To The Public

It will be recollected by thereaJers of the Sigdal of Liberty, thot thcrc oppeared an article in the number oí that paper, for I6ih of May, hended uRiius Matthacs and tlu. Liberty Party," evidently dcsigned to place my character in a very Unfavorablc aspect, in public estimation, as a toan of truth and integrity. What may have been tha particular object of the writer, or what special motive may have induced sueh a publication, is not ior ub positivcly to asscrt, but this much we may fairly state to the public, thnt if a fair and unvarnished statement of facts was the object ofthe writer, he has missed hts track, and meviory or iomeüiing eist- has proved in this case sadIjr trrachcrous. Nor can we entertain feelings of envjr for a disposition wbich is capable of manifesting itself in such a manner; nor are we prepared to believe that n gcnerous public are willing to countenance such a coursc of political Bquabbling in a Minister of the Gospel, whose butiness is to preach peace on and good wül toward men. The difficulty between Mr G. Beckley and mytelf originated in a conversation that took reen us, in reference to nominations for State and county officers for the 'Liberty party,' SÉrJvcro expected to be made, for Mid party at their convention last falL Which eonVersation took place some ten or twelve days previouo to the convention of said party last fall, and itt the village of Ann Arbor, while pnssing in my wnggon from the village to Mr. Beckley's hoüSc, and while sitting on my wnggon before hi house; in which onyersntion Mr. J3eckley ttated that they, the Liberty party, hád talkcd of nominating me for S ator, to which I objected, and Btated as a reason for niy objections, that I did not wish to cc ie before the public for any offic, until they were satisfied of my honesty as a politician, as I had been reported to be a whig, whereas, I hadalways been with the Democratie party. To which Mr. Beckley replied, if I t to the nominalion, he would not onty secure my nomination with the Liberty, but With tin Democratie party, and named certain gentlemen of respectable standing in the village as hi men, who wished the whigs beaten, ando did he (Beckley) the wtirst vray. (The names of these gentlemen as used by Mr. Beckley could be given togeher with the remarks but we deem it unnecessary.) After we arrived at the house 6f Mr. Beckley, as he got out of the waggon, he cnquircd of me in reference to the above named nomination. if I would bolt, to wbich I replied I would think ofit, and see him again on the lubject. This closed the conversation with him n the BUbjecl, previous to the Convention, at Mvhich tïnro my name was put on the Liberty ticket, l suppose through the influence of Mr. Beckley, this was substnntially the conversation that passed between us, and the only conversation Irom which he could infer that I was willing to give my consent to be placed on the Liberty ticket, and this would never have been published, had it not been called out by the publieation above alluded to. How far Mr. Beckley wu warranted in positively asserting, in an unqUaliñed manncr, that I gave my consent, must be left to the candid to judge, after hearing the■tarcmcnt which Mr, Beckley knows io be true. and none other than himself and me, save the Searcber of all hearts, and that Mr. Beckley did not consider an unqualiiied consent, will ccrtainly appear fr om a certifícate which he handed to me a short time afler the town election, this spring, in his own hand writing. which he wished me te sign, and shows one or two thing most clearly; elther that Mr. Beckley did not understand my consent to be an unqualified one, or that he wished me to sign what he and I knew to be a falsehood. The certifícate which I now hold, as handed to me in person by Mr. Beckley, ia as follows: 'Thw certifies that in the month of September laet, I had a conversation with G. Beckley, of Ann Arbor relative to my nomination as a candidato for Senator by the Liberty party, at which time I did jmrtially consent to be a candidate for that office, ifthe party saw fit to eire me a nomination, and from the convereation F had with theeaid Beckley, I believe him honest in using my name, and had I received a nomination of Senator, as was proposed. I should not have feit myself at liberty to have declined." And I have asserted that I did not. consider myeelf pledgcd to Mr. Beckley by that converMtion to receive a nomination from said party, eren as a candidato for Senator, and did not consider Mr. Beckley at Liberty to use my name for that, cspecially ior commissiuner, and that that was my understanding of it, at the time, will appear in collateral testimony by the following cettificatee ofconvereation which I had with sevcftl peraon before and after the convention.Certifícate of Dwlgkt Hawks. í certify that a few days previous to the Conrcntion of the 'Liberty party,' last September, to makc nomina tiona for state and county offices for eaid party, I had a conversation with Rufus Matthews, of Northfield, in which he, said Matthews, etated he had been urged by Guy to aceept the nomination from eaid Convention of Senator, which nomination he had declincd for the present, and had informed Mr. Beckley he wantd to see him again. Mr. Matthews informed me suiisequently. that hc did not have an opportunitf of seeing Mr. Beckley from the time o"f the firet named conversation to the time of the Conveníion. Aleo I had another conversaiion, in which he expressed his entire dissatisfaction to the uec the said Party had made of his name. The above is a plain statement of facts of the eonversation that passed between Mr. Matthews and mvself according to the best of my recollections. " DWIGHT HAWKS. AnnArbor, May 26, 1842. Certificóte of Jacob Snapp.This certifica that about six or ght days aftr the 'Liberty party' had their County Convention last fall for the purpose of nominating state ahd county officers, I had a conversatioH wiíh Rufue Matthewfl, f Northfield, on the subject of nosunation for coimty conimissioner, which he had received from said party, in which he made the following statement, to wit: that Mr. Guy Beckley had made certain proposirions to him to receive the nomination for state Senator "rom Jthe party, to which eaid Matthews replied that he would think of the subject and sec him again. JACOB SNAPP. Salem, May 23, 1842.Certificóte of James Huston. This certifies that 6ometime in September laat, I had a conversation with Rufue Matthew6 of Ñorthfield, in reference to the nomination for County Commiseioner, wbich he had receivcd from tho Liberty party, in which he made the tfollowing statement to wit: that Mr. Guy Beckey had wished íiim to receive the nomination f Senator from said party, and made certain propoíitions relativo thereto, and after be had heard all thaft the said Beckley had said, he replied he woiild ibink ofit, aodsee him again. JAMES HUSTON. Jforthfielá, May 25, 1842.It will be observed by the reader hat all the above named conversationa took place a 6hort time before or after the Convention last fall, and before there was a word of differenco between myself and Mr. Beckley, and in which I expressed my understanding of the matter of the con - versation, and how far I was pledged to hiin. Mr. Beckley states in his publication, that at town meeting, last sering, in consequence of certain opprobrious epithets, I.was led to deny my having given my consent to him or ány otker person. Aeto the opprobrious epithets, they are ccrtainly gratuitous on the part of Mr. Beckley on 8ome other person, for I know nót of them, or by whom they were used. ïf such were used I know it not. So far from that being the case, I was led to make )he remark in rcference to certain statements that Mr. Beckley shoüld have made the ay before the town meeting: beins in the neighborhood to preach on the sabbath, (the day before town meeting) it appears that the subjeet of the approaching election was the topic of conversation, and I leave Mr. Beckley to the task of srttling with the public his consistency of character as a minister of the boly religión of the blessed Saviour, which teaches thesanctity of the holy Sabbath, in, after preaching to his hearers, toengage with them in conversations on the poIitical squabblings of the day, in which conversation he stated (as Í was informed the day following) that if I denied having given my consent to my name being used on the Liberty ticket, he would bc qualifiul that I did - to which I replied, íf he would be qualified that I did, I would bc qvalijied thal I did not- this statement being made in reference to his own remarke, and not in reference to any opprobrious epithets. As to the several interviews with an attempt to amicable adjustmentof the matter of difTerence,Mr. Ueckley certainly knowe (hat the next week from the town meeting above alluded to, on Fríday, in the morning, I had on interview with him, in which there was nn attempt to have an amicable adjustrrent of the matter of difference between us, and t was proposed seeing each other again. This was as I went into the village of Ann Arbor. In the evening of the same day as 1 returned, Mr. Beckley met me before hisown own house, and handed me the certifícate before referred to, for my stature, which I thcn declined signing, and was astonished at Ls presenting me with such a paper, if adjustment was his object. It ia not necessary to advnert to floating remarkssaid to have been made; theyamount to nothing definite. The next time I saw Mr. Beckley, he stated that he had come to the delibérate conclusión to publish the whole matter, and here the matter of adjustm ;nt ended, and the public must judge how far the attempt went toan amicable understandihg. As to the certifícales published by Mr. Beckley, that of Mr. Thayer amounts to nothing at all to the caso at issue. In reference to Mr. Lapham's certifícate, I do not wish to charge him with intentional wrong; the conversaron passed between him and myself; it certainly is an easy matter for men to be mistaken, and make wrong inferences; but this much in reference to the conversalion, I staied in allusion to thé conduct of Mr. Beckley, it looked like pohtical gambling, and I was dis8atisfied with the whole matter. I have thus endeavored to present asimple and unvarnished statement of the matter to the public, which I never should have thought of doing, had I not been so unjustly attacked, and called before the public n self-defence. -Having laid the niaN ter before my friends, I am willing to abide their impartial decisión. Liability to err belongs to me as a mortal. That I may have erred ín this matter in some particulars, I am free to confess; but that I have designedly done wrong, or injured any-one, I utterly deny. As to Mr. Beckley, I have ever treated him witb kindness, and fnendship for the sake of the Gospel of peace, but I perceive that it is very easy to be mistaken in men as well as things, and however much he may boast that I cannot prove a negativo, I am very well assured of one fact, that truth and honesty will stand, and here I rest my case until the final decisión of all things. Having reluctantly engagcd in this publication and controversy, I will only say to the public, and my triends pnrticularly, having given what I am satisfied isa plain unvarnished Btatement of the facts of the case, whatever may be the course of others in reference to the matter, it is not likely that I shall trouble them again on the subject. And if it affords Mr. Beckley any particular pleasure to scatter the fire brands and airows of discord among his fellow men, he must enjoy that pleaBnrc, we cannot help him. RUFUS MATTHEWS. Northfield, June 13 A, 1842.; REPLT TO THE ABOVE. The reader will pleaee recollect that the point at issue between Mr. Matthews and myself, is simply this. - I solemnly aver that he áid plairly and positively give me permission to have his name used for the office of Senator on the liberty ticket at the last f all election. Such were the circunwtances, however, when the convention that made the nomination met, that his name was used for the office of county commissioner, and not for Senator, as had been talked. But in the process of time, it became necessary for him to clear himself of the charge of being a political aiolitionist, or loose the lucrative and bonored office of supervisor for which he was candidate. Accordingly on the morning of th town election, hepublicltj delarcd, that henever gave his consent to have his jiamc used for any office tohatcver by the liberty party, consequently the charge of falsehood rested upon me. Soon after this I hadan interview with Mr. Matthews with the view of an amicable adjustment of the affair, a-t which time hefrankly, and as I6ed, at the time, honestly confessed that he had abused me and done himeelf an injury, that he was excited when he poke at the to wn meeting, and said what he ought not, and was confident where he was lame in whathe had said and done, and would do all in his power to make amends, and repair the wrong he had done tn. He declared hhnself m a huny, and wished m to think it over, and have in writing when he shuld return, what would satisfy me. Beiieving he would be disposed to do justice in the premises, 1 was willing to eaae off the matter and have itsettled. Accordingly, on bis return in the evening, I presented him the certfieate he hae eau sed to be published. It was cold, he was in a great hurry. and fnid he would tako the paper with him, lookil over and sec me again and accordingly left. After this lic seemed invetérate and would neither confees his wrong as before, nor give me the paper he had taken, though I applied for it. This was what led me to deiermine on a public expo6ure of his wickedness and folly. If he was mirprised at my presenting him with euch a paer, (which I liad done at his request) I certainly was more so when he refasetl to give it back to me when I cal led for it. The evidence 10 sudtain the assertion I have made lies in the following certifícate. It is plam, simple, and to the pomt, suflicient to satisfy any court óf justice on earth. CERTIFÍCATE OF R. TnATER. This certfies that on or about the 27th day of September last, I was in the village of Ann Arbour for the purpose of listening to a lecture from Mr. Birriey on the subject of slavery, at which time and place, I had an interview with Rufus Matthews of Northfield. I remarked that from what Í had learned he ('Mr. Matthews) had become a Pollikal dbolition isl: he the eaid Matthews, assured me that he had,and thal he had no doubt but what the principies of the party would prevail. ÏÏTTÏPTTH TMiVPBPlymolh, April lltb, 1842. This certifícate shows three things - first, that Mr. Matthews, acknmvledged to others boside myeelf that he was a politica! abolilionist - second that he had no doubt of the success of the Liberty party, and third, thata convenient opportunity, presented itself to enter a disclaimer, and he did not do it. CERTIFÍCATE OF MR. LAI'üaM. To all whom it may concern, ihts certijis. - That on the lst doy of November, 1841, being the day of the fall election - in consequence of certain reports unfriendly to the abolitionistn oF rüfüs matthews, of Northfield who was the Liberty candidate for county comtnissioner, I went before the opening of the polls in the morning, and had an interview with the said Matthews. He told me he gave his consent to Mr. Beckiey to be the candidate for the office of Senator and expresscd some dissatisfaction that his name was used for county comssioner, and not for Senator as was proposed. - Still he said "he teas willing to have his name used as County Comnvssioner if it would be of service to the party," and further said, "he should vote a part of the Liberty ticket that day and had no doubt but he should finally g-o the whole, as he feit the principies of the party were constantlv stealmg upon him." B. LAPHAM. Certifícate of Mr. Lang. This certifies that in conversation wiih Rufus Matihews. at my shop, in this town, on or about the 11 lhdayrof April last, he. the said Matthews, told me that from the conversation he had with Mr. Beckley, if he had been nominated for the office of Senator, on the Liberly Ticket, Jie should fiase eonsidered himself committed. M. LANG. NorthficW. Juno 14. Ïft42.This testimony of Mr. Lang shows conclusively that Mr. Matthews himself understood that I was fully aulhorizcd to have his name used; and froin the evidence it nppcars that his disappointment was, that he was not made Senator. I have other certificates equally in point, but I forbear to give them to the public, as the above are all sufficiént. Mr. Matthews has cnürchj fáited to toeaken or in any way destroy the force of the above facts, (wlrich bv the way are stubbom things.p Henee I come to the conclusión that I am exttnerated f'rotn the charge of falsehood. The certificates of Messrs. Hawks, Snapp and Huston are directly in point, and are no doubt true. They show most conclusively what I before supposed to be the fact, that when among the enemies of abolitionistn Mr. Matthews told his story to suit tJiem. and when among the friend8 of the Liberty party, he was as good a third party man as any of us. Thanks to you, friend Matthews, for proving so conclusively, that you are no abolitionist except when among the friends of (hi cause - you have saved me the trouble of doing it. Here so far as I am concerned I might rest the whole aflair with perfect safety, but I will in dulge in a a remark or two. Mr. Matfhews says he objected to the use of his name for the office of Senator, and stated as a reason for his objections, that he "did not wish to come before the public for any office until they were satished of his honesty as a politician." So it seems by bisown confession. that a residence of some ten years or more in the place whero he resides, had failed to convince the people of his honesty, as a politician, so he must wait until this object should be accomplished. His onbj objection at the time against receiving the nominïtion. according to his own showing, was a consciousness that the public understood his hypocrisy and doublé dealingr. and would not give him their support.now is ït, friend Matthews? Do you not think the public are, by this time, salisfied? All who have expressed an opinión in my presence appear to be abundantly so. In answer to the interrogntion, if I accept a nomination on tho Liberty ticket, is it probable , tUe demócrata will take me np, I replied that I had had a conversation with one man, and ony one, he said he should go for Mafihews. and had no doubt but he would be nominated by the democrats. But that I ever intimated that I toould secure his nomination on the democratie ticket, is notoriously untrue. A few days since. Mr. Matthews said to me hat had he received the nomination from the Democrats, and consequently been lected, there would have been no difference between him and myself concerning the nomination. With regard to the charges of my agijating the subject of politics on theSabbath, &c , the head and front of my offeïiding is this: Mr.thews had been in the noighborhood of my appointment, a few days before the Sabbath, and there positivelv denied ever having consented to the use of his name on the Liberty ticket - which was contrary to what the people understood - consequently. when the seivice on the Sabbath had closed, two gentlemen mat me in the street, and asked me if Mr. Matthews ever gave me his consent to have his name used for office on the Liberty ticket - to which I replied he did; but they said he denies it - to which I remarked, that [ could not help what he denies: I never swe ar, but being a kind of a Quaker, should be willing to affirm that he did give his consent, and thus the scène closed - and in this I did no more than what I should be willing to do again, if eeriously questioned by sober men as in the above case. I do not possess a spirit of retaliation, but to show he hypocrisy and utter rotten -heartedness of Mr. Matthew, I will give a single fact - he is anficial memberof a Christian church,and of course as much bound to regard the eanctity of the Christian Sabbath as myself- still aiter my ex posure of his character as a politician he did, on Sabbath morning, cross the Iota to a neighbor'e house, and there spent some hour or more in ífc itating and talking over the difficulty beuveen him and myeelf, and the excitement he causee was not confined to the family he visited, bui the flame he there raised, spiead even that day, Sabbath as it was, among other neighbors. Now for such a man as this to come forward in the character of a reprover, is ridiculous and absurd. His cant about the 'self-styled liberty party,' &c. I leave for the many to ponder over,with whom he conversed and to whom he expressed great and incieaeing attachment to the party and its principies. The Signal of Liberty he then patrontèed and extollcd - he now refuses to take it, and sneers at the same. Tho fact is, friend Matthews undertook toplay hirnself into office by a doublé game of electioneering, but he failed; his mortification is great, nnd in an attempt to rescue himself from his awful dilemma, he has fallen in the vortex of irrecoverabie ruin, so far as his political prospects are concerned. Ipity, but cannot help him.