The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-01-14
wEssTER's WAGER.


AsNesed Political Forgery-The Celebrated
Garland Letter.
sForgeries are fatal to political parties, and
the Chinese letter Is not the first instance.
The two great parties of 1874 called them
selves Wings and Democrats, though the
n,ost damaging charge each could bring
| against the other was that Of fayoring aboli-
tionism. The standard bearer of the politi-
cai abolitionists-then calling themselves the
Liberty party-was James G. Birney, Ken
tuckian by birth and lawyer by profession,
standing, till he liberated his slaves in 1884.
1t the head of the Alabama bar. Relin-
gushing his law practice, he attempted to
establish an abolition Journal in Kentucky,
No printer dared to print II there, and he
started II at Cincinn ati, where his press and
| types were thrown into the Ohio by mob.
Afhis own request his father, who died in
| 1880, LETT all bis slaves, twenty-nine in num-
Der, to him and the real estate to the other
heirs. These slaves he Immediately set
free and comfortably settled them in Ohio.
This act left him poor. After Iaboring some
years as an anti-slavery leaturer and secreta-
ry of the American anti-Slavery SocietT he
settled in Saginaw, then a wilderness, In
Michigan. There his new neighbors, who
happened to be mostly Democrats, desiring
to send to the Legislature a representative
| who would be able to secure for them their
share Of the public school money, addressed
Mr.. Birney, through Mr.. J. b. Garland, to
know if they could secure his services in the
Legislature. In letter to Mr.. Garland Mr..
Rirney stated that he should be glad TO serve
them in regard to the school money, but 1t
must be with the distinct understanding that
he was an immediate Abolitionist, and he
should advocate the cause of the slave In the
Legislature to the best of his ability. This
fact becoming known to the Wing State Com
mittee Of Michigan, they lost no time In
charging the Democratic party with the hor-
rible crime of favoring abolitionism, which
the Democratic party, and particularly
the Albany Argus, repelled with the utmost
indignation, denying tina. their party had
nominated Birney orhad nythingto do with
him.
This tempted Wing ingenuity to kill Two
birds with one stone, and forged affidavit
was set up in back county Whig printing
Office which would not only nail the charge
ON the Democrats bat disgust Abolitionists
with their candidate.
Like the Chinese letter, this forgery de-
ceived some of the ablest and honestest lead
eS Of the very party that devised
and used 1t, and among these was Daniel
Webster.
In 1914 the Presidential election took
place on different days In different States and
and was already apparently decided in favor
of Polk against Clay before Massachusetts,
had voted But the conflict was none the
less earnest In our own little State. On the
9TH of November Mr.. Webster had made one
Of his grand speeches In Pepperell, and re-
turning to Boston on the morning ofthe 9th,
he, with number Of his friends, including
Peter Harvey and, Philo Shelton, took the
cars at Lowell. Immediately in front Of
Mr.. Webster sat Elizur Wright, Afterwards
known as editor Of the Chronotype. Mr..
Wright had just got hold Of Lowell morn
ing paper, in which the forgery appeared, and
exclaimed with characteristic explosiveness
that Is was the st Roorback that had ever
been written.
.What il a Roorback?" asked Mr.. Web
ster. st s.-assas- a.-E.E ....-
"This letter from Birney," replied Wright.
Mr.. Webster took the paper, carefully
looked over the article aud said: ... -
"Mr. Birney has had time to deny this, has
not done 1t, and In my judgment the letter
Is geuine. / viii bet you Gao 1t is genuine"
Mr.. Wright replied that, though he was
not betting man, he should take up
that bet, because there was no uncertainty in
the case; he knew Mr.. Birney was incapable
of writing such letter. ....4.
"Well," said Mr.. Webster--his friends,
and particularly Peter Harvey, looking dag
gers-"f40 is $500. Hyou will bring me Mr..
Birney's written denial, will give you my
check for $780," @ a T.. s-~s ,aa ~
81 win give you $500 If DON'T" said Mr..
Wright, and they exchanged cards.
The result was that Mr.. Webster had hard
ly doffed his overcoat at his Office, at the
corner of Court and fremont streets, when
Mr.. Wright presented letter to himself
from Mr.. Birney, then at Cleveland, wishing
him to denounce the forgery in the most abb
solute terms, and promising to end the let
ter which he wrote to Garland as soon as
the mail could bring it. @7.a@.
"This paper seems to be in your favor"
said Mr.. Webster, "but 1t appears from this
that Mr.. Birney did write to Garland, and be-
fore we settle the bet we will wait and see
that letter." a*4 90
Mr.. Wright Of course assented, and as
Garland had no hand in the affidavit, he read
lily sent the letter to Birney and he to Wright.
On seeing the letter, which was exceedingly
creditable to the Liberty candidate, Nj. Web
ster handed over over to Mr.. Wright, not his
check, but two clean hundred dollars bills,
and At the same time saying that using the
" fools argument was not habit Of his,
and that In fact he had never bet before, ex-
cept . hat, which he lost. In comforting
strain Mr.. Wright told him that neither him
nor the Abolitionists would have any dispo-
sition to injure him by making any publica-
ton Of his loss, for they all looked to him
with gratitude for his speech At Newport in
1890, and their hope Of him IS future cham
pion Of their cause, but he thought 1t no
more than just punishment for not know
ing better Of such aman as Birney.-Aibdny
Argus. Htae+
A Compliment From China
The residents Of Hongkong have paid
graceful compliiaent to President Norden-
skiold and Captain Palander. They have
sent to England, for presentation through the
British Minister at Stockholm, : magnificent
silver vase far prnfnasor Nordensk Il; Ia .rd :