The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-15
4 LETTER FRom 4 FRIEND or ouRs.
The Hon. Matt. II. Carpenter Responds to
The sun.

' ~
Friend: Ia THE sun Of the Sd ult. you say:
When Boss shepherd and his people got 1p
their famous law to make the press 1.-THE whole
country amenabe before the Police Court at
Washington, We are sorry t. saw that our friend
Carpcnter put his Independence out Of sight aud
actually supported tuat rascally project because
his party was for ".
You speak n q friend. I cannot suspect you
Of feieuing this clifton to give "A koener edge
To your criticism. or poison the arrows YOU
shoot at me now that am In private life You
have often proven your friendship by defending
ne against the malice ~ Others Ia this age,
Justice Is often kindness especially when an in
dNidunl Is set upon 10y the confcderated press.
But what cannot comprehend. and therefore
appeal To you To explain. r., how you, possessing
the sentiments OF gentleman ana the refine
tnent ot scholtr, can pursue me into the re-
treat Of private life with a charge which has not
the slightest foundation In fact; and yet -
calculated Il do not say Intended TO exaspcrate
tue press, ana that, too, after have over and
over again, and opcnlv and over my own sigma
tute, nj In the press, disclMmed the purpose
N"u attribute TO me- aud when the act to which
you refer has no such effect rs you represent.
Let me quote this entire act, which YOU de-
nounce as rascally:'
SECTION l. That the Criminal Court OF the District Of
Soulnoia snail hsHe Jarsdetl9n %, a crimes and mis
trabo In any otter court lnd which are required by
Law to be prosecuted oy Indictment OF INFORMATION.
Of the judiciary act Of seventeen hnndrd and .ighly
the District VI Columbia.
The first section merely corrects mistake In
the former legislation Of Congress, by which all
misdemeanors were left without any court to
punish them. 10y conferrng jurisdiction-uOt rs
| YOU saw upon the Police Court OF Washing
| tom, hut upon the Criminal Court "A branch Of
! the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia.
| The second section merely authorizes the judges
Of the Courts in the District OF Columbia to ar
| rest persons who have committed crimes against
| the United states, IN the several States, aud
| have fled to Washington and send them back
for trial to the states from " hich they have fed.
| The subject was referred to the Judiciary
! Committee Of the Senate at the last session. Of
which senator Thurman, Of OHIO, and senator
| Stevenson, 81 Kentucky, both lawyers of dis
| tinction, anu Democrats undoubted, were mem
| bers aud that committee unanimously except
| myself, being ABSENT reported that the effect Of
the law was a. above stated,
You are man OF sense, and must know that
this Is the true construction Of the act. There
fore, to justify your denuncidtion that this Is
"rascaily" law, the burden Is upon you to
show:
/. That crimes committed In the District Of
| Columbia ought not to be punished at all or
2. That rasrals and criminals who violate the
laws - the United States In the several State,
AMI Tee to Washington, ought not To Do further
mulested.
You have denounced Gov. Shepherd and his
| frlends a. great criminals, and II you are right,
| they ought TO be punished; aud without TINS
constitutional Jurisdiction for that purpose /;
and repeal OF this law would leave them scot
| Tree, no matter how guilty.
And, again, you will hardly mantain-as you
must do TO make good your condemnation as to
the Laws OF the United states and, fleeing from
Justice, seek asylum in Washington, ought TO
be beyond the reach OF the criminal law. There
Is, submit, no good reason why Washington
of all places In this country-should be the
Rogues Rest. Yet this Is upon YOU to estab-
lish. before you can justify your denunciatlon
OF this law.
Some newspapers, assailing this law, have said
that IL declared what should be a hbel, and that
II was directed solely against the press. Fools
may Justify this declaration. You cannot.
But this law, good. bad, or different, was
unanimously recommended ny tie Judiciary
Committee Of the House, unanimously passed
by the House, was referred TO the judiciary
Committee OF the senate. OF which Thurman OF
Onto aud Stevenson of Kentucky were mem
bers, and 10y that committee unanimously recon-
mended and passed IN the Senate without a dis
senttng voice
Now, It seems to me, that the relations OF
friendship authorize me to demand of you upon
what ground IL Is that you assert that | surfen-
dered all independence and supported this law
because my party was for It, Why do YOU not
say that Thurman. Stevenson, Bayard, and every
other Democrat IN Congress supported this
"rasca'ly" law, because their party was for II Z
| They gave II az much support as did, Surely,
| am an attorney AT law, simply, Is no reason why
| should he singled out for mauling.
assure YOU, l. that, although | was probably
IN the chair when the bill passed the senate
| (hayng been President pro tempOre that ses-
SION, never read the bill, nor knew ITS contents
until read it In the volume Of printed laws.
2. | never exchanged a word about the till
with Shepherd or any Of his friends, or any
citizen OF Washington. 3. That am no more re-
| spunsihle for the bill than every other member
| Of Congress.
And am confident, II YOU were in Congress
| to-day, You would not vote to repeal u; and
| that no LAWYER, whose profession yields 10 him
$l,UO year can be found who viii construe
tue w ~ SAuJttlllE tullbI 10 tue JuIlrNlt-
! ton OF any court In the District OF Colum Dia,
| except for crimes committed In that District.
| You might ~ well claim TINT the statutes
against larceny, perjury, forgery, and murder
| are untriendly u the press. because any editor
| committing THESE crimes, like the rest OF man
! kind, u subject To their penalties. as % claim
that the act IN question was, or WIS intended to
| be, an attack upon the press.
some months ago, you published COmmuni-
cation from an indicted liar by the name Of
| Buell purporting To 90 an interview Of a" disun-
| guished Western natur.' You assumed /
| was that senator, and gave me % dribbing. If
! he intended to reuresen that ms interview was
! with me lana tulnk ne AID, there was not a
| word Of truth in what he sad. lie came TO me
one evening not to interview me-hut to ask
me to do him favor, that Is, use my influence
| with Senator Oh ndlef TO induce him 10 dIscOn-
| libel Mr.. Flagg, one Of the Senate clerks, hap
| pened tc be In NV room wuep he called, and
| he nd the whole conversation. Buell. acknOwl-
| edged the authorship Of gross liuel on senator
Chandler, and said Ire was more ashamed Of IL
! than OF anV OLhOr act 81 his lie.
| All that be reports TO the effect that then
| foreshadowed a new Law To punish lbels Is ut
| terry false. enclose YOU a letter from Mr..
| Flag 60 whom | sent BuelPs CON nunicatiOn)
| stating his recollection OF what was raid. Now,
| my friend, DON'T mistake the animus of this
| letter. | d. not claim to control yolr newspa-
| per- but do claim that vOd have TO right 10
| continue thus to msrepresent ne And i
believe tha., on being informed OF IN facts, you
| will take pleasure In Fighting me AGAINST your
own wrOD0-bavng often defended me against
wrongs committed by others.
Yo.rs truly MATT. Ii. CIIPEBTsR