The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-03-21
From the Daily Graphic, March ~, 1871.
Restoring the Portraits.

A South Carolina gentleman, after the
war, took a half dozen crooked and grimy
pictures to u well known artist to be re-
stored. These are my ancestors he eX
planned; they have come through the
war uuiDjured. You see we took the best
care to make them seem worthless, aud
they were let alone, and with a little pains
will look as good as new" Now that our
presidential war is over, good deal OF
restoring will have to be done in the
national portrait gallery. 1t Las been TOO
much the custom of late years to carry
political warfare beyond the Legitimate
lines of principles and measures, and
admitted public acts into the domain Of
private life, and assaults on character have
taken the place of argument, and discus
sioDs OF public questions have been varied
by mud throwing. The heat Of the excite
ment OF the passions aroused by the inter
ests at stake carries even well meaning
men further than they intend to go in this
direction, aud they doubtless sincerely
regret statements and charges against
oppOneatS If they lack the courage to
make the honorable dmeRde John Quincy
Adams rJpented more than anything his
bitter personal assaults on his antagonists.
MIR. Ogle on his death bed confessed that
his tales against President Van Buren, were
untrue, and regretted making them. Now
that the Republicans have gained the goal
and their candidate is in the White House,
justice no less than magnamity requires
them to acknowledge that al least three
quarters Of the charges made against
Governor Tiden were not supported by
facts
There is no question that he was falsely
accused Of great many things and in
terms which no we'll bred person or we'll
conducted paper should employ. And the
portrait of this distinguished citizen and
civilian is now undergoing process of
restoration The stains are fading out
The botches are going. The American
people mean to be just Ills nephew, Col
onel Pelton, suffered in the same way.
The exigencies of the campaign seemed to
make it necessary to throw suspicion on his
connection with the Oregon affair, to make
that contemplate case look as badly as
possible A great quantity of kilograms
were uuearthed, dispatches in cipher were
found, and their contents guessed at,
There were suggestions Of money wanted
and some Of the dispatches were directed
to Mr. Tildens private residence. Those
who knew Mr.. Pelton personally needed no
assurance that he had engaged in no i'm
proper transaction, lie went before the
senate committee, and at his own request
made full and explicit statement of his
connection with the Oregon business. and
one that ought to have satisfied, and prob
ably did satisfy, all who heard it. 1t is
seltconsistent and reasonable. Col Pei
ton acted with the Democratic Committee.
A great many kilograms were received, and
many were not delivered. Some of them
were answered by himself, and others by
other gentlemen, and most of them were
forgotten in the crowd of other
matters requiring attention. People
sometime addressed dispatches to his resi-
dence in Gramercy Park, but none were
delivered there, the officers having expli-
cit orders to deliver them at the Office in
Liberty street during the day, and at the
headquarters in the Everett House dur
Ing the evening. Most of the dispatches
put IN evidence he never saw, and many
OF them had no signature, and the order
Oh Others was changed so that dispatches
Whlsh had no connection were read as