Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-26
GEORGE d. PRENTICE
and that S25, 600 ArticIe-An Explain
standardization Of the Poet Ed
ItOr from a Serious Charge-A
"Reminiscences of the Late
Civil War.

Maysville (Ky.) letter in the Cincinnati
Commercial: - observe n the Commercial
of a recent date statement, copied from the
Louisville Post, on the authority of Mr.. CAL
vert, for some years the confidential book
keeper of the Louisville Journal company,
and alleged to be corroborated by Paul K
Sbipman, one Ct the ablest Of the many &C
compljshed assistants of George D. Prentice
ia the conduct OF that famous paper, which
statement Is, IN su Jstance, as follows: That
Mr.. Prentice had been seduced in 1861, by a
trIbe of twenty-five thousand dollars to con-
vert the Journal into an organ OF secession;
that the money was paid TO MIR. Prentice;
the article In consideration was written, put
IN type, locked up in the form, and was about
to be printed, when it was discovered by MIR.
Calvert, who endeaYored to detace the article,
and finally, on the authority of Mr.. Shipman,
had 1t taken from the form and suppressed;
that Mr.. Prentice, nevertheless, kept the
bride, and finally spent the money.
During the latter part of the winter and
early spring OF 1865, private business COM
PEELED me to pass several weeks IN Louisville,
and during that time | met Mr.. Prentice
almost daily. On the morning after the
State convention of the Union men, which
nominated Hon. Joshua f. Bell for governor,
l made a friendly call upon Mr.. Prentice at
his editorial rooms IN the Journal office.
Mr.. Shipman came IN during my call. The
conversation turned upon the conduct of the
u
Harvey, and which had announced open
hostility to the platform and nominees of the
convention, add led off IL the movements
that oal1a4il,.stooi tho candidacy OF Hon
Charles A. Wicklitfe for governor, on a plat
form requiring the resembling Of the eman-
cipation PROCLAMATION rs the condition of vo-
ting further supplies of men and money Tor
the prosecution OF the war. Mr.. Prentice was
very bitter against Harvey, and did not hest
tate to affirm his belief in the most
emphatic terms, that his old antagonist
had yielded to pecuniary Establishments
offered by the secession sympathizers. Mr.
Shlpman's expressions of regret at Har
neys course were as conspicuous as bis con-
domination, and his avowal OF faith that Har-
ney s action was not from corrupt motive,
but pro eeded from his honest convictions,
was as explicit IN language as Prentlce's as
sault had been. In support OF MS own views
Mr. Prentice stated to me that in 1861,
Charles S. Morehead had urged him to come
out IN the Journal in favor of the secession
of Kentucky, and had finally intimated to
him that he could make such step very
profitable to himself. That, desiring to see
Morehead's hand, he had affected to consider
the suggestion; and that Morehead then Of
tered thirty five thousand dollars in gold, to
be paid when the article was written and be-
fore its publication, and a draft for forty
thousand dollars on bank In Georgetown,
been taken. He returned to Morehead the
answer that the nuducenaeHt altered toaS not
sufficient He was then asked TO name his
terms, and replied that there was not gold
enough In the Southern Contederacy to per-
suade him. have always believed that it
was the knowledge of his participation in
this affair leaking cut, connected with his
inHammatory speeches after returning from
Mississ ppi, that led to the arrest of Charles
S. Morehead, in 1861, and his subsequent
long incarceration. Prentice had known him
long, and was sincerely attached to him. He
never ceased to labor for his friends liberia
ton, and it was to his influence, more than
that OF Mr.. Cnttendep, that Morehead
owed his final release. l never saw more
determined Union man than Prentice seemed
to be from all Ills conversations In 1860, 81
62-63. In fact, the one person connected
with the Journal establishment who, though
a Union man always from principle, seemed
to have stronger leaning in sympathy for
the south than any of the others, was that
accomplished writer, Paul r. Shirman. My
own belief has always been that George d.
Prentice was every inch a patriot Venality
never appeared to be one OF his vices.
THE STORY CONCERNING Mr.. PRENTICE.
The Louisville Post will print an interview
with Rufus Prentice relative to the remark
able story of Calvert and Shipman about G.
D. Prentice. RUFUS Prentice, the only living
brother, says: | never heard the story until
| saw it in print. My brother came frequently
to Washington after the breaking out of the
war. During one Of his visits | remember
his telling me that General Beauregard Of
fered him FIVE hundred thousand dollars to
secure the support Of his paper. This amount
was intended for the purchase of the paper
outright, or, in case my brother did not wish
to sell, the offer would remain neutral" Mr..
Prentice said his brother was offered a check
for the amount on the Bank of Georgia. He
says he knew Shipman well. He boarded
with his brother, and, as they were both in
the same house, he does not understand why
ShIpman, rather than his brother, should be
sent for to decide whether the alleged article
should 90 in.