Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-08-11
POLITICAL.
From the National Ihtelligcncer.
TO THE PUBLIC.
LETTER Nv.

their accomplca Bradley" This language seems
hat Mr. Barry had worked himselfinto passion,
| and mad forgotten his powers and capacities.
will however do him the Justice to say, that his
manners, generally polite and pleasant in
public, and if he torgets himself in his closet, it
will only elicit smile from me. If the forma-
ION of committee, in one of the ordinary me-
thods by the Senate, to lnves;i ate the conduct
ola public officer, be machna'on, il is of that
kind which will not, | am confident carry dis
grace with it.
There are few men, to whom it would not be
an honor TO be connected in business with gen.
lemen of such high standing and distinguished
talents, as the Hon. Mr. Clayton and the Hon.
Mr. Holmes: yet [ must Justice decline the
honor which Mr. Barry has intended for me, by
assuring the public, that | never saw either Of
OF those gentlemen, spoke to either, was there
any written verbal communication between
either of them and myself, for at least year
and a half previous TO the appointment of the
Committee OF Investigation. 1t certainly did
appear to me, to be duty in both the Senators
and Representatives in Congress 10 probe the
incapacf'y and investigate the prodigality, which
were, by the common talk of the city and couu.
try, attributed to MI Barry. On the part of the
Senate. means Of informing themselves what
laws were required to prevent future abuses, and
also of asceranng The real truth, that they
might represent it to the president, and advise
the removal Of the obnoxious officer, if the case
so required. On the part Of the House, for the
same purposes; or, if the facts required other
punishment than removal that they might pro-
coed by impeachment.
No individual has the the means of investiea-
ting abuses IN public officers. But the President,
the Senate and House, each have the power to
send Tor persons and papers, and thus to bring to
light lnlqutous transactions, however covered by
official obscurity. In times of high party excite
ment, the spirit of party may predominant ever
those OF patriotism and duty, in two of the
three branches, while it remains pure in third,
| and the public have triple chance of having it's
interests duly attended to. But it would be ridi-
culous to attempt to prove that the Senate acted
simply In its line of duty, in respect to this nvesti-
CATION; It's powers and duties in that respect are
fully known to the community.
Although had no part in bringing forward this
investigation or the resolutions submitted at the
previous session, by MIR. Senator Burnett and Mr.
Holmes, did feel bound to do so, for /, was ac-
quainted with many of the facts, and knew who
could prove others; and L should certainly have
land the matter before the Senate, paramount du
ties had not prevented it. If had spread the mat
ter before Congress, it would have placed ME in
| the position of prosecutor, and would have re-
Quilted my constant attention to the exhibition of
proof and the production of witnesses; and would
thus occasion the loss of much time and considera
BILE expence. could not in justice to my family
lose either. This duty to my family was more
important one in my opinion than the other and
| therefore there was no active part taken by In
the business But l found that several other per-
sons had furnished the honorable chairman with
more facts and charges than knew, and had fur
nlshcd him also with the names of the witnesses
| There were among them several charges of waste
IN the expenditures of public money more aggraya
ted than any adduced by me, and one or more of
absolute corruption, stated in speeches in
the Senate So that if had been out of the Wav
there was evidence enough without mine Mr.
Barry was only fortunate in the circumstance of
their calling upon first, and also in the obstacles
which his two advocates threw in the way of nv
examination l. the committee had taken up two
or three single and important points, Mr.. Barry
] Ofs
tiers than any have laid to his charge.
NAT gentleman, 1t seems, is not cCntented with
ueienoihg himself, but can only be satisfied " ''dis
SFaclng Messrs Clayton and Holmes, and their d G
com Ilce bradley" How that is to be accomplish
ed is yCt TO be learned. Is it by the fabrication of
documents7 There have already been two presen-
ted to the public Perhaps it was not in ATTENDING
the committee Surely if he had any such com
manding personal dignity, as could overwhelm
committee of the Senate, two of whom had been
Governors of States, he ought to have attended.
certainly wished him there. There could have |
Deen no better proof of my fourth char"e than that
ol inspections and they would have asked him few |
questions concerning his office, which would not
nave satisfied the committee of It's truth | sCg-
gested tie thing twice to his advocates but they
said no was sick of pleurisy, and pretty toupi.
one il must have been to have lasted 81 days! the
whole time the subject was before the committee
In the after part of the article he asserts of Mr.
Clayton and the Hon. Judge Clark of Kentucky
that they have brought forward this charpe-"lir. |
ouTy mas IN the FTSt fifteen months, from Dyu
lFt, 1872 to Juty, CS30) sunk the available f,uds
one hundred and fourteen thousand dobSarsn This
Mr. Clayton showed the Senate was proved by his
own reports; and no man who will take the trouble
10 read, and has arithmetic enough TO add and gub
tract, can avoid saying that he conpleteIv rroved
1t. If to this is added $50, 900 for one wear. oh
tanned from the treasury for Office expences. and
SlU,OOO for ono quarter of the previous wear. If
would make SlS4, 900 that he sunk to the Dublic in
the first sixteen months
, In the report ending June, 1880 he states TINT
nc exPepces Of that year exceeded the income by,
9o%, IA. III man has an income of one thor-
7ao dollars and expends fifteen hundred, does he
not sink five hundred of his capitaI7 MIR. Barry
n his eagerness to defend himself seems TO have
forgotten the plain and Obvious import of lanpuaoe
NJ Barry further that this was instantly
put down by Mr. woodbury.. ! wish to saw nothing
'oout that gentleman, or Of his speech and I pre-
'uinc no man would less desire its being brought
ihoer examination and notice than himself But
~ must notice one particular. In paliatinp Mr..
DIayton's ccnsure for the delay in making the re-
'ort, ON Mr.. Burnet's call, Mr. Woodbury. atribptcs
i to The great quantity of matter that if contained
gre or $tT thousand PGges The cali passed on the
4th OF May, 1880, and the report was rendered the
after part of January, 1881, being on hand nearly
en- months. Now, the written part of the renoyt
stated IN divisions, marked a, Il, and c. and .
contains IN all 365 pages. The residue Of the re-
'oTt consists of printed blank contracts filed ont
u wiring, also marked with the same letters. a .
Contains 81, l2s, and G S12, in all 1871 sheets
mere IS no writing whatever on the 1th PAGES of
zach sheet. counted the written lines on the fret
en- sheets, and they cquaed OF lines; that is over
en- lines on sheet. Suppose the average to be p
mes, Which Is large allowance, this, multiplied .