The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-12-20


Ma Eptroa; Feeling myself fnjured by 4
tot,es which has been widely circulsted, ssk
a place Id your paper 10 ordg NAV nay
make q yiadisstlon 81 %y,elf an ai.;
a. a eonspirstor, defamer, and one who hiss
circulated false aud malicious stories against
the Commissioner Of Pensions These are
grave charges against ny psifsoin,M. ensrao,er,
for the good OF the Pension Department that
my services be dispensed with, J an satlsned
With the situstioni but fall TO sec what
tempted destruction Of my character. The
story the repetition Of which led to my dis
nii:si from 6fice 10 sit..dy before the public
n The arer e .h. and ot ,s se ei',e nS
am in no way responsible fot then.
when my superior ofncsr, the Secretary Of
the Interior, sent for me, and requested me to
tell him all know In relstion to certain dis.
reputable affair concerning Commissioner Van
Aernam, and at the same time said II should
in no way DO to my disadyantsgei that wn
H low 10 me ia any way / believed that he
meant Whist he said, and told him what had
heard, and the msnuer In which hsd come
into possession Of the Information, Again,
after the matter had been fully Investigated
by tho Secretary, when he sent for me to tell
me that he hsd discovered that the whole
affair was fabrication, but that l vas 10 no
way censurablc, that on the contrary, my
course had been frank, manly and strais htfof:
ward. I felt fully assured that as he had used
his authority to obtain this Information, to
the same extent would he use It to protect me
in my piads, That he has not done so IL proven
by the fact OF my removal. have been 10
public life long enough to know that II IL not
safe to prefer charges against high officials.
Aerusm are aware that never pretended to
know anything about these reports except
what I had heard Whether they be true or
false IL not for me to say. Ideny that / ever
| sioner Van Aernam or any one else, or that
| repeated those that knep to be false or mall.
| cious-ueither do believe that either OF these
gentlemen thing that did. But q sacrifice
must be made; nothing less than "tho pound OF
| flesh" would sutlce. So, from the number, l
was selected, not becsuse was more guilty
than Others, else would not Com missioner
Van Aernsm hsrc offered to reiustate me on
coalition that would reveal the names Of
| others who had spoken Of the stories which
are anoat concerning him-but for rcasons
hest known to himself
years, and am fully endorsed BY the prsdeces
| sors OF Commissioner FanAernAm and Hons,J
II. Barrett U. q. Cox, also, have In the do
| parimsnt strong testiu onisls from prominen I
| gentlemen OF my native state, Pennsylvanis,
endorsing my integrity Of character, &c. Aftei
my dismissal, Asked that my papers might
be returned to ne las knew wss the practice
.ns y !, many n, might I
OF my character, and not, as was inst nunted "a
use 10 some other department to obtain a
place. 80 ....
copies OF them. There;wsfe others on hie in tho
Commissioners roomj these, after several
efforts; received. Fortunately, among them
are copies OF those which the Secretary had on
Now, Mr.. Editor, 1 make these statement.
without malice but In Justice to myself This il
the least could have saidi perhaps should
say more butwiil not for the present;
WASHINGTON, December, isco.