The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-03-04
Hon. James F. Wilson.

The Hon. James +. Wilson, Con-
gresham from the First District.
made vindication Of himself in his
place in the House, on the Oath nit,
against charge of corruption made
against him through the columns of
the Cincinnati cr.,~,tt,, BY ono I.-.;s
A. Thomas, of Dubuque, Iowa.
We give below the greater part of
his defence, as it appears in the
Giotc
Mr.. Wilson, of Iowa. Mr.. Speak
en- | do not rise to request an oppor-
tunity to enter personal explana-
uon on the records of this House, but
TO demand the right OF personal vim
dlcation. For nearly eight years |
have been in the public service in
this House, and | had honed tn rc.
---. i've. ,ri. h o,,,-.L Il, "a -, -
eAc'lihS scenes Of the past eipht
years, and not, until now, have I had
l lald at my door a charge of corrup.
tlon. But it meets me now upon nv
outsoln; from the scenes and associs-
TONS OF this Hall, and challenges nv
prob'ty as a public servant.
In the Cincinnati (Ohio) Gazette
~ nc iYth instant appeared the fol.
lowing headlines and communica-
'ion, which give in full, namely:
Here follows the letter of Thomas
IN full making the charge, which, on
account of its great length is too
cumbersome for our columns. The
slst OF The charge is, that the Hon.
VIM. Allison, of the Sd District. the
Hon. \. W. Hubbard, ex-member
from the 9th District, and the Hon
James +. Wilson, of the LIST District
III 1864, succeeded by their efforts in
oisfess to divert the Railroad which
had originally been projected to run
westward from Sioux City, Iowa, to
connect with the Pacific Railroad %
as 10 run down on the cast side ofthe
missouri river, connecting with the
Pacific Railroad at Omaha. This
road down the river is called the
SIOUX City 4 Pacific Railroad &c
which John !. Blair of New jersey.
is President.
- IS also charged against Senator
Harlan that he knew of this mot.o,.
and could as sec'y of the interior
pave arrested the fraud if he bad do
sired to do SO.
inns man Thomas, it seems, was a
sort Of Independent candidate last
'a", IN Allison's district, for Congress,
ana received all told only one hun.
dred and forty-nine votes. It would
seem that he is sore head of very
small calibre, and has wofullv deco;v
ed the Cincinnati Gazette in procnr.
ing that paper to publish his infa.
nous libel On four of Iowa's distin.
guished sons.]
After the reading of the letter Mr..
wilson speaks as follows:
How am | to meet this charge and
editorial Endorsement? When nine
Gays more shall have passed nv con.
9iesslonal career will have ended
1 hls bret time will not admit ofsucb |
an Investigation as would seem proner |
IN tins case as it is presented by this |
most false and libelous writer, who |
oates ms letter at Dubuque, lows.
more than one thousand miles dis
taht from this capital. In view Of
, .hese lac's what more is left to me
lhah TO denounce this entire charge as
' "a IN every part, and as, to me at
'Lls time; an lnexplicable exhibition
Of personal malignity and hate ?-
" nat has prompted this thing do
not know, and ali the more wondor
al Its coming in these closing DAYS of
my congressional career. Never be.
ore have sIch shadows crossed nv
oath, though these date back four
ears or more, for the facts out Of
which they claim to have been form.
d lle IN that distant past. Most foul
~ intamousl Is this cruel Islander. the
offspring of a licentious
'rsss. Lam glad that even nine DAYS
re left to mo in which to denounce
ne monstrous wrong done to me by
his foul accusation. From the he.
mining to the cad, as it may affect
~ integrity, pronounce it infa-
lously false and atioclously cruel :
nd here, IN the presence Of those !;
.lih whom have endeavored to =
eve the nation in its hour of peril :
80 It's day of triumph, l stamp this !, !,
a'e SANDER il t the dust, and grind :,
to powder with that true statement !,
tins case which is to follow in this =
y personal yindication.
Mr.. Speaker, no man knows nv Il