Rufus Matthews And The Liberty Party

it will bc rccollecteü by the readers of the Signal tliat the name of Rufus Matthews, of Northfield. nppeared on ihe j-aberty ticket for the office of Connty Commissioner at the last fall election. HÍ3 name was intro-luced to the convention that made the nomination by myself, at which time I assured the friends that the said Matthews had bccome u political abolitionist. and given permistión to have his name used for office if it vrould subserve the interesis of the Anti-Slavery cause. Accordingly he was nominated as above. I snw him repea:erUy aiter bis nomination. but neverdid he express to me any dissa'isf.iction concerning it, üntil since tewn meeting, the last spring. On the morning of the town election. in consequence of some opprobrious epitheta being thrów'n cu' agiinst him, (lie being candidate for supervisor) he publiciy declnrjd that his name had been uscd on the abolition ticket without his Imowledgc or consent. This, as might be supposed created an excitement, and I was accused of vnfairness in giving his name to the convention," and with falsthood in saying lic gacc me permistión to do so. Several private interviews with Mr. Mathews have falled to effect an amicahle adjustment oftne.' affair. And however much I may dislike personal bickerings, yet duty to myiclf actually demands that I shoulci eive a fair statement of the facts to the public. In order to arrive at a better undefstandingof the actual difference between us, and that the reader may clearly eee the point in controversy, I will place our statements in juxtaposition.G. BF.CKLEY. I solernnly nver that Rufus Malthewa, of Northfield, did give me permission to use his name for the office of Senator on die Liberty Ticket, if the fritnds saw fit to give him a nomination.R. MATTHEWS. I never. gave to G Beckley, or any other person. permisison to use my name on the Liberty Ticket, and i he says I did. lam wil ling to be qualified tha I did not.I am gratihed that 1 ara able to give the public someihingbeside my ipse dixit in this affair. The fullowing certifícales will, I trust, exonérate me, and fix the responsibility where it belongs. certifícate of r. thayer. This certiíies that on or nboui the 27th day of September lust , I wns in the village of" Ann Arbor for the purpose ol listening to a leettiae froni Mr. Birney on tlie subject ofslavery, at which time and place, I had in interview with Rulus Mitthews of Northüeld. I retnarked that from what I had learned he (Mr. Matthewa) had become a Poli (i al Abolitionist: he. the said Matthews. assured me that he liad, and th 't he had no doubt but what the principies of the party would prevail. RUFUS THAYER. Plymouth. pril lltb, 1842. This certifícate shows tbree things - first. that Mr. Matthews.acknowledged to others beside tnyself th'at he was a polilical abolitionist - second that he had no doubt of the success of the Liberty party, and third, that a convenient opportunity. preseiKcd itself to enter a disclaimer, and he did not do it. CERTIFÍCATE OF MR. I.AI'IIAM. To all whom it may concern. Ihis raríifics. Thai on the Lst day of November, 1841, being thc day ofthe fall el 'ciiou - in consequence ol cennin reporta unfriendly to the abolitionism of Rufü.s Matthkws, oí North.eld. who was the Liberty candidate í'or county conimissioner, I went befóre il:e opening ofthe polis in 'lie morning, and Ijnd an interview with thesaid Matihkws. He told me he gnve his consjí-nt to Mn. Bkcklky tj be Lite candidate for the office, of Stnqtji and expressed some dit-satisfaction that his naine was tíaed for county conimissioner, and not for Senator as was proposed. Stül he said "heica? tqiiíiiig lo lúa e his na me used as Counly Com mifsivnep if it would be of service to the party.' and furthur said, '7c skould vo(c a parí of thc - ■' l-lgi U&tagmt Ihaï d y. ..mi had i.o doubt hüf ho bpuld fiiially go the whole, jis he feit the nrin cipies oi the party werc constantly stealíne Lñ íiiin. v a J. B. LAPHAM. Salem, Washtenaw County, April 11, 184?. Froni ihis certificare it nppears. that ho tol .Mr. Laphnm, thathe gave me permission to uS9 hia nanic lor the oihee of Senator and this is all I contend for. But when circumstances rendered it necessary to use iiis name for another ofrice :if used ntall) thnn tne ofieabout which we moro particularly talked- it was so used, supposing the office of Cuuiity Coni nissioner would be ncceptable to him. But we have learned our mistake, and I was never more surpnsed than when Í learned that he positively denicd ever having given his consent to be a candidate for office on ihe Liberty ticket.