The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-05-06
/ give the concluding paragraph Of


the report, drawn by Judge Noell
The committee, therefore, End,
from the evidence which is herewith
submitted, nothing showing that
there was a condition precedent de-
manded from +. NJ. Case for his APP
poinlmcut as Surveyor General Of
the Territory Of Colorado, or for the
appointment of any Of his subordi
potes, by Hon, j. NJ. Ashley, and the
evidence clearly showing no illegal
or corrupt act on the part Of said
Ashley touching said appointments,
ask to be discharged from the fur
thcr consideration Of the subject"
During tho investigation l did not
appear, either in person or by attor.
n,S, before tho committee TO defend
myself from the charges OF my assah
ants, az | now know from experience
ought to have done. Knowing that
intended to DO no improper act, |
submitted the whole matter to the COM
mitloo without an effort on my part
at defense, aud only came before the
committee when sent for TO be exam
ined.
So far from any emotion having
been made to punish or censure me,
as charged IN the article which you
publish, no such motion was made
either in tho committee or in the
House Of Representatives, as the rec
ords will show.
| served ten years as a member Of
the Committee on Territories; eight
years as chairman. During that
time sovon new Territories we're or.
ganized, to wit: Dakota, Colorado,
Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Montana
and Wyoming; and ;wo new States,
Nevada aud Nebraska, were admitted
to the Union In this ten years my
opportunities have been ample for
securing lands at or near the pros
pectivo cities and towns in all these
new Territories. Had been so dis.
posed | could have done 80, not on
ly by purchasing at Government
rico, but by gift. The fact that
never did purchase an acre, nor any
one from me, aud that | never per-
mitted an acre to be decided to me,
nor To any one for me, ns q gift, and
that | do not now and have never
owned, directly nor indirectly, nu in
tcrost in lands or town lots in any Of
the Territories to the value of a dol
lar, is the best evidence | can offer
that ! have not been very anxious to
engage in land speculations in the
Territories.
In 1865 | travelled over the conti-
ncut and back, visiting Colorado,
Utah, Montana, Idaho, and Wash-
ington, aud what is now Wyoming.-
Gentlemen at all familiar with new
countries know how easily person
in the position then held could
have been put in' to all the paper
city schemes ho desired, and on his
own terms.
In the face Of my repeated indorse
mcuts at homo in the face Of au Of
fetal Investigation fully and COM
pletely cxoncrating me and in the
flco of the testimony of men Of the
highest character, who know me in
timatcly, am charged, as a public
man, with fraud and corruption, and
arraigned aud branded as felon in
your paper.
These charges will bo garblcd aud
A.
forms, aud be read by tens Of thou.
sands who will never SEQ their dcnial.
so that a wrong, .A,hsit-t''ft'S 4 VII be ~
- ~ S,uSss.s.enposs6!o to repair, is done
me.
AS rule. have permitted my
constituents and my personal friends
10 defend me against all such unjust
and uufounded charges, relying on
them and my character where known
to vin6icato me,
Now, however, I am about to 90 to
new aud distant community, the
great majority of whose people must,
for some years be personally straD :
gers to mo. In advance of me will
90 this hurtful charge, with the
weight OF your Endorsement, Unless
you correct tho wrong done me, | can
only disabuso the minds of thousands
which your article will prejudice
against me, by years Of patient toll
and fidelity to duty,
can only add, in conclusion. and
as an earnest ofwhat l write, that il
any man can show by evidence which
will satisfy any special committee in
either House of Congress that have
ever belonged to the whisky ring" "
tho "Indiau ring, or any other"ring"
organized to delraud or make money
out of the Government, or that | ever
engaged, directly or indirectly, in
buying whisky or gold during my
term of service in the House, or that
| over made n dollar because Of any
vote | gave in Congress, or that |
ever obtained contract from the
Government during the war OF since
for any one, or that | ever bought or
accerted any land or town lots as u
girt in any of the Territories, or that
during my entire term of service in
Congress | ever did any corrupt or i'm
proper act as Representative, | will
resign the position to which have
been appointed AS Governor of Monta-
ua, position which | prefer to any In
the gilt Of the President.
Respectfully, j. NJ, ASHLEY.
WAsnINGroN Cry, April 81, 1869,