Year: 1859

The Lecompton press seem determined to
concede no merit to Mr.. Broderick at all, and
either call his speeches trash or brazenly as
sert that he never made them at all, but that
they have been fixed up by his reporter.
The charge is SO ridiculous as really not to be
worth notice, for no sensible man can believe
that the reporter would be able, however
talented he might be, to write oif-hand i'm
promptu replies to impromptu speeches, in
time to mail or express them on the same
night of their delivery. Especially is it
ridiculous to suppose that he would assume
to speak for the Senator upon matters of so
important a personal nature as those which
have occupied his attention, during this can
vass, or that he could possibly be acquainted
with all those details of which Mr.. Broderick
speaks from his own personal knowledge.


Mr. Broderick undoubtedly makes his own
speeches. and his English is as good as any
mans. The time is past for sneering at Mr..
Broderick's ability as a speaker


But we recur to the question of the accu.
racy of Mr.. Summers reports and allow him
to speak for himself, as he has already done
in the Union, from which we extract this let.
Ter;


MEssRs. EBIroRs:-The report of the dis
cussion which took place between Mr. Brod-
elick and Mr.. Kirkpatrick, at Downievile,
published in the Union Of July 22d, is in
dorsed by me as correct, and assertions to the
contrary declared to be untrue.


] desire to state that during Mr. Brode.
5dck's replies considerable confusion and dis
turbance was excited and kept up by por-
ton of the audience, who formed a semicircle
to the sonth of the stand. about ten feet from
the speaker, leaving wide space before them
unoccupied; Kissing, shouting and clapping
impertinently, in such a manner as to prevent
distinct hearing on the part Of the listeners,
who were stationed at larger distance from
the platform than were those who were
engaged in creating the noise


At a little after o'clock, on the morning
following the debate, two persons, to me un-
known, broke into Dly room in the hotel, and
rousing me from my sleep, stated that their
GRAND was to induce me to fix up Kirkpat-
rick s speech in as good shape as | could not
only correcting grammatical errors and mis-
takes of construction, but also inserting few
explanatory sentences, the language in which
they would supply, They offered to pay me
literally for the service sought-sha1ing a
number of $40 pieces in their hands, and ask
ing me to ''name the price" As soon as
understood their mission, peremptorily re-
fused to enter into any such negotiations as
these related, and plainly signifyng my anx
iety TO enjoy the few hours allotted to me,
laid down again in my bed


The two midnight visitors eooly took their
seats on an opposite couch, and proceeded to
declare that Mr.. kirkpatrick was a young
man. in whose future they had much interest
and hope; that he was not prepared to speak
when called out; that it would not be fair to
present him as he really appeared when Mr.
Brodericll was fully charged with matter for
accusation and retort; that the Union was
taken by great many Administration men
in Downieviile, who would be gratifed by a
carefully revised edition of this youthful SEN
ator's remarks on the occasion referred to, and
who would be proportionately grieved at a
literal record that the changes and interpo-
lations contemplated by them would not be
observed 10y the Anti-Lecompton readers on
account of the excitement and confusion
which obtained at the time of the delivery of
the speeches. After interrupting my rest for
about half an hour, they left my room with
an air of great indignation and disgust.


l mention these facts, as | conceive that
they viii materially help to indicate the ori-
gin of the attacks made upon the veracity of
my report Respectfully,


CHARLES A. SUMNER. Reporter.