outside pressure j
nearly all in favor of conviction, an
comes exclusively from men who expet
Office under Mr.. Wade-not only expec
but have been promised. Mr.. Wade
friends. on the contrary, affect an e,
t+remely Judicial air, and aplastic cond
ton Of mind and conscience on the sui
J. ject, of the Presidents guilt or innocenc
that,is truly wonderful. They want
hear the testimony, they say, and if M
lJohnson is innocent he will be acqui
tied. , All Of which must make Al. fe'
, hopeful. ai,f.55 -
The trial will begin in good earne'
on Monday next, and be continued III
intermittingly to its close. Whatev'