Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1870 — A Dupe of Knaves. [ARTICLE]

A Dupe of Knaves.

“We think it would be no more than courtesy due to C. G. Powell, of the Laporte Herald, for those papers in the Eleventh District in which Packard’s letter has been published, to also publish Mr. Powell’s reply to the same, as Packard’s letter does Powell great injustice. Packard, as well as his friends, were evidently laboring under a misapprehension of the facts in the case.”— Kendallville Standard. After hearing both sides of the ease we are of the opinion that General Packard has been the dupe of knaves and is the victim of a trick. It seems that immediately after he was elected to congress, he was besieged by a coterie who had determined to bring about a breach between him and Mr. Powell.— They knew that Powell had been a warm personal friend; that he had labored earnestly to secure his nomination and election, and that he would probably be appointed to some valuable office in return for his friendship. This they determined to prevent, and, if possible, secure these favors to themselves. They knew that the General possessed a large stock of personal vanity and prided himself upon being a “selfmade man,” and determined to make this weakness their point of attack. First one and then another whispered ip his ear that Powell was boasting an undue influence over him—tjiat he intended to control General’s appointments —that llti f.lfllffled tp have ‘‘inveatedGsi*

that he would compel Packard to 1 give him the best office in his 'district—that if Packard did not tender him this oflice without hi# (Powell’s) application as an evidence of his (Packard’s) gratitude that ho would “(urn the batteries of the Herald upon him,’’ etc. Instead of visiting Mr. Powell and ascertaining whether these reports were founded in fact, General Packard fell into the snare laid for him and became the tool of these designing men, Feeling his pride wounded he wrote the silly and malignant Belford letter. To show that lie was independent and could not be controlled he appointed Mr. Powell’s maligners to the offices they wan'cd. A man who can be so easily duped is not calculated to be a successful party leader.