The sun., 1885-06-28
The Times in the Wrong.

York Tmes, has repeatedly seen At to Issue
gross accusation against the Hon. JAMES
r. DooL1TTLE OF Wisconsin; and now. when
that gentleman presents evidence proving
It untrue, the Times refuses to publish the
refutation.
Mr.. DoohrrTLE was Senator In Congress
for twelve years, going out Of office In 1869,
when the Administration OF Gen. GRANT came
in. He was originally Democrat, but came
into the Senate az Republican, and was one
| Of the few who resisted the attempt OF his
party to expel President JOHNSON from Office
| through impeachment. His course in that
matter naturally excited against him great
| degree Of partisan animosity, and subse-
quontly, when he Joined tho Democratic
party again, this calumny was set up against
him. The Times adopted 1t then, and, after
| thirteen years, repeated 1t with emphasis
q few weeks ago.
The charge is that Mr.. DOoLITTLE, being
| Senator, procured. In 1854, for a man named
| CoNNArTY, permit to trade in Southern cot
| ton, on the condition that he should divide
with him tho profits Of tho business. Such
| permits were issued at that time by President
| LINcoLN's Administration under authority
OF an act Of Congress. and CoNNATrY obtained
| got out any cotton, or made any profits.
In 1872 Mr.. DooLrTTLE presided over the
Democratic National Convention at Baltl-
| more which nominated HORACE GREELEY for
President, and after that CoNNArTY's accu-
sation was first brought forward. 1t was
investigated then by the Hon. MONTGOMERY
| BLAIR who demonstrated its falsity:
but having now been reproduced by,
| the Times, Mr.. DooL1TTLE has taken the
pains to obtain evidence OF the most conclu-
sive kind. 80 that no fair man can examine
tho case and como to any other conclusion
| than that the attack is groundless slander.
CoNNATTY's permit to trade in cotton from
within tho Confederate lines was granted In
November, 1864 by Mr.. HANSON A. R1sLEY,
now of Colorado, whom President LINCOLN
had appointed as the agent Of the Govern
ment for tho purpose Of issuing such per-
mits; and Mr.. R1sLEY swears that Senator
DooLrrTLE made no written or verbal
Recommendation in the case, and that he
granted tho permit to CoNNATTY on
his own knowledge OF him, and with
out accommodation from any quarter,
CoNNATTY having served under him as q
clerk in the Treasury Department. Secre-
tary MANNING also certifes that there is
nothing In the records OF tho Treasury to in
dlcate that Mr.. DooL1rTLE had any hand in
tho matter; in fact, those records expressly
sustain the recollection Of Mr.. RIsLEY. More
over. there Is evidence that for a month
previous and O month after the granting OF
the permit, Mr.. DooLrrTLE was in Wiscon-
sin canvassing for tho reelection OF Mr.
LINCOLN and resting after the canvass. so
that he'could not have exercised any influ-
ence inWashington in except through letters;
and these would necessarily have been kept
on file in the Treasury Department.
Besides, Mr.. DooLIrTLE's career In Con-
gress and before the country, has been entire
ly respectable from the beginning until now;
and tho only fact that can be alleged against
him as q ground for partisan mallgnity
is that he stood by ANDREW JOHNSON and
voted against the majority Of the Republi-
can Senators in tho impeachment trial. Hav-
ing known him we'll during the whole period
OF his Senatorship we add our own testl-
mony that there was no Senator Of his time
who was less liable than he to any charge OF
venality or corruption.
Our contemporary Of the Times Is, In our
judgment, guilty OF o serious wrong when 1t
attempts In this manner, and on such worth
less evidence. to blacken his reputation; and
still more. 1t Is wrong when 1t denies to the
accused the right Of being heard In Its COL
umns in his own defence.