The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-06-14
CAUsTIC CORRESPONDENCE.


Marshal Pitkin was personal. The facts
therein recited were stated specifically to be
from information which he had received
from a creditable source. Then he says, I'll
you had addressed me even printed letter,
or one couched in the ordinarily courteous
language which passes between gentlemen,
especially when the one who uses it, it is rl-
mored, is expecting employment in the di-
plomatlc service OF his country, I should
have very promptly, upon being set right,
made reparation SO far as in my power for
any injury arising from a publication even
for which was not responsible. never
thought OF charging you with using your
own money, Of which you declare you had
none to spare, in paying the mileage of the
deserving legislators of the Packard House.
You will observe by reading my letter more
carefully that did not even allege that sit
was asserted that any money was paid.n I
frankly confess I had no evidence then, and
have none now, that you paid any money to
these deluded men, alter it had been prong
ised them. I desire in the most solemn man.
ner to acquit you of ever having paid away
any money. knew, as you say in your
letter, you had 'snone to spare, :" and 1 be-
lieved If you had you would not ssspare it,
In reply to Mr.. Mac veagh's assertion that
lit is only military commandant of New
Orleans in time of war who can safely APP
propriate any considerable. quantity of the
property OF Others to his own use, the Cen
eral shoots back in this style: ssDo l under
stand you correctly, that it was the want of
ability to do it safely that has prevented you
from appropriating considerable quantity
OF the property of others to your own use |?
However, shall not affect to misunder-
stand the allusion which you thus make, but
attribute it to the apparent loss of your tenn
per, which makes your writing at once un-
just, illogical and unperspicuous. Then,
regarding the charges of bribery, Gen. But
Ter says: II would suggest to the Senate
committee to ask certain members of the
Packard Legislature. whose names I will
give, whether. after the efforts to demoral-
ize the Republican members and get them
to go over to Nichols by the Commission
acting together had failed, selected por-
ton OF that Legislature were requested by
Colonel Wharton. a friend of Packard, to
meet Wayne McVeagh and did so; whether
he addressed them, saying that the Presi-
dent would not recognize the Packard Gov
eminent; that the troops would be with
drawn the next day; that he had telegram
to that effect; that if they would 90 over to
the Nichols Legislature they would be rec
oegnized and seated, and get their mileage;
but ii they did not do so within twenty-fouf
hours their seats would be declared vacant,
and they would lose all. If the committee
push their inquiry I firmly believed upon
evidence they will find what have suggest
ed to be substantially true. I read in your
letter that you say Wharton did not manage
or transact any kind of business for me.
Certainly not, bless your soul You do not
alj c1ab friaLc no h,,cs l.. q
They are not business, even if you should
get that foreign mission for doing them.
which hope you will. You further saw
Wharton was friend of Packard's. All
the better instrument, therefore, to get
Packard's friends away from him. It was
well done, and does credit to your training.
You say further, strange as 1t may seem to
some OF them, political results are still at
tainable in this country by straightforward
and honest methods. True, it did seem
strange to me for more than thirty years.
experience in the ways Of Pennsylvania po-
litical methods" and politicians in both
parties. 1t did seem strange to some If this
transaction was either straightforward or
honest. You made a good point on me
there, if you believed what you are brave
enough only to insinuate, because although
you were young and able-bodied, [ fail to
recall the number Of the regiment in which
you served in the war for your country's
safety. Certainly, you could not, as a man
aging member of the State Republican Com
mittee of Pennsylvania, have invited with
pressing letters, which now have, one who.
had appropriated wrongfully other peoples
property to come to that State to speak on
the same platform with yourself, travelling
together MANY miles to attend meetings to
instruct your people on public affairs. Be-
sides, my dear Mr.. McVeagh, the insinua-
ton was unworthy of you. 1t is neither
novel nor useful, and therefore not patent
able. A half-dozen dirty newspapers have
been enabled to preserve themselves from
for the last, dozen years by
printing the assertions about me which YOU
only insinuate. Every one has his own taste
in choosing his own way to acquire money,
but If were obliged to choose one of two
ways, either to appropriate it as military
commandant" or to marry into a family
where was neither wanted nor by which I
could be respected, to get money to spare I
certainly should choose the former, strange
as you may think it, because at least
should have the money after having COM
united disreputable act to get it, and not
liable to disappointment as might be after
I had waited longer for dead mems shoes by
the other method. There is another denial
of yours OF an assertion thai did not make
have not asked the President to appoint
him (Wharton) Marshal. I never intimated
that you had so done. 1 have always sup
posed that you had never asked President
Hayes for the appointment OF anybody ex-
cept yourself, and my knowledge OF that
idiosyncrasy OF yours would have prevented
me from asserting that you had asked for
the appointment of Wharton. Certain is it
that, Gov. Packard has not. Who do YOU
think is so pressing Col. Jack Wharton, of
the Confederate Army, that Pitkin, the Re-
publican and good officer, is called upon by
Republican Administration to resign his
Office to make way for the rebel? What
service has Wharton "a brave man, is is
true,) ever done for the party or the country
to earn high office, except to help kill some
OF our gallant soldiers whose lonely graves
we were decorating on the day got your
kind note?''
The General concludes his letter as fol-
lows: s'For the rest, as to the disputed ques-
tions of fact relating to what was said and
done by the committee of which you were a
member when in New Orleans, we will re-
view the discussion after committee of
Congress, of which it may be my ill fortune
to be a member, has made full investiga-
ton. Then, and not till then, if you please,
we will renew our correspondence, unless,
indeed, you would like to practice upon me
to educate yourself to formulate diplomatic
notes. I must apologize to you for the SEEM
ing delay between the date of this note and
your reception of it. 1 began the reply as
soon as l was favored with yours, but as
reserve matters of this sort for recreation,
could not finish it sooner, as I have been
away, hard pressed with professional en-
gagements. Pray hold me excused. / am
not only ''truly," but very truly, yours,
BENJAMIN F. BUTLER.
Hon. Wayne McVeagh, Philadelphia, Pa.
The following is the letter Of Mr.. Mac
Veagh, to which Gen. Buffers is a reply:
PHILADELPHIA, May 20, 1877.
Gen. BENZ. r. Butler-Your informant
happens to have told you the exact opposite
OF the trouth in every statement respecting