The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-26
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY eG, 1870.
WILL CAMERON OR WILSON SPEAK
OVTp

lisbed in THE TELEGRAPH, giving the inside
history of Mr.. Cameron's retirement from the
Lincoln Cabinet, has been very generally dis
cussed by the leading journals of the country,
and especially by the press of the State. 1t
is worthy of notice that the journals in Penn
sylvania friendly to Mr.. Cameron have uni
formly evaded the issue by personal assaults
upon Mr. Mcclure, thus ignoring the great
question of political history involved in the
controversy, while the more independent and
impartial Republican papers have, with one
accord, demanded q thorough examination
and settlement of the disputed facts.
Who or what Mr.. Mcclure is politically or
personally, in the estimation of Mr. Cameron
and his retainers, is not material to the ques-
tion. 1t is enough to know that he was init
mate in the political counsels of Mr.. Lincoln,
and had rare opportunities of knowing the
secret operations of the administration. He
was Chairman of the Republican State Com
mittee in 1860, when Mr.. Lincoln was elected,
and was one of the delegates at large from
this State in the Baltimore Convention of
1864, when Mr.. Lincoln was renominated.
The fact that he is not in official position, and
therefore without official power to influence
the actions of men who can sustain or refute
his grave allegations, gives the vantage
ground to Mr.. Cameron, if the truth can be
made to fit his case; and Mr.. Cameron owes it
to himself, to his friends, and to history to
meet this issue squarefy. If Mr.. Mcclure is
in the wrong, he can be crushed in an hour
by the testimony of men who are close by Mr..
Cameron in the Capital Building.
But Senator Wilson, and not Mr. Mcclure,
Is responsible for thrusting this issue before
the country. In a recent magazine article
that was furnished to the press, with his
name as author, he declared that Mr.. Came
ron proposed to resign provided some one
should be appointed not unfriendly to his
policy" that he (Cameron) suggested the ap-
pointment of Mr.. Stanton;" and that ''he
President acted upon his (Cameron's) sugges-
tion, accepted his resignation, and rendered
him the mission to Russia" This paragraph
appears in an elaborate article prepared by
Senator Wilson to portray the patriotism and
services of Mr.. Stanton. 1t was not essential
to his article. 1t had no connection with
Mr.. Stanton's career, unless Mr.. Wilson de-
signed to prove that Mr.. Stanton was but the
creation of Mr.. Cameron, and selected TO per-
petuate his policy. The issue was thus pre-
scented TO the country by Senator Wilson,
man we'll known in Pennsylvania, and appre-
ciated as upright and truthful, and presumed
to be familiar with any political topic he
would undertake to treat in a magazine
article.
The issue having been presented by a
<,antlap,o,, xpbO,, ,,ublio u,o,,1d H.,
incline to credit, Mr.. Mcclure very properly
met it by counter declarations of most
startling nature. He does not evade the re-
sponsibility of the issue he has raised He
does not insinuate or speculate upon proba.
bilities. He assumes TO speak from personal
knowledge, and stakes his PERSONAL reputation
upon tho correctness Of his allegations. He
makes the issue well knowing that all the
appliances of power would be against
him in prosecuting the inquiry; but he
boldly dsfes contradiction, and Mr.
Wilson cannot, in justice to hi,
reputation remain silent. If Mr. McClures
charges, were in any sense equivocal or am
biguous, or if he put upon others the respon
sibility of establishing what he asserts
Senator Wilson might decline to engage in
rowing controversy; but Mr.. Mcclure declares
that he "sdW tie letter" from Mr.. Lincoln tt
Mr.. Cameron, ''soon after 6t lad been dc
Ljpered." He adds that "the letter wa
delivered by Mr.. Chase, and he declares tina
the letter subsequently published as Mr.
Lincoln's acceptance of Mr.. Cameron's resig
nation soGs not that letter, but a tOt0Wy dit
.ferent letter
Nor does he rest the matter wholly on hi
own assertion. He declares that one or NOR
persons were present when that letter wa
seen by him, and that the preparation of
correspondence, ante dating the removal, an
giving Mr. Cameron's retirement the Gppe0,
ance ofa cordial resignation, "was suggeste
to Mr.. Cameron in my (McClures) presence.
Who was present, Mr.. Cameron must know
and if Mr.. Mcclure is wrong, he can be sue
cessfully answered Why does not Mr.. Cam,
ron do it2 He cannot affect that the alleys
tions are unworthy of his notice, for he hs
noticed them in q manner so violent that
confesses his disposition to crush the autht
of it were it in his power to do so. And WI
does not Senator Wilson notice it, when h
own historical statement is SO pointedly ar
so materially contradicted? Cannot he answ
without compromising himself or is he 7
strained by Senator Cameron from answe
ing2 The Republicans of Pennsylvan
would expect from Mr.. Wilson that he shou
acknowledge SO grave an error, if he has col
mitted it; and if he has not committed L
error charged to him, he should have no col
FUNCTIONS about ending the pretensions