The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-09-11


Written and Publishcd-senator Wilson's
speech at Cochituate, Massachusetts
Senator Wilson delivered political
address at the village of Cochituate, near
Natick, on Saturday evening last, in which
he explains the unfortunate circumstance
by which he was charged with writing
letter denying that he was ever connected
with the Native American party. This
letter was written by German friend of
Mr.. Wilson's, in this city, but without any
authority from him. He said that surely
he could not be so destitute of truth, honor
and sagacty, as to have written letter, or
authorized letter to be written, which
many of his speeches and thousands of liv-
ing persons would at once prove false.
Instantly on seeing that letter he denied
its authorship and pronounced it q forgery,
He supposed it to be the work of some
one who had never been his friend. He
had investigated the facts, and justice to
himself and others required that he should
state them. A few days before he wrote
his letter branding the brutal speech at
tributed to him as fabrication, German
gentleman had called his attention to that
speech and to others of a kindred nature,
He had denied to him that he had ever
written or uttered those sentiments, and
sent him several speeches to show that he
had views precisely opposite, and these
speeches clearly revealed the fact of his as
ISOLATION, for brief time, with the Amer
lean organization. The Senator had fur
nished copies of these, which be had pub
lished, and several of which he had in his
possession. Receiving, day or two before
he went to Maine, q German paper marked
and letter from some German gentlemen.
Mr.. Wilson, on meeting his German
friend in the street, had given him tho let
ter and the paper, together with copy of
the Tribune of 1860, in which was an art-
Gle branding as forgery the speech which
had never been imputed to him, and asked
that gentleman to send the extracts from
his speeches then in the gentleman's pos
session to the Germans elsewhere as evil
dence of the real opinions he entertained,
and to prepare and send to them an extract
from the Tribune proving the speech above
| referred to to have been forgery twelve
years ago. These extracts which he re-
quested his German friend to send to the
writers of the letter clearly showed his
opinions and revealed his connection with
the movement. His German friend read
it, promised to send these extracts and did
so; but he wrote letter and signed Mr..
Wilson's name to it, together with his own
initials.
The Senator said he did not have the
slightest idea that his friend would write
letter of any kind and use his, the Senator's
name. The man did not live that he would
trust to write a letter for him on public
affairs and send it out without seeing and
reading it. He would certainly be guilty of
an objectionable indiscretion to do SO at
this time. The letter was wholly unautho-
rized, and was written and sent without his
knowledge and much to his regret. When
he read it he had no idea whatever that it
was written by the gentleman whom he
had requested to send extracts from his
speeches to Germans in other parts of the
country.
1t was some time before he knew that
his friend had written it. He was sure
that his friend had intended no wrong to
himself or to any one else, or to deceive
anybody, but had made great mistake
| "A blunder. Mr.. Wilson said that he re-
GREETED that some Republican journals, in
attempting to trace the authority of his
letter, had reflected on a gentleman who
had written very sharp letter on the as
4 SuhipIioi tuao hSy 4uis W hooly was Vie
author of the letter referred to. However
others might treat him, he did not wish to
retaliate. lie had rather suffer wrong than
be the occasion Of doing injustice to others,
no matter how unjust they had been to
him.
Mr.. Wilson said he avoided personalities
in the canvass, and had said no unkind
words of Mr.. Greeley or Mr.. Brown. He
had discussed general principles, defended
the Administration, and pointed out the ten
denotes of the Cincinnati and Baltimore
combination, and he intended to adhere to
that line of policy to the end. lie had been
most unjustly, untruthfully, and unfairly
criticised. He had borne all that had been
said against him and should strive to bear
all that would be said against him with
good temper and charitable spirit. lap
plausc.l