Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-03-18

interest on Ln1L dcCUull. NJ man WIZ
is personally acquainted with Mr..
Thompson would require anything
more than that the flsehood should
be left to refute itself. Bat we have
thought proper to publish this letter
for the benefit Of others, inasmuch as
one SANDER is thought to be 50 swift
winged as to make it a matter Of diff
Guilty for a dozen corrections and
truths to catch up with it.
SPRINGPORT, MISSISSIPPI,
February 25, 1870.
Editors appeal: For years past 1
have carefully avoided mingling in
g affairs of state, " and on all questions
of a political or public character, and
should maintain that purpose and
course of action inviolate in the pres
ent instance, did ! not spprehend my
silence would be most unjust to q very
distinguished, faithful and honorable
public servant Of former year., who
has been most wantOnIy and mali
ciously sIandered, again and again, on
some points, which former incidents
and events gave me an opportunity OF
knowing something about. In your
issue Of the 18th inst, an article from
your pen, followed by a letter from
the. distinguished gentleman Hon.
Jacob Thompson, eX-Sacretary Inte-
riOr Department under Buchauan),
whom l auude to, under the head of
Thompson and Stanton" in which
the former takes Judge Johnson, OF
Cincinnati, to task in no very meas
ured bat surely well deserved and
merited terms for a repetition of these
vile ISLANDERS, and recalls to my men,
ory tc0 facts and incidents which go
far to sustain the truth of every word
which Colonel Thompson utters, and,
indeed, which it seems to me no sane
man can doubt. If l am not mistaken
in dates, q have no means of correct
ing them before me, if 1 am,9 Mr..
Stanton took his seat in Mr.. Buchan-
ans cabinet about the time my State
(SOuth CarOlina) seeded, (the very
day. l Think tO-wit: the 10th De-
cember, 1860. 1 had the honor, at
that time, TO represent the Fifth South
Carolina District in Congress, and had
done so from 1855, previously. 1t will
he remembered that Nj. Buchanan and
the South Carolina delegation in Con-
greSs Save and except myself had
entered into a kind Of diplomatic
treaty, political, practical, or any
other name its friends may call
it, ''to preserve the StQtu quo OF
Charleston HarbOr." That Is, Fort
Sumter should not be occupied
by United States troops, the troops re-
supplied, and they should remain on
the main land at Fort Moultrie, etc.
This was the . StdtU quo" meant, and
which was signed by all my colleagues
but myself, but which, for reasons not
necessary here to mention, l utterly
refused to do. SO 500 as the TACT be-
came known in Congressional circles,
that the +" stdtu quo" had been agreed
upon, it was understood that Mr.. Blu
chanan had committed a great fdHE
pas, a political bIunder, and was
Over-reached-and indeed, | am sure,
thought so himself-fOr the sentiment
and feeling with which it was received
on the part of the friends Of the South
was one of great triumph, while the
reverse was the case with those who
were opposed to the South and to
him? and yet, as we all knew, it in
jured him and benefited his enemies
North. 1t threw MIN into great per-
turbation ana trouble, at any rate, and
during the early part of the night Of
the Odd, he sent n of his Secre-
taries to my rooms at Wizards
with a card containing a most
earnest solicitation that l would
grant him an immediate interview.
and to accompany his Secretary iR-
StGnter TO the White House. This I
peremptorily refused to do, as l had
previously, to be present at several OF
his and my colleagues interviews, for
reasons l need not here mention. The
Secretary took his departure, and re-
urgent request still. This | more per
emptorily refused than the first,
when at about II O'Clock at night he
presented himself a third and last
time. Mr.. Buch@han had penciIed
on his card three names-E. NJ. Stan
ton, Rufus Choate and Caleb Cushing
and, in the most earnest manner,
requested ms to canvass these gentle
mems names, with his Secretary (pri-
vate), ard to advise him which one
would prove most acceptable as a
"~messenger' TO the people of Caro-
lima to negotiate and compromise-or,
rather, to initiate measures to lead to
that result-a compromise between
the belligerent powers. Mr.. Stanton
he represented to me az a
friend of the South, as well as
of himself and cabinet-a con-
sentative, as much so as himself
and who represented his views and
feelings fully, and would do my State
the fullest and amplest justice if they
would but forbeaT and not press our
difficulties further, etc, etc. Caleb
Cushing was subsequently sent on this
mission. Without further comment
on this point, l think it is but fair to
conclude that Mr.. Buchanan would
not be found suggesting the name of
Mr.. Stanton to me as a Conservative,
had any such scene as Judge johnson
represents ever occurred in Cabinet
meeting between him (Stanton) and
Col. Thompson up to that time; and l
further know the fact that, al the
period L allude TO, ne, Mr.. Stanton,
was regarded as on all main points and
issues with the President, and his ap-
pointment to the vacancy in the Cabi-
net, as a good man for the South. The
malicious SANDER of Judge johnson
charging Col. Thompson as a thief for
having stolen eight millions (instead
$50, 000) Of Indian bonds, revived
again at this late day, can only be
In its moral turpitude by the
magnificent proportions into which
he has made the smaller sum swell
into the larger. 1t is known to
every schOolbOy ten years
Of age, throughout the length and
the breadth of the whole land, that
1t was GODDARD Baily, Of South
Carolina, one of the clerks in Col
Onel Thompson's department, who
distracted $s70,000 of these Indian
Baily, 1 have known from
MS college days, q o of Attorney
General William Bailey, long since
deceased, than whom no son ever had
! nobler father, and who had also
married into one Of the best families