The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-02

esn9 Document.
New York sun.
.ovrlnof Hills positive conviction that
sue Watterson letter was an impudent
!y no doubt gained strength from the
.a ous statement in the epistle that its
w''et nao never sought or held Office.
~ could not be induced to do So" The
eovsinor y too familiar with the facts of
p'.'lcsa history not to remember that the
oI. henry Watterson held . distin.
kIasned public Office with renown to him
seiI ana 70 the satisfaction Of his constitu-
enss. as member of the House of Repre-
sentaiives in the Forty-fourth congress.
COLONEL Watterson has acknowledged
.ne suthorship Of the November letter
Win the same manly frankne,s a, inn
peued his pen in the first instance. II
somewhat singular circumstance
however. that while declaring that
ne wrote the letter in the form
IN which it has been published, and that he
stands BY the sentiments therein expressed
Colonel Watterson says nothing about the
method employed for the transmission of
tins important document from the Courier
Journal Office in Louisville to the executive
mansion in Albany.
Somewhere between Colonel Watterson,s
oanctum desk and Governor Hills hands
sne now celebrated letter fell through.
wnere y 1T! Did the eminent editor,
sIter writing the letter and preserving the
copy which he has since furnished
ally to the mailing Of the
original? Is he sure that it ever reached
the United States postofice3 Is it perhaps
the case that when the mental excitement
o. composition was over Colonel
yASx
for consideration by the second
thoughts of q cooler moment; that
ne afterward forgot the circumstance, inst
as ne had forgotten his brief but illus
uiou: term In congress, and assumed
tnat ms original purpose had been car
ried out; that his mistaken impress
SION to this effect was confirmed
bhd browns banquet, which seemed
20 Colonel Watterson to bring him assur-
.nce that the governor had received his
disinterested advice and replied by follow
ing IT? A search among Colonel Waiter
SON: papers even now may discover the
lost letter just Is it was laid aside in No
vember, either unfolded or enclosed for
celled.
Again, is it likely that Colonel Watterson
would think of intrusting SO important q
communication, document so pregnant
with fatefu0 consequences to the party he
olsinterestedly loves and serves, to the
chances Of transmission by unregistered
mail? Would not the natural thing be for
him to confide it, unsealed. to some dis
Greet messenger empowered to deliver it to
Governor Hill or not. as might seem to him
advisable? Is it impossible that this was
what Colonel Watterson did, and has now
forgotten in the rush and pressure
OF other duties; and that the chosen
messenger, having studied the commune
cation and considered it in all its bearings,
finally concluded to exercise the discretion
conferred upon him by Colonel Waiter
son, and to refrain from delivering the
missive?
There are other conceivable explanations
Of the governors failure to receive Colonel
Watterson's disinterested and well-meant
them. A more serious matter for reflection
is contained in the remark attributed to
Governor Hill when he believed the docu-
ment to be . forgery, and substantially
repeated by him on the supposition that
the letter was genuine, that the con-
tents of the letter were impairment and
an insult. This view would seem very
harsh on Governor Hills part, if he were
not reported as adding, with respect to
Mr.. Watterson's professed friendliness for
himself, THAT may be so. / never saw
his newspaper. have never noticed any
clippings or comments in the newspapers
from the Courier-J Journal in that line.
The fact that Governor Hill never reads
the Courier-Journdl and has never even seen
1t. is rather surprising. 1t is an omission
which the governor will do well to cor
rect He will find the C0urier,J Journal often
valuable reading; and when he has made
himself familiar with the motives and
methods of that suggestive newspaper, he
will no longer be capable of supposing
that Colonel Watterson can do intention
advice. wise or foolish, solid or fantastic,
which is not prompted by sincerity and an
unselfish regard for Democratic ideas