The Evening Telegraph

John Cessna and the Gubernatorial Nomination.—In the Age of this morning is published a letter from John Cessna, Chairman of the Union State Central Committee, which is intended by its editorial comments to imply that it has been recently written for the purpose of denying his attempt to secure the nomination for Governor. We do not know what may be Mr. Cessna's designs, whether it be true or false that he is intriguing to secure a nomination; but whatever may be his intention, it is certain that the letter published by our Democratic contemporary throws no light on the question. It bears upon its face internal evidence of its being written years ago. We should have thought that even the party malignity of the editor of that journal must have failed to hide from him its transparent falsity. He says, editorially:-

"Certain malicious persons have set on foot a tale to the effect that the Hon. John Cessna had not only gone over to the Abolitionists, but was actually intriguing for the Republican nomination for Governor. It becomes not only a pleasure but an imperative duty that we should contradict this statement, to which we have given publication, and which we have Mr. Cessna's own authority for pronouncing 'false from the ground up.' We publish Mr. Cessna's explicit and satisfactory letter in full:-

"Dear Sir:-I hear that there are many reports about me in Southampton township. Some of them are as follows:-

"1. That I have turned my coat.

"2. That I am a Republican.

"3. That I am an abolitionist.

"4. That I want to set the negroes free, etc., and perhaps several others.

"Now, I fully authorize you to say for me that there is not one word of truth in any of these charges. They are all false from the ground up. They are made up by my enemies for the purpose of injuring my election. I hope the people of Southampton township have known me too long to suppose that I will deceive them or lie to them.

"I defy the worst enemy I have to point to any act I ever did, or any vote I ever gave in the Legislature, or anywhere else, that was not strictly Democratic. Yours, in haste,

John Cessna."

No man in his sober senses would to-day write such a letter as Mr. Cessna's, stating that he was opposed to freeing the blacks. Nor would Mr. Cessna declare that he "defies his worst enemy to point to any act I ever did that was not strictly Democratic." It is evident that he penned the letter three (3) if not four (4) years ago, and to republish it now, without date, with the comments of the Age, is either an act of unpardonable stupidity or a gratification of a disgraceful malignity at the expense of the truth.