Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1872-08-01

been hurled against other officials, and
yet they were notified and permitted to
explain before subjecting them to public
condemnation without being informed of
the charges. / was dismissed from the
Office of Supervisor without giving me
time to investigate the charge against
me.
The press of the country spread the
charges far and wide of fraud and con-
| spiracy, and of robbing the Government
out of 100000 and yet when the trial
finally came off, the authorities released
all who had committed, and were indicted
for forgery, perjury, fraud and conspiracy,
in order to convict me of a violation Of an
old obsolete statute of 1858, amounting to
a misdemeanor, and which has been yiola-
ted no doubt by nine>tenths of the mem
bers of Congress since its passage, yet not
one of them, save myself, have ever been
prosecuted or even rebuked. Why this
unprecede it and unheard of course towards
me I leave for others to Judge. That [
wrote some indiscreet letters is true, but
during the whole time never dreamed
that fraud upon the Government was
being practiced. The letters were in re-
lation to the purchase of the claims, and
were written after the act was passed ard
the claims allowed in the departments,
and the certificates issued for pay, and
tho same were in the possession of the
agents. Never for once doubling tie
truth and correctness of the rolls as sworn
to by Beatty and his two sons until the
agents returned to Washington the last
of March, 1871, when l promptly reported
the matter to the District Attorney.
In conclusion. / will state that I was
tried for a violation OF the act of 1858, an
act which has slumbered since its passage.
and boon openly violated without rebuke
from any source by probably nlne-tenths
of the members of Congress who have
filled seats in the national council since
its passage. Graver charges were pre-
ferred against me, involvinga c~onspirae y
to defraud the Government, but these
we're abandoned, being utterly untenable
and serving only to disclose the bitterness
and raneoreof my prosecutors. Its utter
failure. after not only ~exbausting the
proper source of proof. but resorting to
the doekets of Criminal Courts, and bar
tering pardon from crime for a settlement,
is my triumphant vindication against any
criminal intent or guilty knowledge from
the beginning to the end. received
twenty-five hundred dollars of Captain
Beatty and his associate officers, under the
circumstances and in the manner stated
by me, which [ have never denied and do
not now censure. That was my o~ffense,
and for which I was tried, convicted and
fined. Taking into view all the circum-
stances, the money advanced to and paid
by me for those gentlemen, the trip in va
cation, the severe illness, suffering, loss of
time and expense consequent upon it,
/ am willing that any honest man shall
sit in Judgment GA the morality or i'm
morality of my act in receiving tie re-
compense rendered me, and he can answer
for himself what he would have done if
similarly situated. | welisknow that du-
ring the war and since, l have been op-
posed in politics to many of your readers,
but political bias should never control the
estimate of individual character, and do
not doubt the verdict Of an honest people
when the facts are submitted to them.
1 was honored with a seat in your Leg
~islature for six years-was three years a
Colonel in the Federal army. and eight
years a member of Congress, and L un-
hesitatingly say that my private character
had never been assailed, however bitter
political warfare waged. until this MALI
cious prosecution in which truth was per-
verted and untruths uttered to the public,
until the facts of the case were lost in a
sea of falsehood. Imight, account forthis
course toward NE, and disclose a reason
II. r I.-1 L., 49,. ,,r-,oJ e1o,1a1
aud illuminated. but perhaps it is better
that, upon allsimple statements of the facts
as they existed, unaided by conclusion of
ma own, the public should base their
udgnient. I am happy to submit the
facts to them, and confidently believe
their impartial verdict will vindicato me
as an honest man, against the calumaies
heaped upon me.
Respectfully,
July 10, 1872. w. B. STOKES.