The Kalida venture. [volume], March 28, 1845, Image 2

About The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865

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iiiinacu, uy actum uuseivauuu, uiai iiicic
was a river, aud go assured Vancouver, whom
lie boob nfter met. Vancouver denied that
there was such a river in the latitude, And
as described by Gray; because he himself
had navigated the Pacific Coast from 54 i de
grees southward, and had kept in sight of
the land the whole course with a view to
the discovery of bays, inlets and rivers, and
that when, at night, he was obliged to put to
sea he always returned to tho same place
in the morning, and within full sight of tho
coast. " Meats had made the samo statement,
and had used the same caution, and with
the same effect. Captain Gray renewed his
efforf to enter tte river in question; and on
the 11th day of May, 1792, again returned
.1o it, and succeeded in entering its mouth,
sailed up it seme distance, where he remain
ed for several days trading with the natives.
Captain dray gave names to every thing
worth naming about the mouth of the river,
by jvhich names they are known to this day,
and always will be. The noble river he call
ed Columbia, after tho ship which bore him
into it.
Captain Gray was the first while man that
ever saw or entered the Columbia river: this
no man will deny, who has a reputation for
truth and veracity; we know it by the re
port of Captain Gray; all Christendom knew
it at the time,' and no one has ever seriously
attempted to strip Captain Gray of the hon
or and glory of his discovery, until in some
of our late conventions for the negotiation
of Oregon, the British ministers had brand
ished a title to the use and occupancy of
Oregon, founded upon the discovery of tho
Columbia river by Vancouver. How ungen
erous, how uniust! Hear what Vancouver
says himself of Gray's discoveries. Ho
savs that in April. 1792, he observed a sail,
which' soon hoisted American colors, and
fired a gun to leeward ; she proved to be the
shin Columbia, commanded by Uapt uray,
citizen of Boston, from which she had been
absent nineteen months Vancouver sent a
boat to the Columbia. Capt. Gray informed
the officer who visited him that he had y;;;
ted the inlet which De Fuca had discovered;
that he had sailed fifty miles into that inlet.
Ho likewise informed them that "ho had
been off the mouth of a river in latitude 40
degrees 10 minutes, where the outset or re
flux was so strong as to prevent his entering
for nine days." Vancouver adds: "This
was probably tho opening passed by us on
the forenoon of the 27th, and was apparent
ly inaccessible not from the current, but-
from the breakers that extended across ltj,
Col. as the heavens are above the earth; and
1 shall riot allow myself to shrink from my
duly to them and the public at large, by per
mitting this ebullition of anger to pass by
without a complete refutation, and a full
substantiation on my part of tho charges
mado" in the petition referred to. I claim
this to be not only my duty in this matter,
but I claim it as a right, which every citizen
ought to enjoy among tho privileges of the
"Liberty of the Press,"-to answer in tho
same public journal any personal attack
which mav be made against himi and I claim
further that I am entitled to as free use of
language as him who altacKS me, wimuui
--J?! - '.'. fnrtbrow-
curring censure iium couiiimu"; -
ing back the weapons with which 1 am attack
ed. I have been advised by some of my
friends, that the public and private character
of S. 3. Sprague Was so well known in this
community, that neither myselt, nor me
others who signed tho petition, nor even any
other person, could suffer from his abusive
tongue. But 1 ask pardon horn such ot my
friends as may think so, and beg of them
the privilege of allowing mo for a few mo
ments, to consider " the" insignificance of
the accuser as lost m the magnitude ot the
accusation.
There aro several, aud some of the most
important charges in that petition, which the
Col. does not attempt to deny. The first
among the reasons stated in the petition to
remove Col. Sprague, is; his total disregard
of the 10th Sec. of t!.3 act to establish said
road, wliich requires the Coin's to mako out
and publish a statement of tho receipts and
expenditures on tho road, in tho month of
January, annually: and also to ucpo.su
copy thereof with the Auditor of each coun-
ty mrougn wincn mc roau passes. in
lire truth of this charms is not denied or
even palliated by the Col. in his communica
tion. But it is exceedingly amusing to seo
what a shallow attempt at an excuse is made
in the remarks of the Col. appended to the
exhibit of the receipts and expenditures of
the Ottawa, Defiance and West Buffalo free
?-:L"2 r.mil. fnr iUe vnttr A. 1).. 1843. nub-
lished by the Col. and Loyd, Jan. 1 1th, 1845.
" To comply with the strict letter of the law
in that particular," you say, " is impossible;"
for the reason that selllomciils cannot be had
with the county Treasurer, until after the an
nual settlement of tho Co. Treasurer with
(he Co. Auditor; and there being four Co.
Treasurers to sellio with, yuu CS::.not settle
ill general until they return from Columbus.
Npw I ask the public, (that same " generous
i)Ublij) to examine this excuse, and lust
Vancouver subsequently admits that Gray kci m? ask them, what the settlement be-
discovered tho Columbia. He says, after
leaving Nootka, the weather being fine, on
his way south he was encouragdA to reexa
mine New Albion, (Pacific coast,) : and par-
ticularly n river and a harbor discovered by
Mr. Gray in (he Columbia, between the 4Gth
and 47th degrees of north latitude. In
this we have an open and candid acknowl
edgment, by an officer of the English navy,
that Capt. Gray, of the ship Columbia, was
tho discoverer ot the Columbia river; and
yet with this historical information in the
-British ministry, they will brandish a title to
the Oregon Territory, founded upon the dis
covery of Vancouver, who informs them that
Gray was the discoverer!
Then, sir, Oregon is ours by discovery.
The laws of nations secure the right, and
we are able to maintain the possession. It
is ours to the full extent of the boundaries
defined in this bill. Wo discovered the riv-
.. Lin .nil (tint Kirn. rti-niVlO ill. Allllm
territory which this bill describes; for a fun
damental principle of national law secures
to the discoverer of a river in a desert land
all the country it drains.
To be continued.
For tlie Knlida Venture.
Mr. Editor: We Bend you the annexed com
munication in answer to & communication wbici.
appeared in the Defiance Democrat, under date of
February 25, 1845, over the signature of Sidney
S. Sprague; and which communication we send
to you and request you to publish, and to which
we were not permitted to reply through that pa
per. The personalities contained in that article
ore principally directed to Wm. D. Haymaker;
but as we are all alike implicated as signers of
the petition, and believing that the communica
tion of Judge Haymaker will satisfy all impartial
"men that the charges in said petition are true,
we fully endorse the same, so far as it has a bear
ing upon the truth or falsity of those charges, and
sincerely hope that you will publish the samo that
we may be enabled to make " amends" to tho
Honorable Colonel Sidney Smith Sprague for our
dishonorable and dishonest conduct," and in do-
ing so, you will do justico to us which wc are
denied through Col. Sprague's organ. Wo should
not have sent this communication to you for pu
blication, could wo by any possible means have
obtained a hearing in the Defiance Democrat;
but justice to ourselves and to community de
mands that we should roply to Col. Sprague's ar
ticle and we have no other means left us than to
claim the publication from you as a favor, which
we were entitled to demand from the Democrat
ts an act of justice, Penance, March 10, lOia,
" EDWIN PHELPS,
BRICE HILTON,
JONAS COLBY.
For the Defiance Democrat.
To the Public.
In a late number of the Democrat, I vfas
made an object of the grossest and most un
geuflemanly attack from Colonel Sidney S.
Snraoue. Did the subject matter of that at
tack relate only to matters between myself
and tli$. renowned Colonel, 1 should leave
the matter where he has left if, depending
entirely upon the intelligence of tho com
munity in which we livo to judge of the
character of the accusation, and the object
of tho accuser. But the petition to remove
dm Col. from the office of Road Commis-
' .innpr. which he has copied, and of which
lie speaks so freely, was signed by many of
the most respectawo ciuzeua m um biuiuw
nity. Many, and I may say all of them aro
in point of moral standing, as far above the
tween the Auditor and Treasurer has to do
.i ..i ........ ,i, n ,i r,,Vo
Willi me seuieuieni UUIWUUU lliu imuu wum ic
and Treasurer. 1 admit that the Com'rs can
not without some trouble ascertain how
much cash will be paid them by the Co.
Treasurer; but nothing more; alter paying
themselves and their agents upwards oi filty
dollars for manning a fund of about 1100,
cannot llicy tell how many orders they have
given, and how many receipts ihcy have
signed, and the amounts, and where and for
what they have been expended? Had you
received nothing expended nothing up to,
and during the month of January, 1014?
and if you had, did you keep your matters
at such loose ends that you could not make
and publish an exhibit of them until you
seen and settled with tho Treasurer of the
county, and saw how the matter stood be
tween you and him? and did you not get
the receipts and expenditures of 1843 so
straightened up that you could publish them
until Jan. 14th, 1845? It will take a "ge
nerous public" a very generous public to be
lieve you, that in this particular of your offi
cial conduct you have done nothing ' by
which censure may be implied;" especially
when you neglected to publish tho account
until after the petition setting forth these
facts bad been circulated tor weeks in your
noinhhnilinnd. nwl VOU having 0. Copy of it
and" the petition finally sent off to the Legis
lature for their action, until alter ,ne u&n
had been sufficiently applied to cause you
to writhe under the pain of the infliction;
then, and not till then, did you publish any
account of your receipts and expenditures.
Then just as you were about to start oil to
Columbus with the affidavits of a few weak
minded men who feared the displeasure of
a man wilhout principle to patch up your
official misconduct, you published your exhi
bit. If you had dono as well as you were
able with tho exhibit cf 1843 how docs it
happen that you promise to do so much bet
ter with the exhibit ot 18441 lou said you
would have it ready by the 20th of February'
eleven months sooner than the expenditures
of 1843. Have you increased so much in
clerkly skill and business capacity to be able
tu manage a much larger lutid m 1844, Riid
brine it to a settlement eleven months soon
er? you promised to publish it as soon as
possible and you did not doubt but what it
could be effected by the 20lh of February;
aiid vou took your exhibit and promise on
with you to Columbus, yet you have failed;
tho month ot January is past ana no repon
the 20th of February is past and yet no re
port. These delays are dangerous you fell
into several errors by delaying tho exhibit of
;.I51? SC lOiig. YCU 6Ah:b:t SECBg we ex-
nf Ifitt dMAnfiQ oinclulnrl in
Defiance township, you had forgotten that
Langdon and Webb performed all the labor
which was dono in Defiance township in 1843
in grading a little hill, worth parhitps $10,
for which they received a road certificate to
pay their tax no money. I don't know
how many mistakes you mado in other town
ships so much in this. You exhibit $27,
90 as paid on contract in Henry Co. in 1843;
you had let this matter lie so long that you
had forgotten that this was not paid on that
contract in 1843, that you had not let a con
tract in that County in that year, that the
contract on which that was paid was not en
tered into until about the first of Jan. 1845;
small mistake that Col. More about that
.$27,90 hereafter. I really think you had
better made tins exhibit sooner, your memo
ry would have been bettor.
' Tho second reason in the petition why
Spraguo ought to be removed, was because
he had used tho funds of the road for his
own private purposes, and that lis had so
held and used them when they were due to
contractors, and without tho consent of the
other trustee. He says jn this respect I
have " lied most foully in my throat;" such
language is unworthy of any gentleman, and
a severe application of a raw hide would
be perhaps the most effective remedy) but
Dr. Franklin says that wo should never re
sent tho lie, because no gentleman will give
it. I will, therefore, go to the proof and the
facts. A few days previous to tho session
of the r.vri 'm this county, in Sept. 1844,
Sheriff Gillaspie called upon Col. Sprague
for the amount of an execution against him
of about $140, on which specie had been
demanded by Tills. Atly. me oi. ioki mm
that ho expected to receive a sum of money
in specie from J. P. Wyatt at Bryan when
he went out to Court, and would then pay it
off. Now, Col., I want to ask you a few
questions, and would advise you to walk up
like a man and confess tho truth, and save
your friends the mortification of making a
public statement ot me wnoio matter, as.
they have very reluctantly made a verbal
statement. Did you not draw. one Jiunaica
and thirty-two dollars cts. in specie from
tho Co. treasury, of funds belonging to the
Ottawa, Defiance and West Buffalo free turn
pike road, on tho first day of the term of the
last Sent. Court, and carry the same in a
pocket handkerchief to J. P. Wyatl's store,
and receive from him ten dollars, and no
more then carry it to Langlo's hotel and
nuard it through the night, and in the morn
ing request Martin Thrall to pay it over to
the Sherifi? and alter being relieved from
your charge,' did you not express your joy,
and say you hoped that it might canse G. W.
B. Evans as much care as it had you? and
was you not present when the money was so
naid over to the Sheritif uoi., tne circum
stances here referred to wove matters of pu
blic notoriety immediately after they occur
red, and I heard it remarked by a number of
persons during the Court, that it was very
convenient to have public funds to psy tff
such claims, especially when the specie was
demanded. Now, Col., when did you re
place this money and apply it to the pur
poses of the road? In your report you re
present it as having been expended in 1843;
bufj Coi., that is another mistake of yours.
Did you not credit it to the account of No
ble &- A. Haymaker for goods you sold
them last fall, and get their receipt for it on
their contract, about tho timo you were fix
ing up your patch work to go to Columbus
this winter? Yet by the report it was ex
pended in 1843! Does not this look like
using the money for private purposes?
Further, this 7,V-U, expenuea in uenry
Cwntv, in 1843,
This contract in Henry Uounty was maoo
Jan. 1845, between Sprague, or the Koad
Com'rs, and McCully & llcrnn. bprague
had an old debt against Hcrrin for this
amount, of $27,90, which it was rather dif
ficult to collect, and required McCully &
Hcrrin to receipt on the contract for the
amount of that account, at the time the con
tract was signed, and before any of the work
had been performed. And this the finan
ciering Col. calls advancing to poor con
tractors, lo enable them to go on with their
works. It looks to me very much like using
tho funds of the road for tho purpose of col
lecting bad debts, especially when this mo
ney is exhibited as having been-expended in
1843. Magnanimous Col. Sprague! not to
charge any thing for services which have
ben so very beneficial to the road. "The
fund has been managed with the most rigid
economy, and whenever contracts could be
let to advantage, the Commissioners have
always embraced (he opportunity." True,
O, Colonel! This part of your report is
trim inrlnPrJ 1
In relation to the 3d reason stated in the
petition, why Sprague ought to be removed,
I have only to say that at the earnest solicit
ation of Noble and A. Haymaker, I assisted
Col. Sprague in drawing the plan and speci
fications for tho bridge, and was present
when the contract was mado and know that
Loyd's name was not used m the contract in
anv manner. Snramio slated to mo that he
hnd not consulted I,ovd on the subject, for
the reason that he knew that he would op-
nose it. It is notorious that Loyd disclaimed
having any thing to do with that contract;
that he had not been consulted in the matter;
that he was opposed to building the bridge
at that time; that he thought that other parts
of the road needed the money much more
This contract was not signed by Loyd until
inst na Snr.iBue was preparing to make his
defence at Uolumbus. in relation 10 uieie
being a bridge convenient and safe to cross,
I have only to state that there was a good
substantial bridge a few rods above. It is
true that the west abutment had been set
tling for some lime, which made it necessary
to place a sinalo " bent" at that end, which
I had contracted lo have done for the sum of
!?i25.00, and the materials were prepared and
ready to be put in when the new bridge was
put under contract, I so informed Sprague
iififore he contracted for buiiding the new
bridge. I was opposed to building tha new
bridge at that time, and so I expressed my
self to Col. Sprague, and gave turn my rea
sons, which were: 1st, That the funds ot
tlm rnad were insufficient, as the commission
ers had already placed more work under con
tract than the receipts tor mat year wouiu
pay: 2d, That the toll bridge would answer
the purpose for several years, and other
parts of the road were impassable, and need
ed the money much more, tho truth telling
Col. to the contrary notwithstanding.
The next reason assigned in said petition,
and to which Col. Sprague takes exception,
is that tho trustees have appropriated (" as
thev sav.'M $2 per day while locating the
road and superintending tho same, to them
selves for their services. I his Col. frpmgue
has denied.
Now to the proof, from the rpport itself;
and it should bo recollected that this report
was produced after the charge was mado in
the petition, and evidently intended, as far
as possible, to screen their offiicul miscon
duct. Yet from this report made under
these circumstances, wo gather the following
facts: The whole amount paid Commission
ers nnd agents is $114,20. Tho "amount
paid E. Loyd, Com. expenses," in locating
road $31,50, about two dollars per day,
provided it took 16 days to locate the road.
Amount paid the surveyor (who by law is
eutitled. tG 2 per day,) $34,87. Now sup-
posing it took the surveyor a day or two ex
tra time to make out his plots anu returns,
and wo find that about 17i days for the sur
veyor will mako $2 per day for him, wliich
comes very near proof, that in one instance,
at least, a trustee has charged and allowed
$2 per day to himself. 1 do not know what
lime was employed in locating the road, but
it is fair to presume from the well known
character of the surveyor, that ho charged
iust what by law ho was entitled to, ond no
J . .... r
innm! it so. then t ie trustees, or some oi
them, have charged tho same price, when
by law they were entitled only to " their
reasonable expenses, aud no more." The
further amount of $22,07, Road Com'rs ex
penses, paid E. Lloyd, gives Lloyd 11 days
at $2 per day, in managing tho fund for the
year 1813. If he was necessarily employed
more than 11 days in 1843, then ho lias
charged less than $2 per day; if less than 1 1
days, then moro than $2 per day. So much
for ihe truth or falsity of that charge in the
petition. Now, Col. Sprague, does the foul
lio stick in your throat or mine ?
But farther: lh magnanimous, disinterest
ed, patriotic Col. Sprague, who never sought
the office, has charged nothing! Ho w.is
with tho other Commissioners from Powdi's
Creek intoDefiance.and across the Defiance
bridge, for the sole purpose of locating the
road in such a manner as to enhance his
property to the amount of at least 500 dol
lars, even at the expense of trespassing upon
ihe rights ami property of others, are fiir no
thing. Ho has benefitted himself 500 dol
lars without charging ilia rad $2 a.day for
it. Mako the most of Col. fenrague's servi
ces as Commissioner oir said road and ex
clude the time ho employed in electioneering
for the office and on the strength of his office
and ho cannot show that he has spent in the
year 1843 more than 4 or 5 days in tho dis
charge of the legititnsto duties of his office.
And vet how strange it appears that after the
petition to remove the Col. for the foregoing
reasons, and how largo amounts weie oue u
contractors, tho sum of $9,19 should b
found unexpended in the hands of the Com
missioncrs, which ut I ho rato of 2 dollars
per day, would have paid Col. Sprague for his
4 or 5 days work in locating said road, nnd
ii managing the lund. 1 he " application
of the lash" has been productive of some
good atleasl. I have now done with ihe rea
sons of the petitioners for wishing the remo
val of Col. Spraguo, and I leave that matter
for an enlightened public to say whether
those reasons were not well founded, and
whethcrit was not the duty of ihtse petitioners
to effect his removal if possible; and whe
ther an honest and faithful discharge of the
duties of his office, even at tho rate of 2
dollars per day, would not have been better
for the public, than to have the funds of the
road applied to the payment, of the Col's,
creditors or the collection of his bad debts.
It onlv now remains for mc, in a very brief
manner, to notice some of the low billings
gate which has, " twVA extreme delicacy," is
sued from thcCol's gangrened stomach,"coin
pelled by a sense of justice to himself and
community." " He does not entertain feel
ings of hatred and revenge against tho peti
tioners." No! no! every word of his produc
tion shows that such feelings have never en
tered the habitation of his pure mind. 11
only supposes that somo of (lie petitioners
"Ititlil (Visitor .'.? nnd fonloUSV
wultlttllH U J. a . ,.ug Ultlivji ;
norsinst ihis heaven-favored individual! Who
- . . . . i ...... r ci
would not. envy the private cnaracier ui o.
S. Sprague? Balovcd and respected oy an
who know him, on account oi ms au-mus
integrity and groat moral worth; nor aro his
private virtues at all equaled by his much
more resplend'nnt public virtues the great
conservator of the peace! a perfect model
of political integrity! bright example for old
and young to imitate! Who would not ue
envious who would not. bo jealous? He
does not expect to wound the feelings or
reach the consciences of such men as llay-
to the affidavits of those same Germans'
appended to this article in order that they may
seo tho " slough of infamy" into which the
Col. has cast himself. Aud when the Col.
looks one of those holiest Germans in the
face will not his conscience tell him that he
is a debased scoundrel? am informed that
" at a more convenient time he will attend to
my case to my full satisfaction." Will the
Col. bo 60 good as to enter upon that busi
ness at h's earliest convenience ?jJYou have
already had many lessons that delays are"
dangerous and productive of nothing but.
chagrin and disappointment. You are nO'
coward, Col., no, not you! -the dirk find'
pistols which you have continually about your
person are an evidence that you possess that
maker and Hilton; no, you are right, colo
nel our feelings can never be moved in the
least by anything you could say. No feelings
but those of pity could be excited by any of
tho ravings of blasted hope and disappointed
ambition.
The Col. says that charges in the petition
were made to remove him from petty
office which he " never sought" The Col.
forgets that while the bill was pending before
the House he went to G. C. Mudgett. who
introduced it and had it in charge and by his
own earnest solicitation with said Mudgett
prevailed upon him to strike out the name
of Roswcll Chneney and insert in its place
the name of S. S. Sprague, as trustee on said
road. In tho multiplicity of business the
jol. pets very forgetful, and it might not be
a work of supererogation to add a few grains
of moral honesty to the Colonels composi
tion. It might havo tho ettcct to improve ms
memory which has become so exceedingly
treacherous, and he may possibly sink into
an " uninterrupted course of rascalhy" unless
some remedial influence bo applied. The
calm beating of the Colonel's puhie appears
to have been slightly disturbod because the
petition was signed by a few honest Ger
mans; and this truth loving Col. in his com
munication says, " I now assert as I have
heretofore done, nnd am prepared to prove by
said Germans, that they did nolunderstand ihe
contents of tho petition, only as you W. D.
Haymaker basely and falsely instructed
them." This is only one of tho many base
falsehoods the Col. has uttered, by imputing
lo others the same crimes that aro uppermost
in his on mind; nnd thereadcr is refered
true and exalted courage, which elevates
your moral character, and renders you a fit
companion for men of exalted intellect, and
prevents you from " digressing from that
strict sense of dignity which every gentle
man ought to sustain."
The Col. very significantly informs us
that he will continue to discharge (he duties
of Road Commissioner until the road shall be
completed. Now if the Col. had called to
mind how many mistakes' he had falllen into
within tho last few months, how many fond
schemes of ambition had been swept away
as it were in a moment; it might possibly
have entered into his mind that there might
be some litllo doubt about this matter. Now
Col. I have done with the petition and tho
gross blackguardism with which you Ime
assailed mc: be assured, sir, that all the
darts of malice, hatted and ill-wit!, have fallen
harmless at my feet. It is infinitely beyond
your ability to injure me in any community
where you are known or m any community
who can have the means of knowing your
public and private character. 1 shall never
regret having incurred your ill-will, but rather
havo occasion to rejoice. Now, sir, look
within your own heart, and examine that da
pot of every base passion ; behold ynurself
in community, with your vain attempts to
brave the scorn and contempt of all honorable
mon: Look through what a storm of public
indignation you have been vainly endeavor
ing to effect your ambitious and dishonest
purposes. Alts! you are surrounded by
enemies wliich your bise and iufamoui
conduct has created; and you aro sinking,
f.tst sinking, in spite of all your efforts, into
that gulf of infamy from which nothing but a
thorough reformation and a continued courao
of honorable conduct can extricate you. My
only hope is, that you aro still capable of su
doing, and if these remarks shall have any
tendency to bring about so beneficial a result,
the object of them will be fully accomplished.
W. D. HAYMAKER.
The Slate of Ohio, Mlliams County, tt:
Defiance Township : On this8ih dy of March,
A. D.. 1845, before me, Israel P. E.'Whcdou. a
Justice of the Peace in and for said county, per
sonally appearea nenry verneman.onnstisn Leh
man, John J. Kughu and Joseph Klcr, and being
by me first duly sworn deposetli and saith, that
they signed or caused to be signed their names
to a petition to the legislature lor the removal of
Sidney S. Sprapun end Elijah Lloyd from the of
fice of trustee of the Ottawa, Defiance and Wsst
Bufi'alo Turnpike Road: That previous to sign
ing slid petition, we had not been requested to
do so by W. D. Haymaker, nor had he said any
thing to us on the subject. We each of us stata
in relation to ourselves.
HENRY VERNEMAW.
CHRISTIAN LEH.MARAR,
JOHN J. KUGHU,
JOSEPH KLUR.
Sworn to and subscribed before me die day and
year above written.
ISRAEL P. E. WHEDON, J. P.
Not being present at the making of the above
affidavit, I now stato that the factsset forth there
in, are true in regard to my signing tie petiiioa
referred 10. CHARLES SPEAKE.
Murch 10, 1845.
COMMUNICATION OF S. S. SPRAGUE
To Ihe Public.
From the Defiance Democrat.
It is wish cxlremc delicacy, that I ani at
thia time compelled by a sense of justice to
myself as well as community, to appear in a
public journal, not that I entertain any feelings
of hatred or revenge against the individuals
who have subscribed tho following petitiorr;
but in order fo expose the utter recklessness
and infamy of men, whose better feelings aro
triumphed over by envy and jealousy, that
the public may in future bo ablo to guard
more effectually against the secret attacks of
men, who are too cowardly to face an adver
sary, or malco amends tor dishonorable ana
dishonest conduct.
The petition is omitted, because its purport
will havo been understood by tho reader of the
communication of Judge Havmakek.
It is not that I expect fo wound the feel
ings or even to reach the consciences of said
Haymaker and Hilton, that I lay before tho
public the above petition, notoriously false,
for any language I am qualified lo use could
not in cny way affect the man, whose con
science is so callous with an uninterrupted
course of rascality, that any attempt to vilify
said Haymaker would bo supererogation.
The nbove charges in tho petition is but s
supposal, and said Haymaker and Hilton
kne.w when they subscribed to them, that
they could not be sustained by any shadow
of proof; but they were instituted and uttered
as falsehoods against mc, in order that I might
be removed from a petty ofhee, Which 1 never
sought received, nor charged one cent ef
pay lor my services, tor the sole reason that 4
would not be flattered or driven from a strict
course of duty required by the discharge of
the functions of my office, as Road Commis
sioncr. The ciime of falsehood and decep.
tion practised upon a few honest Germans, in
order to obtain their signatures to the list of
fidse charges contained in the petition, is not
to be compared with the repetition of the
moro base lies to obtain the signatures of said
Germans to another paper, setting forth that
thoy well understood what they signed, and
that (hey believed the charges to be true, as.
snbsr.rihnil tn bv them in the petition.
I iisanrt now, as I have heretofore done
and am prepared to prove by said Germans,,
that they did not understand the contents of