s. 



"Washington, January, T, 1853. 



Dear Sir: — I received your note of yesterday, making inquiries with regard to my knowledge 

 of Mr. Ewbaxk's character and conduct while Commissioner of Patents. I regret the necoesity 

 which impels you to call upon your friends to sustain you in a controversy with such an antagonist; 

 and as a matter of personal feeling, I should have greatly preferred remaining silent. But I have 

 seen the uiiiust and unwarrantable attacks made upon you by Mr. Ewbank, in the Tribune and 

 other pa])ers ; and I can not refuse to give you the benefit of my humble testimony in the estab- 

 lishment of the truth. 



I feel sure that wiierever you and Mr. Ewbank are both known, nothing he could say could have 

 the slightest irithicne?, in injuring your reputation. You ask rae what was Mr. Ewbanks character 

 for truHi in the ofiice ; and whether I know of any instances in which he was guilty of falsehood. 



I am constrained to say that his character for ti-uth was bad: I have frequently known him to be 

 fTuilty of gross falseliood, both in his official and personal dealings. He was accustomed to give 

 verbid orders, and afterwards, when tiieir consequences showed them to have been injudicious, or 

 bore hardlv upon himself, to deny that he had given them, and throw the blame upon those by 

 whom they were obeyed. In one case, I knew him to dictate to a gentleman what he should ronetn- 

 bcr ; and in another, to order a clerk to certify to an account (his son's) of which he knew notliing. 

 I have also known him to direct work to be recounted, in order that more pay might be given for 

 it (to his son), wlien it had already been liberally coxmted, according to tlie usage of the office. I 

 have farther known him to employ persons to do work for his reports under promise of payment, 

 and when the v/ork was done and used, to refuse payment, and deny having promised it. 



With such a knowledge of Mr. EIwbank's conduct, I could not believe him even under oath, in 

 any ease in wliich his passions, or his interests were concerned. This opinion is strengthened by 

 the fact that he is an avowed disbeliever in all those sanctions which are supposed to give peculiar 

 solemnity and obligation to an oath. 



You ask me what was Mr. Ewbank's treatment of his official stibordiuatos ? It was characterized 

 at sometimes by a coarse and vulgar familiarity, and at others by a rude disi-egard of their feelings, 

 almost brutal. It has never been my misfortune to meet a man in a high official position, who 

 knew so little what belonged to it ; or who was so entirely destitute of the appearance, bearing, 

 and manners of a gentleman. 



In eouclusion, allow me to add that Mr. Ewbank, so far from being the political martyr he would 

 have the public believe, has been defended, protected, and adhered to by his official superiors, with 

 a perseverance as remarkable as it was unfortunate ; and he waa removed at last only when his 

 mismanagement threatened the utter and irretrievable ruin of the Bureau over which he presided. 

 In quitting it, I have yet to learn that he has left behind a friend, or carried away the respect of 

 one of his official associates. I remain, dear sir very respectfully yours. 



Dr. Daniel Lee. CHAS. R STANSBURY. 



The author of the above letter has been some eight years in the Patent Office, is 

 Secretary of the National Institute, and was the representative of the government at the 

 great London exhibition, whose report has been printed by Congress. 



We know of no good reason why the readers of the Farmer should not be informed 

 of the character and conduct of their public servants at Washington, so far as the pro- 

 motion of agriculture is concerned. \Ve shall state only facts, and let others draw 

 inferences. The charge that we have made, since our connection with the agricultural 

 press, " political stump-speeches," is false. So far from the truth is it, that at the two 

 last Presidential elections we refused to vote at all, although at the polls and entitled to 

 vote. Nor have we ever smuggled in, as many do, a political bias in our agricultural 

 writings. It is due to history that the causes which have prevented any success at the 

 federal metrcpolis, by those who have toiled for the great forming interest, should be 

 recorded. There has been, and still is, a great deal of corruption in Washington ; and 

 we can hardly render the country a bettor service than aid in its exposure, to secure a 

 much needed reform at some future day. 



In reference to the agricultural progress of the several States, we have private vouchers 

 enough to fill a large volume, some of which we shall publish from time to time under 

 the head of " Historical Momoranda." In a work entitled " The Future Wealth of 

 America," by Fkancis Bonynge, on page 52 may be found the following: 



" Taken from the three daily papers of Charleston, 8. C. 

 " At a meeting of the Agricultural Society of South Carolina, held at their fiirm on Tuesday, 15th 

 inst., (Jidy, 1851,) Hie enterprise of Mr. Bonynge, late from India, to introduce tea-culture, as well 

 ofi that of coffee, the date, mango, indigo, and other tropical plants, into the State, was brouglit to 



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