LETTERS OF A CITIZEN. 471 



will perceive, from the guarded language used by that gentleman, 

 how entirely free he must have considered you from all collusion, 

 all imputation of bargain-making with your new commander. His 

 allusion to Governor Dickerson instead of to you will pass for 

 what it is worth. It is simply an incident in the miserable farce of 

 retaining " that good old man" in office to sign your papers. 



Mr. Ingham understood the gentleman from Virginia to say that 

 there had been a distinct understanding between the secretary of 

 the navy and Lieutenant Wilkes, that if he received the command 

 he was to turn off a certain part of the scientific corps. This may 

 have been very proper. It was very apparent, whatever might or 

 might not have passed on the subject, that that corps must be 

 reduced. It had been engaged in expectation of a large scale of 

 organization ; the scale was now reduced nearly one half, and this 

 corps must be curtailed in something like a corresponding propor- 

 tion. Mr. I. had not intended to say anything to the disparage- 

 ment of Commodore Jones ; he had nothing whatever to do with 

 that gentleman, or with his private views in relation to the matter. 



Mr. Wise said that Commodore Jones had told him but yester- 

 day that there would not be a reduction of one dollar's expense in 

 the present plan. 



Mr. Ingham said it would be very singular indeed, if, when the 

 expedition was to contain but one half the number of vessels, and 

 the whole outfit was cut down in the same proportion, there would 

 be no reduction in the expense ! Very strange indeed ! 



Nothing can be farther from my intention than a design to 

 charge Mr. Ingham with having made a voluntary misstatement. 

 Nevertheless, he was in error, and you owe that gentleman an 

 apology for having misled him. He obtained his information from 

 the department ; and from the hour that information was eornmu- 

 nicated on the floor of Congress to the present, a large portion of 

 the public, as well as of the members of that Congress, have been 

 under the impression that the squadron prepared, under the gui- 

 dance of your lieutenant consisted of about one half the force or- 

 ganized under Commodore Jones ; and no small portion of your 

 defence or justification has rested on the deception of this professed 

 curtailment. 



