The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-09-05
00QI.Ixx13. A2oY!

more does his radiant face beam above
the battlements of the political stump.
For two weeks he has lain comatose--
ever since the publication of tho letters
which he exchanged with Conatty, con-
corning the cotton job in Louisiana, in
"a. And Nish-kebo, the East wind,
whispers the pathetic interrogatory:
"Where is he?
A thought strikes us! Perhaps the
unfortunate man may have Withdrawn
himself for weeks fishing, and 80
may have missed seeing the letters to
which We allnde, and which need ex-
PLANTATION from him. Lest some injus-
tice may be done to an absent angler,
we hasten to recapitulate the chief
points of the affair:
Thomas j. Conatty, of New York,
goes before Notary Public, and makes
affidavit as follows: "That in 1864 he
resigned a clerkship in the Treasury
Department, on account of failing
health; that at his request, Senator
Doolittle obtained from the President
q permit for him to trade in cotton in
the Southern States that, before leav-
ing for the scene of his exploits on the
Red River, Doolittlc sent for him to go
to his, Doolittle's, room, and he went !;
that Dolittle said: "Conatty, this cot
ton job is big thing. You will get
rich, and you must give me a quarter
sof all you make in consideration of
my having helped you to the permit =
and that Doolittle thereupon showed
him two letters which he had prepared
-one from Conatty to Doolittlc, offer.
ing him one-foufth of all the profits in
consideration of his honesty and fideli-
as a Senator, and an answer from Doc
little to Conatty, expressing unbound
cd establishment at the offer, accepting
it with tears, and thanking God for
''such instances of disinterested friend
ship" Conatty swears that he was
quite taken by surprise ut this expo
sure of his own generosity; but he
concluded to make the best oft, SO he
took tie letter from Conatty to Doo-
little, and copied, signed, sealed and
delivered it. Doolittle then wrote let
tiers to Banks and others, and got STAN
ton and Lincoln to promise to protect
the venture as far as they properly
could. In the letter to Doolittle,
which Doolittle wrote, Conatty is
made to say:
"And now, my dear sir, allow me to
say that during all my stay here have
witnessed on your part, in the high po-
sitiOn you occupy, the same fidelity,
and, I may add, such patriotism and
course Of conduct, that mn heart has
been draecn out to you and as this per-
init may enable me to realize great
fortune-t00 great to be properly adj.
ministered or enjoyed by any one man
II have determined that, as present
| on my part, and in the belief that you
could better use portion, should be
| successful, than j could use all, l will
remit to you the onc-fourth part Of oil
the profits"
TO this touching offer Of Doolittle to
Doolittle, Doolittle replies:
"Such instances of disinterested
friendship are SO rare-so few among
the sons of men are endowed with
such high and noble generosity-thai
| / am without words to tell YOU how
much it affects you incl. have nc
claims upon you except those of a dis
interested friendship sincerely cher.
ished. As to this permit to trade il
cotton, you have obtained it withou
any word, or influence, or thought O
mine, even direct or indirect, for unit
your communication to me never hat
any knowledge or thought even tina,
you contemplated such thing. Had
] aided you in the least, directly or i'm.
directly, in thought, word or deed,
could not have accepted it If would
and would not if i could"
| Conatty not only makes affidavit
that DOolittlc wrote both of these let
tiers, but he declares that they arr
both still in his possession in Doolittle'i
handwriting! Now we desire to know
where is the gifted Doolittle. Is he in
Chicago? Why does he hide his head
under bushel? And, if he didn't gel
rich in the cotton job, why doesn't hi
put on his Greeley hat and get up .
complete Letter Writer'S Manual p
We never saw more experiences thar
he exhibits in writing letters to him
self and replying to them.
Later. Since the above was in type
we learn that Mr.. Doolittle has gone
to attend Greeley Reform Conven
ton. He is determined to revolution
ize the corruptions Of the civil service
if he is compelled to go to the Senate
again to do it.-Chicago Post.