Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-02-11
STANTON AND THOMPSON.
A Re utatiOR Of the Unlust Charges Of
Judge Johnston. of Cine naati.

oAAS " luStAlg lH6iuSblNGS auu tltS III
famies of their leaders by painting
STANTON in highly-wrought colOrs at
the expense Of gentlemen with whom
he was formerly associated, but from
whom he fell away into the Hades Of
Radicalism. Mr.. BLACK is fully sus-
tanned in his course by those who
know him, and as ace kROJC from
those who knew STANTON intimately,
that person was not only not as
"loysl" as his late political associates
would have US believe, but actually
went so far as 70 encourage the lead
ing Southern Senators in their with
draWal from the Senate in obedience
TO the mandate of their States. The
great % Secretary" was simply
tw0-faced politician at the outset Of
the war. and managed to "tote' wa
ter on both shoulders so as to make
it pay. He ran with the hare
aud kept with the hounds. But,
TO dgr mutton. In the course
of their paaegyrics upon STANTON
the Radicals have exhausted much
fine writing and rhetoric. They have
sung his praises in every key, and ex-
hausted the gamut in their endea-
voTs after new passages, but always
at the expense Of gentlemen whose
names have already been too often
banded about by the enemies Of the
Constitution and the country. One
such effort as this was made by Judge
WILLIAM JOHNSTON, of the Cincinna-
ii bar, who could not let what should
have been a solemn occasion pass
without reviving stale ISLANDERS and
infamous reports which long ago it
was supposed had been disposed Of as
fslsehoods C<Ually are. He went out
of his way to r6,.'iYe the $4,000
Indian bond story with ~Aleh BIZ
JACOB THOSPsON's name had btSea
connected, aud provoked an answer
from that honorable gentleman which
we trust viii forever serve as a denial
and final disposition of the gross libel
upon theeX-Secretary Of the Interior
Here it is, dignified and just. We
hope it viii be read by the friends of
Sir. THOMPSON and given a generous
circulation throughout the South:
To The Members Of The Bar Of Cincinnati:
More than two weeks ago I saw in /
the New York Times what purpOrted 4
10 be extracts from q speech of Judge 1
William Johnston, of Cincinnati, be- /
fore the bar Of that city, "upOn the /
life, service and character of Edwin 4
N. Stanton" I felt unwilling 10 act 1
upon this new paper report without 1
first ascertainifg from Judge John 4
stCn himself as TO its correctness. / |
therefore addressed him a polite let /
ter, asking him if he was correctly /
reported. Ny friend, to whom l in 4
closed the letter, informs me that he 1
searched for Judge Johnston in Gin 4
cinnati, and he was not to be found; /
and that he could not learn when he /
would return TO that city. After the /
lapse OF 50 long a time, and Judge
Johnston does not correct the report
OF his speech, l am bound to presume
its correctness; and as he is absent
from Cincinnati but one course IS left
me, and that is to appeal through the
press to the same audience he ad-
dressed. Conscious of the integrity
and fidelity with which 1 discharged
every duty while in the service of the
United States, l consider myself fortu-
nate in having such an audience, for
there is no class Of citizens so free Of
prejudice, so ready - hear. defend and
maiatain truth and honor, and into
whose hands / would so cheerfully
commit my reputation as into those
Of ihe members of the bar.
In JGdge Johnsten's speech he took
his OWE course to present the char8c-
fer of AlF. Stanton. To this take no
excetiOns. 1}ut, under the division
OF "Buchanan'% Cabinet" he intro
duces my name, end then have
right 10 comment. Ia speaking OF the
members of the Cabinet he says:
l''Tbo,,lpson had stolen S5,OOD,OOJ OF
Indian bonds" Now this Is posi-
tive, unauahied averment, ana II Is
positive, unqualified ialsehood. After
ward he represents floyd ana stanton
in heated alteration uGring a CAB
met meeting, when, hesays, mere
Thompson interpOsed TO rebuke the
insOlence of so new a man in the Cab
met" "AIr. Thompson" said STAN
ton, 81 have been here long enough TO
ind out that you have stolen 5000
OOG. .DOO Of Indian bonds, and
expect 10 stay here till you
are punished for it." Writers OF fic-
zion arrange their facts TO set of the
noble qualities Of their heroes. But
for fear Of Outraging the public taste,
they give TO their facts al least an air
4 gI.A-sNsfv- NUnorl snhnEfnfa ]
Ill. lates this well known rule OF the
authors OF fiction and romance. The
ti11a i,ls- -ee, circumstances and known
,.l,oreeter of the druH3Gtis EersOaCB
five ID, this sfaiSment Of Judge John
s,on's the lie direct; and when he
,,tferfd II. I do not believe a single
Tneuobsr of the bar believed the story,
nor ID [ think Judge Johnston be-
Iieved il. To make his picture COM
1,late in his own estimation, his fruit
ind fancy conceived this feature neoe5-
say. atfa, heagever false, he did not
scruDls, 70 add it.
Ills a vain and idle subterfuge for
Judge .jshnst0n to say he derived
these G.cts from the recorded history
~ tho times ar from conversations
with Mr.. Stanton. IL is simply i'm
,ossible. History Is not a record OF
lies. and it is a gross SANDER OF the
dead K, charge Mr.. Stanton with utter
ing such falsehOOds. o-o
Indian bonds 10 the amount OF SsID,--
mo (which sum Judge Johnston qua
not hesitate to carry up TO 5000, ,O0O),
were al,stFacted from the Interior De-
paftnent while presided over it. AT
my instance, and by my request, a
committee Of Congress thoroughly in
vestigated the whole transaction 4he
repoFt of this committee forms a part
the history of the times. 1t Is found
in the Reports Of Committees Of the
House of Representatives, second ses-
sion, thirty-sixth Congress, Report
No. 78. 1 refer you also TO a state
ment made by me through the col !
lIuns OF the New York Herald, more
than a year ago, which / shall request
the editor to print with this card, IN
reference 70 this abstraction OF lndiah
bouds. Thus you will be advised Oh
All other facts In the case, and you can
sudpe how wantOn and unjustlnaDle 4
Iudge Johnston has been 10 me. /
havs been slandered on this account /
iooo enough, and l ask Of you that /
<sefense only which justice and truth /
80 ma. and that contempt for Judge 1
STobns4op which the slanderer and fal- 1
49, s,,,olv deserve at your hands.