The New York herald., 1876-12-23
WAS 1T PETER COOPER :
[From the Evening Telegram OF yesterday.

From the Evening Telegram OF yestcrdayl
II appears from tho press reports of the debate In
Congress yesterday that the grounds upon which Mr..
Hewitt ounds his charge that his mail has been tam
pcred with In tho Now York Post Oicc consist in his
receipt Of anonymous letter advising him that such
s the fact and in the appearance Of the envelopes OF
certain letters which passed through that Office in the
coarse OF Transmission TO his address. Tho anony.
nous letter. OF course, would not of itself prove
anything against the postal officers any more
than q dozen twenty anonymous lettcrs
which We havo received at intervals during tho
last three years about the Montclair Rail.
road Company, would prove anything against Mr.
Hewitt Nor would tho mere wrinkng Of tho flap ol
envelope and the cacng Of the glazing OF the paper
provo that the letter had been opened Any moisture
applied to the back OF the envelope might produce that
effect. We received letters whose envelopes
marked SO by the moisture of rain fog while they
lay in street box. But the anonymous cttcr would
be valuable for ccw to detect Its writer and in
spec;ion OF the envelopes with n microscope might
conclusivcy determi ne by other signs than wrinkng
the efracing Of glazing, whether they havo been
opened by steam somo other agency alter they
wero originally sealed.
Unfortunately Mr. Hewitt has himself destroyed
these envelopes and also the anonymous episte The
contents OF tho and the appearance OF the other
defects from the obscure memory or inattentive OBJ
servation of tho witnesca In Mr.. Hewitt's remarks
yesterday tho only Witnesses whom no cited to tho
looks OF tho envelopes Mr. Eugene Hale, Of
Maine, to whom he showed two Of thcm and the per.
petua Parke Goodwin, OF this city, to whom one OF
them shown. Mr.. Goodwin turns up In conncc.
ton with every sensation incident to this sen.
sational political campaign as q successful rival
OF Sergeant Bates and Private Dalzell Mr. Hewitrs
efforts pass him of OF friend OF Postmaster
James than of himself Is rather thin We trust that
on his part Of the he has other witnesses in
reserve, whom he did not mention yesterday for Mr.
Haie's inspection Of the envelopes Of SUPER
fetal Sort
Nor do all the assertions OF fact made by Mr.. Hewitt
allowing them tho fullest scope exclude possibility
that any misdceds which may havo been committed
acts Of his own political personal servants
or associates. We have ascertaincd by inquiry
that his mail In this city has been delivered
In sections at the Everett House, at the democratic in
tccctual bureau in Liberty street, at his counting
room, and nt his house, where Mr. Peter Cooper also
resides We do not consider 1t probable that Mr..
Cooper intcrfercd with Mr.. Hcwilt's letters; yet
fathers have been known to take such liberties with
their children's correspondence; aud Mr. Cooper is
only Mr.. Hcwitts fahcrn-aw, but was his politi-
cal adversary Both motive and opportunity coincide
against Mr.. Cooper In relation to an important
tion Of Mr. Hcwtt's mail, distinctly as
they can coincide against any Of the republican
postal officers. We have great respect for
Mr.. Cooper, but have for Postmaster
James in his ministration OF his Office Mr.. Hewitt
should careful about making charges against tho
one as against the other We do overlook his dis
clamer Of any imputation against Mr.. James, but
hundred disclaimers will not avail. The charge
against the New York Post Office j. In this instance
necessarily imputation against It's chief ofccr-and
justly so II IL can DO proved Mr.. James s responsi
bc for the character Of his deputies and for ecc
tive supervision OF them An isolated instance oi
tampcring with a letter in the Now York Post Office
might occur without his fault, but not a systematic
course Of violating tho mail OF tho chairman OF the
Democratic National Committee during a Presidential
contest
Ii is fairly to be incrrcd that Mr. Hewitt feels the
weakness OF his case from his opposition 70 formal
investigation by Congress and his assertion that no
good will como OF IT, Clearly good must result
His allegation of facts which no says him in
entertaining "a suspicion which amounts bcIief''
that his letters have been opened is a charge OF
crime against somebody. There only ono decent
way for him to avoid such an Investigation. That
was, by Withdrawing the charge and repeating Il
until he is prepared TO provo H. great many hasty
things arc said and dono by managing politicians in
hot canvass but If tho political manager is the
same time member OF Congress no should possess
seli-control enough TO keep his ywo characters
separate. We fear that Mr. Hewitt has CON-
mtted a blundcr OF the same kind as his
former charge against tho whole republican party Of
responsibility for forging confession by Tweed and
that sufficient proofs wanting In both cases. Only
in tho present instance he happens TO have madc his
accusation before tribunal which fortunately has
authority to compel him to establish or reract 1t.
whereas in the other instance he subject only tho
indefinite influence OF public opinion. The circum-
stance TO which havo called attention. that OF
his allegations exclude the extraordinary, and. OF
course, to US incredible, POSSIBILITY OF tho venerable
Peter Cooper being the cuprt section Of tho
ieters shows how loosely no had considered tho SUBJ
lect before he burst into debate ON Wednesday