Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-01-06

The Slight to Mr.. Johnson-An Explana-
tion in Reference to the workmen'a Din
ner-Backstair Interference.
To the Editor of the London Times:
SIR: My name having been most un-
pleasantly and unfairly prominent in
connection with the above disgraceful
business, will you kindly allow me to
place the facts before your readers? /
plead guilty to having proposed that a
workingman's dinner to Mr.. johnson
should be given. l did SO for the follow
ing reasons: ! had just been treated with
extreme kindness by men Of all classes
in America, and wished to do anything
which lay in my power to show some
gratitude. / had been kindly treated
because | was in some sort representa-
tive of English werkmen, aud what, there
fore, was more natural than that should
suggest, as the American Minister was
receiving invitations from all parts of the
country that he should be invited to meet
q number of workingmen. / also thought
from what | had witnessed in the United
States that friendly message from &
acceptable there for various reasons than
any number of good wishes from men in
the higher ranks of English society. I
mentioned the matter to the men--a few
of whose names / inclose for publica-
tion or not, as you think it-and at their
request / invited Mr.. johnson, who,
thinking with me that few kindly words
spoken to his countrymen by workmen
here would have good effect, most cor
daily accepted the invitation. Every
thing was arranged, the date fixed, an
address to Mr.. johnson fully discussed
and agreed upon, aud number of tickets
sold, when some gentlemen who are in
the habit of giving private advice to
prominent workingmen, pointed out to
some of my friends that they had made q
mistake in electing me as their chairman,
because four years ago / had written
some letters, which they did not approve,
to the editor of the Times Although /
had been voted to the Office with only one
dissentieht, after the merits of three caa-
didates had been freely discussed, told
our secretary, who showed me one of the
letters he had received, that | thought
his correspondents were no better than
old women, but would myself propose
that Mr.. Odger should preside to prevent
any unpleasantness. / did so, and he
was accepted. The men who had thus
privately driven me from the chair now
directed that our meetings should be held
at the Reform League Office at least, am
so entitled to believe, for in spite of my
recommendation in favor of another ad-
dress-l50 Strand-which was placed at
our disposal, and was in every way
more suitable place, the members of our
committee, who are in frequent corre
spondence with their middle-class ad-
vlsers, made such determined opposition
that and my more immediate friends
waived the matter, and to the Reform
League office we went. Here Mr.. Besles
appeared on the scene-l may be misin-
formed, but, as far as | know-unin-
vited. He walked up and down among
us while we were waiting for Mr.. Odgers
arrival. in a manner which made me
think he was embarrassed, and to set
him at bis ease l said, Gentlemen, as
Mr.. Beales has honored US with his pres
ence, | think he should be invited to
take the chair tonight" Mr.. Beales did
take the chair, and-I trust he will ex-
cuse me for saying so-that friendly act
of his completed the disorgauisation
which the private letters of his friends
had already introduced into our COM
mittee. When Mr.. Odger had presided
the week before he had shown great tact
in regulating the discussion; Mr.. Beales
exhibited none. Members of the Reform
League were allowed to say all
sorts of silly things, while the chair
man sat as grave and patient as if they
were talking sense, and, to crown the
matter, although he was two or three
times reminded that the press was repre-
sented, he delivered solemn speech 10
which the only point which could detect
was that the workingmen Of London,
whose real representative he (the chair
mani was, would do we'll to cautiously
weigh the matter before they conveyed
auy compliment to Americans through a
Tainted medium ii. e., the American
Minister. who had honored us by accept
ing our invitation. A foreign gentleman
who was present, and called himself
Citizen Something" said he repre-
sented some international body of work
men who were Of opinion that Mr.. John
son was unworthy to meet them. and |
in spite Of the substance Of your leading
article being sgain and again repeated 10
argument by myself and others-the |
members of the Reform League and the |
foreign gentleman either could or would |
not see that there was anything for it but
to insult our expected guest The reports
of this meeting had the effect of disgust
ing every decent man on the committee,
and was on every hand advised to with
draw at once. Feeling, however, that if
Mr.. Johnson was to be communi-
Gated with it had better be done by men
Who would at least be certain not to
90 down ard shake their fists iu
his face, ! attended one more meet
ing of the committee, and made one
more appeal to the gentlenanly feeling
Of the minority. 1t failed, aud not think
ing the matter would become so public,
I endeavored to put it in the mildest
form consistent with truth, and, If fpossi-
Bile, screen even those whose want Of de-
eency and want of sense had made them
unable to screen themselves. Hence
my letter to Mr., johnson and bis reply,
-. II ...~tok /