To discharge from debts by bankruptcy; to cover over the blemishes of a man’s character. We shall learn from the N.E.D. whether this is originally English, or not.
1762. Another, lately white-washed (taken the benefit of the Bankrupt Act), proposed to me my setting him up again in business.—Boston Evening Post, Aug. 2.
1800. If you do not whitewash [President Adams] speedily, the Democrats, like swarms of flies, will bespatter him all over, and make you both as speckled as a dirty wall, and as black as the devil.—The Aurora, Phila., July 21.
1800. Oliver has whitewashed Timothy, Dayton has washed himself, and honest Stockton has told a plain story.—Id., Aug. 5.
1800. Is it what that great hero of ancient fame, Jonathan Wild, called a whitewash, that is about to take place?—Id., Dec. 1.
1806. Probably they will select some men who will do without whitewashing.—The Repertory, Boston, June 30.
1808. It is said there was only a majority of one for addressing (alias white-washing) his Excellency.—Id., July 26.
1814. In 1795, the wife of a judge married an ostler in Philadelphia. His honour, the judge, in 1798, stepped into jail for a few weeks, to take the benefit of the insolvent act. Here he found the other husband of his wife, engaged in a similar pursuit, and both came before the court, and were white-washed together.—Quarterly Rev., x. 507 (Jan.).
1839. The hon. gentleman is very indignant about this charge of white-washing; and, to prove that the committee was not to be a white-washing committee, he reminds me that he desired not to be put upon it.—Mr. Wise of Va., House of Repr., Jan. 8: Cong. Globe, p. 34, App.
1839. I am confident every effort will be used by the committee to whitewash the black frauds and corrupt iniquities of Swartwout, and to blackwash the Administration.—Mr. Duncan of Ohio, the same, Jan. 17: id., p. 103, App.
1839. I have heard much of the committee usually known as the whitewash committee; but if this does not turn out to be a blackwash committee, then I am no prophet, nor the son of a prophet.—Mr. Bynum of North Carolina, the same, Jan. —: id., p. 126.
1850. [I think it unwise] to incur the expense of a lawsuit merely for the purpose of whitewashing the character of these parties.—Mr. Turney of Tennessee, U.S. Senate, Sept. 25: id., p. 1973. [The term was used several times during this debate on the “Galphin claim.”]
