J
Sfe If P iife if f 3Jf ft
u
i .' -
it iUREli; Editor and Proprietor,
j.' TO D . IIITTCIIIXSO, Publisher.
O
I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT THAN PRESIDENT. Hkhby Clay.
t P t? w s.oo PEIl A IV x
$1.50 IX AOVA2VCU
VOLUME 5.
LIST OF POST OFFICES.
Post Offices. Post Matter.
Bethel Station Enoch Reese, Blacklick.
Carrolltown, Joseph Behe, Carroll.
ChesJ Springs, Henry Nutter, Chest..
Conemaush, A. G. Crooks, Taylor.
L'-esion J.IIou3ton, Waahint'n.
ubensburg. John Thompson, Ebeusburg.
Fivlleu Timber, Asa II. Fiske White,
flallitiin, J- M. Christy, Gallitzin.
Qemlock, Win Tiley, Jr., Waaht'n.
Johii'towa, I. E. Chandler, Johnst wn.
r,ttn.- M. Adlesbereer, Loretto.
Mineral Point, B. Wisainger, Conem'gh.
kmster. a. uuruiu, . .-uuusin.
PlattSVllie, Auuicn v i ehu-j, uu.
DAaMand. G. W. Bowman, White.
St. Augustine, Stan. Wharton, Clearfield.
Scalp Level, George lierkey, Kicmanu.
Bonman, B. M'Colgan, Waaht'n.
Jumraerhill, B. F. Slick, Croyle.
?nrnmit, William Jl'ConDcli Washfn.
Wilinore, Morris Keil, S'mcrhill.
CIII UCIIES, MINISTERS, &C.
T.ti,r;rtn Rev. D. Harbisoh. Pastor.
breaching every Sabbath morning at 10
j'tiock, and in the evening at 6 o'clock. Sab
ntl. School at 1 o'clock. A. M. Prayer incet-
iuz everr Thursday evening at 6 o'cloek.
Mithodist Episcopal L'nurcn uur. J. o.
u Prmrhpr in charcrc. Rev. J. Gray. As
sistant. Preaching every Sabbath, alternately
it 10i o'clock m tlie morning, or in ic
fveainz. Sabbath School at 9 o'clock, A. M.
Prayer meeting everv inursaay evening, at i
oVloek.
Welch Independent Rev Ll. R. Powell,
Piq.j.r Vreachinsr everv Sabbath morniHtr-at
JjoVlotk. and in the evening: at G o'clock.
a-ibbatu School at 1 o'clock, P. M. Prayer
meeting on the first Monday evening of each
month And on everv Tuesday. Thursday and
I'riiay evening, excepting the first week in
eich month.
Ulvinitti: Methodist Utv. Jotis Williams,
PajtoF. Preachicg every Sabbath evening at
!ad C o'clock. Sabbath School at lr o clock,
A M. Piaver meeting every Friday evening,
K 7 o'clock. Socictv every Tuesday evening
i: 7 o'clock.
n;c;rh Her. W. Llotd. Pastor. Preach-
:z everv Sabbath morning a-t 10 o'clock.
'articular liopiUts Re. David Jexri.v,
Vir Pr.Ai'hin everv Sabbath evening at
3 o'clock. Sabbath School at ut 1 o'clock, P. M.
Catholic Rev. M. J. Miichell, Pastor.
Services every Sabbath morning at 1 0$ o'clock
sr.1 Vc?pers at 4 o'clock iu the evening.
EBEXSIIl7RCi HAILS.
MAILS ARRIVE.
IV-tcrn. dailv, at 10 o'clock, A. M.
neitern. at iu o ciocs, a. .u.
MAILS CLOSE.
Ka.-um, ditilv, at - 8 o'clock, P. M.
Western. ' at 8 o'clock, P. M.
JSTli(iinilifram Bntler.Tndiana.StrouKS-
tOTc, kt., arrive on Thursday of each week,
5 o'clock, P. M.
Leave F.ben3bur2 oa triday of .tacu wetK,
v. n A. M.
9CS Tl,. m.vUa frnm Vpwmftn's Mills. Car-
r iillwwn, tc, arrive on Monday, Wednesday
ud Friday of each week, at 3 "o'clock, P. M.
i-envc Lheti3burg on Tueiaays, luursaajs
iJ Siturdayj, at 7 o'clock, A. M.
KAII..110 AD SCIIEOUL.E.
CUKSSON STATION.
T'tst Hilt. Express leaves at 7.58 A. M.
' i Line " - y.ll r.
' Mail Train " 7.8 P. M.
Through Express 7.53 P. M.
tasi Line " i i.i i r. .m.
Fast Mil ' 6.53 A. i!.
Tliroiiyii Accom. ' 9.29 A. .21.
W1LMORE STATION.
Wt-Ralt. Express leaves at 8.21A.M.
.Mid Train . I
K.t -Through Express 7.30 P. M.
last MhiI " 6.3j A.
" Through Accoio. " 8. DO A.
toiwiv ornt'Kiis.
Jw-Jci of thf C.tiiflm Tf c?H ii t Miiii C.t.
'v!or. H lintin"-f).ii A ;.u-ii tea llenrrre W.
s!cy, Henry C. Dcvinc.
rolhunotaru Joseph M'Donald.
llegisttr and Recorder Ed.vard F. Lytic.
Sneri'T John
' 'rc.ori-iy.Pliilip S. Noon.
-ouu.'v Com miitioner J a rue a Cooner. Pc-
Little, John Campbell.
'rtasurcr Thomas Callin.
' OOr Ifnutf Jiri-ir Willium tl mi frl a a c
'jeorg Delanv, Irwin Rutledgn.
toor House Treasurer George C. K. Zahm.
:fior--Thomaa J Nelon, William J.
iliams, George C. K. Zahm.
ouHly Sureeifor. Henry Scaulan.
Corontr. -James Shannon.
M'-rcantlle Appraiser Geo. W. Kasly.
SaP'L of Common Schools J. F. Condon. '
EBKM5I nii JIOIl. OFFICERS.
, KOROIY.B AT LAnGE.
eUon Vi,,L,i
K'irijui Janica Myera.
Seioo? fiworA'el Lloyd, Phil S. Noon
shiu I). Parrish, Hugh Jone?, E. J. Mills
lVlJ J. Jones. - '
r tAT TVAF D .
."' Evan K. Evan?.
Jyn Counril John J. Evans. Thomas J.
i.j"' -n W- Roberta, John Thompson, D.
William D. Davip. L. Rodgers.
Wgt af Election Daniel J. Davis.
4"for Lemuel Davis. ..
r S;-"-- WEST WAIID. '
Jki'M, O'Neill.
hn "'K- & Bnnn, Edward C,la,
flltmaV ra'rfhn.D Thomas, George W.
Vw'eWilliani'Barnes.'Jno. II . Evans
.Mrtorjt GurleV . ... "
The Morrell-Persliing Contro
versy "Scrip."
LETTER FROM MR. PKRSHISQ TO MR M0RKEL1..
Mr. Daniel J. Morrell has addressed a
long card tj tlie public, through the col
umns of the Cambria Tribune, of the 9th
inst., on the subject'of my course in the
Legislature, on the" bill prohibiting the
payment of the wages of labor in fore
orders, or scrip Periodically, just before
every election, Mr. Jlorrell becomes very
much excited about his scrip, so much so,
that "Scrip on the brain" rtireateu3 soou
to carry him off. .
For a proper understanding of the sub
ject, I quote the following from the House
proceedings of Feb. 18, 18G3;
"31 r. PERSHING, (on leave,) offered
the following resolution, which was twice
read :
"Whereas, the Governor, in his late
annual message, has used the following
language : 'It has come to my knowledge
that iu some parts of the State a system
exists of paying the wage3 of workmen
and laborers not in money, but in orders
on storekeepers for merchandise and oth
er articles. This system, by preventing
all competition, leaves the men to the
uncontrolled discretion of the storekeep
ers. It is a system most unwise and un
just, aud it affects classes of useful citizens
who, us they.live b' the proceeds of their
daily labor, havo not adequate means to
resist it. I have no doubt that mot of
the difficulties which occasionally occur
between employers and their workmen
are due to the prevalence of this system.
That every man, for a tair day's labor,
should receive a fair day's wages, is but
the dictate of common houcsty; and
whilst it would bo most unwise for the
State to interfere at all with the xra of
wages, it is, in my judgment, incX'bont
on her to protect her laboringr5pulation
by requiring that, whatrvcmay be the
wages stipulated, they shall be so paid
that the recipient may purchase necessa
ries for himself and his family where they
can be had best and cheapest. I do most
earnestly recommeud this subject to the
Legislature for prompt and effectual ac
tion.' "Therefore, be it
"Resolved, that the Committee on the
Judiciary be' instructed to inquire wlat
legislation is expedient and practicable to
carry out the foregoing recommendation
of the Governor, and report by bill or
otherwise."
This was fire weeks after fhe Governor
had sent in his message. If my "object
had been to "kill the whole matter," as
Mr. Morrell alleges, I took the wrong
ccurse to accomplish it. The truth is,
the effect of my resolution was to infuse
life into tho measure, which was appa
rently sleeping the sleep of death.
Shortly after the reference in -the House,
the Hon. Bernard Iteiley, Senator from
Schuylkill county, informed me that he
had, a day or two before aiy resolution
passed, introduced a bill into the Senate
prohibiting the payment of the wages of
laborers iu ptore orders, and expressed his
fears that if the House passed one -bill
and the Senate another, on the same sub
ject, the result would be a disagreement
which would defeat both. It was thought
better, therefore, thafJudge Ileiley aho'd
press his bill through the Senate and the
Jlouse await its action.
Notwithstanding Gov. Curtin's recom
mendation. Senator Kciley's bill -was
strongly opposed by a number of the Re
publican Senators, and only passed the
Senate towards the close of the session, in
April. Iu the House its chief opponent
was a gentleman largely interested in the
iron business. It finally passed that body
without its enemies demauding the yeas
and nays.
Mr. D. J. Morrell, iu his card, uses the
following language:
"Shortly after the reference of the rac's
sd"e, I saw Mr. Pershing, and he told me
the reason why he had that portion of the
message referred to the Committee of which
he was Chairman, was because he consid
ered it a question that could not constitu
tionally be legislated upon, and that such
must be their report, which would, of
course, kill the whole matter."
Twice, in other parts of his card, does
Mr. Morrell state that I was Chairman of
the Judiciary Committee ; and, in the
extract above, he italicizes that I told him
I was chairman of that committee, as tho'
he deemed this a matter of great impor
tance. I uow pronounce Mr, Worrell's
statement false, in all its parts. To say
that it vas a subject that could not be
constitutionally legislated upon, would be
so absurd that uo man of common sense
would state it. I was not Chairman of
the Judiciary Committee ; never told Mr.1
Morrell that I was ; and as I sent him the
Legislative Record daily, charity itself
will not penoiCme t. believe that this
.statement, mirdflHlifce times in the pame.
EBENSBURG, PA., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29,
communication, was a mistake on the pait
of Mr. D. J. Morrell. T am reluctantly
forced to the conclusion that when Mr.
D. J. Morrell wrote his card, or had it
written for him, he deliberately falsified
the record in his possession, and thu? ex
hibited an amount of malignity "which
unfits him to fairly judge of any respecta
ble man's actions.
From this evidence of Mr. I). J. Mor
rell's desire to act up to the motto at the
head of his card, "Tell the truth and
shame the Devil," the community can
judge how mu oh-reliance can be placed on
his subseqxicnst'a re merit in reference to
my alleged advice "to him, to continue the
issue of his Scrip "in the very teeth of
the bill." The facts are these : The
Ilarrisburg Teleyraph, the organ of Gov.
Curtin, some time after the adjournment
of the Legislature, published the Scrip
bill, with the announcement that the
Governor had signed it. The statement
was published iu the newspapers of the
State. Mr. Morrell called upon me, and
after denouncing Gov. Curtin's "dema
goueism" in very abusive language, sta
ted that the Company intended stopping
the issue of Scrip before a great while,
but if compelled to quit then, it would
derange their business, as it would require
a complete change in their mode of con
ducting it; that time was necessary to
prepare pass books, and additional clerks
would have to he employed. I informed
Mr. Morrell that tho Telegraph had
re-called its first statement and announced
that Gov. Curtiu had not signed the Scrip
bill; aud that as ths bill had not become
a law, its provisions were inoperative. In
other wor J?, as the Governor had refused
to insert teeth into the bill, Mr. Morrell
was in no danger of being bitten by it.
Had ' I-acted as Mr. Morrell states, I
would "abhor myself in dust and ashes ;"
but I solemnly aver," that I never have in
my profession, or in any other capacity,
publicly or privately, advised any one to
violate any .law. - There is no more truth
for D. j. Morrell's statement in this par
ticular, than for the one that I told him I
was Chairman of the. Judiciary Committee.
The man who, for the purpose of gratify
ing the meanest political hatred, can thus
pervert the professional advice , honestly
and faithfully given, will never be very
likely to shanie the Devil ly telling the
truth. "Were I disposed tj learn "duplic
ity" I could easily find a teacher, for from
the facts within my knowledge, I do not
know where I could find a more accom
plished instructor in that base art than
Mr. D. J. Morrell himself.
I' entirely agreed with Gov. Curtin in
the principle he laid down in his message.
Some difficulties suggested themselves to 1
my mind as to tha framing of a proper
bill, and I went to the Governor's room
to consult with him upon the subject, but
found ho was jbsect from farnsburg.
Yeaf3 ago the Legislature made the issu
ing, re-issuing, &c.t of any check, certifi
cate, order, due bill, &c, as currency, 'by
any corporation, a forfeiture of its charter.
This Act fias been a dead letter on the
statute' book. I referred t3 this law, and
further stated that a ivan had the right
, to sell his . labor and tako brick, straw.
'. paper, or whatever suited him, i:i payment,
anil how far legislation could iutcrleru
with the right of a party to make his own
contracts was, to say the leaf, doubtful..
I said these things on two occasions at
social gatherings, where Mr. Morrell and
I-were guests, - without supposing for a
moment that he would bo so lost to all the
proprieties which usually govern on such
occasions as to play the spy upon my
words,-and, months alterwards, he would
bolittle himself by traveling about the
town soliciting certificates, as a mendicant
does coppcr,s.
Mr. D. J. Morrell talks about his wit
nesses, and in this he does well. Men
who believe they are telling the truth and
who expect others to believe them, do not
usually bolster their veracity by parading
witnesses in advance, but in Mr. D. J.
Morrell's case, it was a most wise precau
tion. I shall say nothing farther on this
branch of the subject till the certificates
which Mr. D. J. Morrell carries around
in his breeches pocket, written, as , one of
the signers informs me, by Morrell himself,
come to light. .
"One of the special objects of Mr. D. J.
Morrell, in his .card, is to relieve Gov.
Curtin from the unpbasant predicament
In whioh he has placed himself. "The
Scrip question is used to make political
capital against Gov. Curtin," says Mr.
Morrell, and therefore he rushes into print.
His sudden zeal - for the Governor is
amazing, considering how. lately fit., was
that his vituperation of Curtiu was up to
the highest quotations in that market.
The reason which Mr. Morrell assigns in
his card for the Governor's reconiuienda-.
tiou 13 a very different one -from ;that
which Mr.-Murrcll coDimanicated to me.
The allegations of.D. J.. M'jrrcll arc that;
. -
Gov. Curtin prepared a bill on this sub
ject which "the Legislature did not touch ;
and that he, Curtin, would willinglyj-ign a
Constitutional bill, cannot DC true, as 1 will
endeavor to h.)w.
In the debate in the Senate on this bill
Mr. Turreil, a. Republican, opposed it,
when Mr. Reiley stated in reply as fol
lows : "I would pay to the Senator that
this bill has been submitted to the Gov
ernor and. the Attorney General. They
had it before them an entire day and they
returned it to- me without the alteration
.of a single word." See page T592 of the
LcgUljilice IZecorJ.
. It appears the course of the Governor
on the Scrip question is discussed in
Schuylkill county. There it is assigned
as Curtin's reason for not signing the bill,
that it is not strong enough that it does
not sufficiently protect the laborer. This
reason is in "the very teeth" of the one
assigned by Mr. D. J. Morrell, for the
Governor. Roth cannot be true. Sena
tor Reiley, who introduced the bill into
the Senate, in a recent letter, dated Sept.
30, 1863, thus adverts to Gov. Curtin's
airency in aiding the passage of the Scrip
bill :
"After I read the bill in place the Gov
ernor requested me to let him see it and.
he would show it to the Attorney General,
which I did. He had it in his possession
lor twenty-four hours; when I called for
it he said it might be made stronger by
inserting a clause preventing a man from
giving his labor for any other considera
tion than money. I told him I could not
pass such a bill. The Governor said, very
well, it is a good bill you must try and
pass it as soon as possible." .
Thus it appears that Gov. Curtin did
examine and approve of the very bill
which he now refuses to sign. What then
becomes of D.'J. Morrell's statement that
tha Governor had prepared a bill which
the Legislature would not touch ? or that
the Governor would sign "a proper and
constitutional bill?" If the present bill
ii improper or unconstitutional, why did
not Gov. Curtin say so to Senator Reilly,
after examining it f himself, and sub
mitting it to his Attorney General ? This
lame attempt of Mr. D. J Morrell to
shield Gov. Curtin from odium, for viola
ting his faith with the workingmcn, will
not do. Either Gov. Curtin has humbug
ged D.J. Morrell or D. J. Jlorrell is
endeavoring to humbug the community.
There is at all events, a question of verac
ity between them, which they can settle at
their leisure. The Pittsburg Commercial,
a Republican paper, in its issue of the 8th
inst., still further pomplicates this question
of veracity between, Mr. D. J. Morrell and
Gov. Curtin, by declaring that, the present
bill will be signed by the Governor on
tho meeting of the next Legislature, and
bases its allegation on what the editor
himself heard Mr. Meredith, the Attorney
General, say on the subject. I suppose
Mr. D. J. Morrell will not tamely allow
his "veracity" to be thus put in jeopardy
by men of his own poliiical party. He
should hasten to Its rescue with all con
venient speed: C. L. PERSHING.
MR. M0Iw!EI,lS REPLY.
After calling on the editor of the Trib
une with a witness, to solicit room in that
paper to answer my card of Oct. 1, and
after having been assured that he should
have room, Mr. C. L. -Pershing permit
tinga week to pass, on the eve of the elec
tion prints what he calls a reply in the
congenial columns of the Johnstown Dem
ocrat, on Monday, the 12th. To give
color to the falsehood which he wished to
circulate, viz : that T had assailed him on
the eve of the election, when too late for
him to reply, he says my Card was pub
lished in "the Cambria Tribune of the 9th
inst," well knowing that it was published
on the 2d, and that he had permission to
reply through tho Tribune of the 9th.
In this replyof his. is revealed tho sig
nificant fact that the. Democrat, Avith
which he has privately repudiated, all
sympathy and connection) is the medium
through which he prefers to address his
public ; and the reply itself reveals plainly
the hand which has guided that malignant
rebel organ throughout the campaign.
Mr. Pershing, at tho outset of. his arti
cle, puts on the air. of injured innocence,
and assumes that I am the aggressor.
Let me, in os brief a manner as possible,
show how the matter -stands.-
For months, the columns of Mr. Per
shing's rebel organ, reeked with personali
assaults upon me, mainly, as connected
with tho Company's Scrip. For . months
these assaults passed unheeded, as Mr,
Pershing persisted in denying any sympa
thy or connection with the paper making
them -when finally the Tribune, briefly
stated one fact, which is a fact, viz., that
the so-called Scrip, bill , "was unconsitu
.tional, and had been so pronounced by
Mr; Pershing himself." In reply to thi?.
'Mr. Pershing's orgaji of Sept. J6th; said '
LOU
"we have Mr. Pershing's authority for
saying he never said any such thing, nor
any thing of the kind."
Here is the question between Mr. Per
shing and myself. When I called vn him
about it, ho made an equivocal admission
that he had expressed such sentiments to
me with reference to the Constitutionally
of the Legislation of last winter on the
subject of store orders, but tried to justify
his present attitude by saying he had
never read the bill as it finally passed.
Mr. Pershing now appears as the champion
of the bill, and professes to be familiar
with its history in all its stages, yet he
made to me the singular and almost
incredible admission that he had never
read it, although it was published in his
organ, with a great flourish of trumpets,
aud an obituary of Scrip. He paid that,
in reply to one of the editors of the Dem
ocrat, who called on him on the subject,
he stated that he had not said that this
particular bill wa? unconstitutional, for
the reason that he had not read it; and
he further said that he had :iven the
editor of the Democrat no authority to
publish anything. 1 then called Mr.
Pershiug's attention to the statement in
the Democrat, that the publicaon was
made "by his authority." He seemed
milch embarrassed and agitated, and wanted
to know what I wished him to do. I had
no advice to give, but I knewwhat an
honorable man should and would do, and
faintly hoped that ha would do it. Mr
Pershing failed to make the correction
and I was obliged, reluctantly, to state the
facts to the public.
This disposes of Mr. Pershing's smart
ness, ebout my boiug affected with "Scrip
on the brain" a disorder which could
never trouble him, for the reason that he
ha3 very little of the one or the other.
No affection of the bruin will ever "carry
him off." . '
"For a proper understanding" of the
subject" Mr. Pershing quotes his resolu
tion referring the recommendation of the
Governor, "to the Committee op the
Judiciary, to inquire what legislation is
expedient and practicable to carry it out,
and report by bill or otherwise." "This
was ice weeks after the Governor sent in
his. mcssgc." Singular tliat the great
anti-Scrip champion should let Jive whola
weeks elapse before making this important
motion I "If my object had been to kill
the whole matter," says Mr. Pershing, "1
touk the wrong course to accomplish it."
It is very easy for Mr. Pershing to tike
the wrong course on Scrip, or aDy other
question. It was a very strange motion
for an anti-Scrip champion to make. In
another part of his card, he Says, "I
entirely agree with Gov. Curtin in the
prinsiples he laid down in his message,"
yet his motion iustructs the judicary com
mittee to enquire if legislation is expedient
and practicable, and to report by bill or
otherwise: It was an artful dodge by
which Mr. Pershing could say to one class
of his constituents, "See how I am pitch
ing into scrip," and to another class as
he did to me, that the recommendation
was "a pettifosing trick of the Governor"
and that efctive Legislation" was not
practicable, and that the Committee would
not report by bill "but otherwise.
And here comes the great the 'only
point cf Mr. Pershing and Point no
Point it is, truly. He quotes my card,
thus:
"Shortly after the reference of the
message I saw Mr. Pershing, and he told
me the reason why he had that portion ot
the message referred to the committee of
wliich he was chairman was, because .he
considered it a question that could not
constitutionally be legislated upon, and
that such must be their report which
would, of course, kill the bill."
Mr. Pershing then says :
"Twice in other parts of his card does
Mr. Morrell state that I was chairman of
the Judiciary Committee, -and in the
extract above he italicizes that I told him
I was chairman- of that Committee, as
though he deemed this matter of great
importance. '
Now, "the'extract above" is my lan
guage, no part of it is set forth as words
used" by Mr. Pwaffing. In my own lan
guage, I statedj-what i Why, the reason
that he hadvfe niessaze referred. The
extract does not say that he told me he
was chairman ot that Committee. No
one but Mr. Pershing, or the blundering
author of his .card, could be so base or
stupid as to allege it.
Mr Pershing proceeds to say :
"I now; pronounce Mr. Morrell's . state
ment false in all its parts. To say that it
was a subject that could not bo constitu
tionally legislated upon would be so
absurd that no man of common sense
would state it. I was not chairman of
the Judiciary Committee never told Mr.
Morrell that I was; arid as Isenthim the
Legislative Record daily, charity itself will
not permit me to believe that this state
NUMBER 5.
ment, made three times in the saruo
communication, was a mistake of Mr. I).
J. Morrell. I am reluctantly forced to
the conclusion that when Mr. D. J. Mor
rell wrote his car 1, or had it written for
him, he deliberately falsified tho record
in his possession, and thus exhibited sn
amount of ma'igoity which unfit3 him
fairly to judge of any respectable maa'd
actions."
There is Mr. Pershing's whole defense.
Let me dispose of it thus: I never said
that Mr. Pershing told me he was chair-,
man of tho Judiciary Committee my.
Card dues not say it. It was my mistaken
impression that he was Chairman of tho
Judiciary Committee. In the Camlrut
Tribune cf the 9th, I corrected my mistako
by the following Card :
"Correctiox. Mr. Editor: An error' has
been pointed jut to me in mv Card of last
week, which I hasten to correct, although of
no material importance. I stated, believing
it to be so, thi't Mr. Pershing was Chairman
of the Committee oa Judiciary, to which he
hf.d so tauch of the Governor's message re
ferred as related to th payment of the wages
of labor. Mr. Pershing, it appears, was not
Chairmin, although an active member of that
Committee. I wa3 led to the error by cot
founding in my memory the Judiciary with
the Committee on Federal Relations, of which
the Honorable gentleman was Chairman.
"Oct. 5, 18t;3. D. J. Morrell."
This card is dated Oct. 5, and was pub
lished in the Tribune of the 9th. Yet on
Monday, Oct. 12, with my Correction be-
lore him, he cnarges that I "deliberately
falsified the record." ' I leave the public
tojudircon which side the "malignity"
lies. It is a point of no importance save as
illustrating the animus cf Mr. Pershinst
If it has done him harm to state thatj1
was Chairman of the Judicidry Comlj8SRr.
I -tender an fiinple apology. I apoii
to the Legislature also. It seems it.tJcr&l
not compelled to go so low for a Chairmltno
of this important committee, as to taki!;0
Mr. Pershing, although denounced by him
as one of the most venal bodies ever
assembled at the Capitol. I- do state with
certainty what Mr Pershing ."told me."
He did say, in effect, that, he considered
the subject one which could not constitu
tionally be Legislated upon, and that such
must be the report of the Committee,
which would, of course, kill the whole
matter- ; '
Mr. Persains says he never made such
statement, and says it would be so absurd
that no man of common ssnse would make
it.. Thi3 is a question for Mr. Pershing.
If there was no Constitutional , objection,
to such Legislation, why should iUnot be
practicable ? Why did Mr. Pershing
instruct the Committee to inquire "what
Legislation is practicable ?" . Why did ho
instruct the committee "to report by bill
or otherwise V In another part of Mr,.
Pershing's Card, where he tries to stata
what he did say, he say3:
"I further stated. that a man had a
right to sell his labor, and take bricks,
straw, paper, or whatever suited him, in
payment, and how far Legislation could
inter efere.with the. right of a party to
make his own Cciitract, was to say thu
4east, dcubtjul."
I am no lawyer, but it seems to me, that
applied to the so-called Scrip billr this
opinion" is conclusive of its unconstitution.
ality. Whether Mr. Pershing's state
ment to me would be made by "a man of
common sense" or not, one thing is cer
tain no man "of common honesty would
make it, aud then, for political effect deny
it. Mr. Pershing misstates the conversa
tion I had with him after the bill had
been passed, aud when it was believe 1 the
Governor either had signed or would sigu
it. lie says ho toll me "the Telegraph
had recalled its first statement, tnd an
nounced that Gov. Curtin had not. hined
the bill, and would not, and as the bill had
not become a law, its provisions were in
operative." I remember nothing of this..
I would need no tremendously learned
counsel to inform me ihat a bill
which "bad not become a law wca inoper--
ative !"
What Mr. Pershing did eay was, in
effect, that the so-called Scrip bill passel
bv the Legislature was unconstitutional.'
He said it was not law not for the reaso i
that the Governor had not'siued it, but
because the Legislature could nol constitu
tionally interfere icith the right cf centred
between man and man. I cannot le mis
taken about his having given such an
opinion. This is the sole question in this,
controversy. Mr. Pershing, in his ril" of
"Artful Dodger," does his lest to. dodg
it. He says "I havo never, in my profes
sional life o'r in any other capacity, publicly
or privately advised any cne to viol?
law He did not advised tn
-vtf fin v
i iVV Lre"U0 - charged it pou;
him. , He advised Pltf to make nach t
in the Companv 6 business; because cf
unconstituUoualty cf tho law. !... , . '
told meor I pauadersto V .
Company iight i tnak tire, -
A110 '
w .iacacj without i Mating an
r
y '
.ii
4
9:
1
r
3
A
i
lflr