The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-04-28

w HAYNES, NJ. Fockler, T. Fockier, A.
Fockler, ]. n. Fredericks, Jas. b. Howard.
JoHSsrowN, April IA, 1870.
To Messrs Potts, Kopelin. Hannah. Barnes.
Ellis, McLane. LevcTgOod ,Fockler, Mooney,
O'Connell, and others:
Gentlemen Your request is Of such a
character, that would not feel at liberty to
withhold the evidence which is in my pcs
session, on the subject you refer to. 1t is
certainly right and proper that our people
should have the privilege of scrutinizing the
conduct of each and every gentleman who
acted as a committee in endeavoripg to pass
the bill for the removal of the county seat
from Ebensburg to Johnstowp, and indeed
of every person who took an active part IN
the measure / present to yoa, therefore,
copy of Mr.. Pershing' 3 letter, accompanying
my statement, for publication, or such use
as yon may think proper to make of it.
/ would have published this letter, with
full explanation oD the sahject. sooner. but /
preferred to let the excitement caused by the
defeat of the bill in some measure subside,
notwit hstanding the outrage perpetrated on
myself, not to speak of that committed on our
people. is perhaps without parallel. Had
the personal, professional or political rela-
tions existing between Mr.. Pershing and
myself been of az unfriendIy character, this
gross outrage. making me the dupe and tool
to execute as il were the death warrant of
oar people, would not have caused me so
much pain. l pass over this, however, for
the present, and proceed to give you as full
a statement and history of the matter as |
doubt not will enable our people to form
correct judgment and pass their verdict ao-
cordipgly.
1t is proper to state in the first place. in
order that all may correctly understand the
subject, that Mr.. PershiDg took an active
part in the passage of the bill up to the time
it came before the House. He attended our
meetings and or mere than one occasion
spoke warmly in its favor. He gave me,
previous to the bill coming MP on hearing
before the committee, two letters to personal
friends-one a prominent member of the
Democratic side, the other leading member
on the Republican side of the House. These
letters were, as such letters should be, in open
envelopes. After the bill passed the COM
mittee of the House, Mr.. Pershing signed the
petition favoring its passage He went to
Harrisburg with Messrs. Boggs, Campbell,
Barnes, and myself, as a committee to advo-
cate its passage, on Monday the 28th of
February. 1t was expected to be on the
Private Calendar on Tuesday following, but
did not come up on that day, as no Private
Calendar had been made up by the clerks,
hence it lay over until the following Tues
day. Mr.. Pershng and / remained until
Tuesday evening. when we returned, leaving
Mcssrs. Boges. Campbell and Barnes behind.
They returned on Friday night, and on Sat
Crday morning informed me that some of the
leading members in favor of the bill instruct
ed them that it was of the utmost importance
to get Mr.. Pershing there on the next Mon
day. to see four of the Democratic members,
whose names he gave. l saw Mr.. Pershiug
on this subject. but he informed me that he
was compelled TO attend court at Eeensburg
on that day. When reported his reply to
Messrs. Boggs and Campbell. they requested
me to get letters from him to those four
members and take them with me the 5
a. IN. train on Monday. / promised them l
would do so, and called on Mr.. Pershing for
that purpose. As there were two of the
| gentlemen with whom. as he stated. he had
no acquaintance, did not insist on him wri-
ting to them, but took letters to Messrs
Brown and Schnatterly, the other two mem
bers named. 1 was somewhat surprised.
when he handed me the letters, to flnd they
were sealed. / did not like to intimate to
him, however, that this was wrong, lest he
might suppose | had no confidence in him
being with US. He merely told me the sub
staLce of one sentence in the letters, which
repeated to MIR. Barnes few minutes after
wards, and which was as follows: 1.-THE
naked proposition to move the county seat
might at first sight seem inequitabe, but
the clause submitting it to vote of the peo.
pie would relieve it of that feature.''
l delivered Mr.. Brown his letter either on
Monday evening or Tuesday morning.
! learned shortly after my arrival that Mr.
| Schnatterly had paired off on our bill with 6
| member in favor of it, and had gone home
| On Tuesday morning we endeavored TO see
as many members of the House before the
| opening of the session as possible General
| Campbell aud Mr.. Boggs exeited themselve:
on the Republican side and on the Demo
cratic side. We noticed Mr.. Brown exertns
himself with tie Democratic members, as we
! hoped then. in our favor, while we knew .tba
| Captain Porter was then laboring hard with
| both sides against rs. 1t is due to him tt
say, however, that be did not deceiUe US. HI
| gave US fair notice that he would do all in
| his power to defeat the bill. saw the great
| er number of the Democratic mem bers, bu
| could get nothing definite or favorable from
| them. Several of them inquired of me i
there was anything political iG it. replied
there was not--that both parties in our plac,
| were almost unit in favor Oft. was ther
asked the question how it would affect ou
party politics in the county. I replied tha
/ thought it would strengthen our party il
the south of the county. | also told then
that Mr.. Pershing. who had been our candi
date for Judge of the Supreme Court las
fall was in favor of it--that his name wa
to The petition--that he had given me letter.
to members on the subject, and that they
would recollect the fact that he had been will
us as committee on the previous Tuesday
To all this they made no reply.
/ then informed Boggs and Campbell tha
it was made political issue on the Demo
cratic side. and that they would find th'
members on that side would be almost /;
unit against it. They did not seem to agree
: