Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-09-04

DOOLIrTLE's OFFENCE.
James Il. Doollttle, the eminent reformer,
has written a long letter TO Reyerdy John
son. In which he seeks to explain away the
grave charges made against him In the Con-
natty cotton case. II would have been far
better for him to have held his tongue, for
his defence Is so weak and lame that no Inn
partial person can fail to be convinced Of his
guilt. The principal points upon which this
yirtuous gentleman rests his case are that
the record 10 this city does not show that he
applied 10 writing for the permit for Con-
natty, and that " the only other way 10 which
could have aided him would have been by |
q personal interview with the President or
the Secretary Of the Treasury, which inter-
view never occurred" And then Mr.. Doc |
little says These facts, even II unaccom- |
panied by my personal denial put an end to |
the glst Of this whole accusation of Connatty |
so far as II really aud rlghtfully belongs to
the public" In other words, because Doc
little was sharp enough not to put himself
upon the record in tcriting as obtaining
cotton permit for Connatty the public can
not go outside OF that record, and Mr.. Doc
little must be acquitted. This Is the plea of
Toombs lawyer. There Is no official evil
dencc upon which to convict me; therefore
you must let me 20 quit and free.
II he had closed his letter at this point he
would have shown at least some little COM
mon sense, but he did nU. The balance of
1t proof positive that everything that Counatty
has charged against him Is true. Read what
he says:
my recollection Of tho substance Of what oc-
CURED is this. Connatty came 10 the room Of tho
Committee on Indian Affairs In tho Capitol.
/ lie then Informed me Of his resignation Of his
elerEship, and that he had obtained, through
| the head Of the Treasury Department, permit
| to purchase cotton under the regulations Of the
Mr., Lincoln, and wanted me 70 accept an Inter.
| est l told him supposed there could be no
| legal objection 10 my taking On Interest, but
had no money to advance, and | would not DO
partner 10 incur risks or liabilities or agree 70
| spend time. He said he did not expect 10 ad.
| vance moner nor incur any risk himself beyond
| his travelling expenses. lie intended 70 operate
| through other parties objected that he might
become involved, and II was partner II would
involve me.
pressed his desire for me to accept an Interest
without risk. l cannot detail all that converse
ton which took place eight years ago. But
know there was not one word said or purpose In.
tended which, II known to the world, would
| stain my honor as Senator or as . man. There
certainly was no claim for oihoial influence rem.
dered, or to DO rendered, to COnnAtty, in any
way, expressed or implied. There was no eNac-
ton from him or pressure brought TO bear upon
SbIp or Of Inc Sincerity Of Iii pr6IeSsions' But,
as matter might DO important, Il was mutually
deemed best to preserve the substance Of the
, and confidential letters, and It was then, and
not till then, that, at his suggestion, the drait
OF his proposition tome was made.
Everybody knows from the tone Of the letters
they were never intended for publication. II
the same words had been used In private con
yoTsatiOn, they would have been subject TO nc
such criticism. Private and confidential letters
are TO be. looked upon and Judged rs Wordi
spoken In private conversation, even when
dragged before the public by dlSgrAeelul viola
| tOn Of all the honorable instincts OF human ma
ture. II those letters had been ini5GdeI ever tC
have boon made public, they would have been
/ | subject to criticism In style and expression.
But they were private and though private
a we're intended to cover no falSohOod and M
! | dishOnor. II was the right OF both, or ethel
OF u', to privately make and privately pre-
serve this memorandum Of the substance o
Q the conversation between ourselves, In sucl
manner and form as We pleasedi and to thos'
E only who have violated sacred private rights
} and given To the world false and distorted de
tails Of strictly private transaction, Justly be
longs all there Is Of real shame In this expo
, sure Ifmyself and others arc to DO Judged b!
4 | their Infamous code OF morality, no man is safe
however pure the record Of his life.
with great respect, remain, truly yours,
Il -. r. DooLITTIE"
= 1t will be perceived that 10 the above Doc
= little docs not attempt to deny that he wrot
?, the letters which Connatty charges he wrote
n Instead of that he puts in the plteous plea tina
c Conuatty tempted him, that he then had n
" doubt Of his personal friendship or Of tn
c sincerity Of his professions, that the letter
o were never Intended for the public. VIII
| Lao, tgnul1 nj
i have written them at all II they were, or b
l. would have taken good care to present hin
+ self in far more favorable light. Let l
# recall the substance Of the letters. No.
Ia written, rccOllcCt, by DOolittle himself an
d handed to COnnatty to copy contained
l. among other passages, the following: 9Th
q permit has been freely given to me and nov
- my dear sir, allow me to say that during a
"a my stay here have witnessed on your par
In the hlgL position you occupy, the san
hdclity, and, | may add, such position an
=, course OF conduct that my heart has bee
:, drawn out to you; and, as this permit ms
-, enable INC to realize great fOrtune-tC
great to be properly administered or enjoyI
= by any one mani have determined that,
. u present on my part, and In the belief tn
~ you could better use u portion, should
" successful, than could use ALL will rem
II to you the OnC-iOurth part of all the profits
u may realize over and above all my expense
y do this in the hope that while may b
VI come rich in this operation, may secure
!" you competency also
Dl Tue above COnnatty copied, us hu was j
J. stwcted to do by MIR. Doollttlc, and ga
| 10 a., L., L. hos
Is writing, Is In existence. In No. ., DOOlitt
gratefully and gushiugly accepted the pre-
Ut ent of one fourth Of the profits that mig
DC accrue. And then followed letters of intr
rs duCtiOn by the y.rtuOus Senator to Gener
ny Banks, letters informing COnnatty that he hi
r. been to the War and Treasury Department
w. lurtherlng the scheme In every way he cOu
further 1t. Il saw Dana and Stanton and 4
Treasury about the list of articles" DOOlitl
We has no explanation whatever to make Of the
&C letters, or Of the truly remarkable Interest
~ took In the success Of the operation. I
81 Tribune, In an article yesterday comes
al tho conclusion that, using Doolittle's oY
e. language, he violated no law Of God
N mani" that ut best his eutlre connection wi
id the scheme was IAN error Of taste or an err
~ of Judgment" Tnls l. Mr.. Whitylaw Rel
lie opinion Of the transaction, We should Ii
nk to have his opinion on this case In 1851
he New York editor and leading reform
Tor was paid certain SUN per month for sl'
nts dcriug Mr.. Lincoln in the interest OF y
Chase. Was that IAN error OF taste or
'cd error Of Judgment p
YES -
lut THE LIBERALS AND DEMOCRATS 10 n
ile York will hold their State convention at
he racuse to-day. Tho cry Is anybody to b.