Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-07-08
Mr.. Bayard's Ley atty.

Mr.. Baysvd's Legally.
The Baltimore Herald, of which Mr.
Charles Reynolds, formerly on the
staff of the Morning News of this city,
has been led unintentionally into an
error in publishing letter said TO have
been written by Thomas f. Bayard, 10
Samuel NJ. FELTON,, about the COM
mencement Of the war; in reference to
the passage of government troops
through Delaware during the war.
Mr.. FELTON, being appealed to, writes
that he has no recollection of ever hay
ing received such a letter from Mr..
Bayard. The following is said 10
have been the main paragraph Of the
letter:
Never would by any act of mine
suffer anybody over which l have con-
troll to guard any corporation in trans
porting Lincoln's cut-throat hirelings."
(Signed) THOMAS f. BAYARD.
The above letter was first published
in the REPUBLICAN,, it having been
represented to that paper from undoubt-
ed authority that 1t Was true and it rep
resented Mr.. Blyard's well known
views al tn It me So concisely and pre-
cisely " e hau no doubt whatever as TO
the authenticity of the letter. However,
As Mr.. felton, has written to some gen.
tleman in Baltimore that he has on IT.
collec ion of receiving such letter, we
have no hesitation III giving all con-
cerned the benefit OF Mr. Felton's state
ment, though it seems to have been
sent to gentleman III Baltimore and
not to either the Herald of thai city or
the REPUBLICAN Of this city. The
Herald in making reparation to the
f-eing, IF the gentleman in Baltimore,
who appears To us 10 be more concern
ed for Bayard than either Mr.. FELTON,
or Mr.. Bayard himself, says
1.-The letter In quss ion WI. printed crlgi
naily in Wilm ngton, tbel newsp iper
and We accepted rs yenuiie be :ause it was
thorouRhi' in keep " tn III opinions en-.
terta,nei by Mr. Bayard q III I dune, and
which he has never epudia cd when charg
cd witt them.
Mr.. Bayard sa IA the office o. tho pro
thobCtiry of New Castle County, at the tlme
OF the outbreak o L. war, that = Lincoln,
eireltnEs Should not cross he soil of Della
ware exirpt over the det b al # her suns
THIS sc timent is ~ clos ~ akin To that
which charactof,z.s the Fei51n :: te, that II
was not st anse th"t Ne should accept tho
The Herald has certainly lost moth
ing by the error into which IL was led
and the Baltimore friend of Mr. Bay
ard is entitled TO all the comfort he cal
extract from its apology. Nobody il
Wilmington ever questioned the genu
ineness of the letter, because the senti
ment attributed to Mr.. Bayard in rela
ton to Federal soldiers and Presiden
Lincoln were well known to be tn
sentiments he enter aimed, and was il
no manner backward in expressing
those sentiments whenever occasions re
quired, which occasions presents
themselves very often
The expression made by Mr.. Bayar
in the prothonotary otti Ice of New Cas-
tie, and attributed to him by the Hei
aid is more emphatic even than tn
letter he is charged. with sending t
Mr.. FELTON,. Wilningtonians VIII
lived in this city during the tryin
times OF the war are more apt to do in
justice to Mr.. Bayard than those VIII
have come upon the stage of actio
since, because knowing him AZ they Iii
and knowing his real sentiments the
are prepared even now to believe an
extravaganU report in regard to his S,
cession sympathies short of taking IL
arms and fighting against the Union
and although Mr.. FELTON, does II,
reccllect that he received the letter i
question from Mr.. Bayard, that max,
no difference in the minds of elderl
citizens here, for if he did not write I'll
sentiments in Il letter they were we
known to be his sentiments neverth
less.
There are both men and women
this city who well recollect the insul
they have had to bear when in the pc
formance of a charitable act they a.
pealed to Mr.. Bayard for aid for Il
sick and wounded soldiers TAXI
through this city from the battle field
at the front to Northern hospitals. NJ
Bayard was not alone in the stand
took. There'were numbers of other eli
zens, be it said to their shame, who i
dignantly refused to contribute to a
sick, wounded and bleeding humanit
Mr.. Bayard is credited with remarkii
when appealed to that if these mi
guided people had not enlisted in IL
wicked war they would not now be 81
fering."
Now, we might be mistaken, but
think We have some knowledge of t
Baltimore gentleman who wrote to n
FELTON, TO know if he had received I
letter in question from Mr.. Bayard.
We would not be surprised at all if
turns out to be gentleman who has
birthright in Delaware, and until
rant1y a raSilaYt e IL
would not be surprised, if We were &c
that he has varied knowledge of new
paper publishing and editing, both
Delaware and in Baltimore.
would not be surprised if his pedig
was traced back TO find that he once e
ted Union paper in Delaware duri
the war, when he wanted to hang I
Bayards for traitors on the same l.
with jeff Davis. But enough of this
1t may not be the same gentleman.
In conclusion, we have only to s
that it is an undisputed fact that
Bayard was second and in active CO
maud of military company in u
city about the commencement of
war that he never at least vol
teered to protect the Union that it
well known that the members "
nearly all Mr.. Bayard's perso
friends, and without exception the $,
paihies OF the members, like their CO
1nander, were with the South; that
Union people of Wilmington did
feel safe while that company was
existence that at picnic held by
company, we think in McCron
woods, to which nobody but rebel $,
pathizers were invited, the Uni
States troops swooned dawn unnu ri