Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-12-21
NEWPORT:
Thursday, Dec. Fl, 1897.

/
We copy the following from the Bos.
ton Atlas Of Saturday Ii is exactly to
the point, let the present. position of
MIR. Fletcher be as il may.
The Gagging System i'm Con-
grcSs.
Mr.. Fletcher has resigned his Office as
member OF the committee Of Ways and
Means. 1t was due to his own self-rcspect
to adopt this course. In the Globe of Tues
day there is long statement signed by the
collared majority of this committee. accusing
Mr.. f. of having made misrepresentation in
his speech at Faneul Hall, with regard to
the servility Of the committee and the dicta-
ton of the Executive. The assertions Of Mr..
Fletcher, every intelligent citizen knows to
be true; and they have been reiterated in the
halls Of Congress in one form or another times
without number. We are not surprised at
the contradiction of the packed majority
The fearless exposition made by Mr.. Fletcher,
in his address to his constituents at Fancul
Hall, Of the abuses and corruptions, to which
cited the alarm those minions ofthe Execu-
tive. Possessing the power Of battling in
vestigation and sitting inquiry, and not
ashamed to exercise that power, we cannot
wonder at their hardhood in evading or de-
nying the charges brought against them by
Mr.. T.. Had not those charges been essen
tally true, we should not have seen Mr.. Cam
breleng and his associates wincing under the
infliction.
Our readers will recollect the evidence adj
duced by Nj. Fletcher, that all the leading
measures ofths late session of Congress were
erec,ttipe measures; that the bills came to the
Committee of Ways and Means ready drawn
from the Secretary of the Treasury, and that
the committee in fact was mere organ of
transmission between the Secretary and the
House. These indeed were notorious facts
during the whole session. The charge YVES
repeatedly brought in the House. 1t was
made by ]. @. Adams, in the face and eyes
Of the whole committee, in a much more en-
pha,ic and aggravated form, and not one of
them dared utter a single word of denial. 1t
being found out, however, that this Disgrace
ful, lavish, miserable subservicncy on the
part Of the principal committee of the House
does not take so very well with the people, il
has been judged necessary TO conlriue rays
a.,in ha 1nh pf
truth; ofinvolving this most alarming instance
of executive dctation in a mist Of words; and
especially, Of driving the opposition members
from The committee room, and so giving free
scope to the Tory members to kneel subms-
sively and kiss the executive feet with none
to see and reveal their shame.
Upon this committee, already so Disgrace
fully notorious, and which seems bent on
making itself infamous, there are only two
Wing members, Sergeant of Pennsylvania,
and Fletcher. The six magnanimous loco
focos, who constitute the ma jority, taking
advantage of Sargeant's absence, have fallen
pel-mell upon Mr.. Fletcher, in the hope no
doubt, that the whole six Of them together
six upon one-may be able to effect some
thing. It was naturally to be expected and is,
merely in pursuance of the system, which has
been so often adopted for the purpose Of 81.
encing the proclaimer of wholesome truths.
We charge it upon the administration, that
this is deliberate system, by which they at
tempt to sustain themselves and invalidae
the testimony Of those who would expose
their corruptions.
Touching the impotent disclaimer Of Mr..
Cambreleng and his associates, it is quib-
bling attempt to impugn the spirit of Mr..
Fletcher's charges by contradicting the letter,
for which las. Mr.. F. is not of course respon-
sible. But had these men been even more
decided in their contradiction, the public
would know how much weight to attach to it.
Men, who had been once guilty Of the SER
Witty indicated IN the exposition of Mr..
Fletcher, would not stick at the baseness of
defending themselves by prevarcation.
Cambreleng and his crew are employing
no new weapons in this warfare. We see
the operation Of the same system, modified
by circumstances, which was turned against
Mr.. Poindexter. We should not be surpris-
ed to sec the same atfidavit-venders enlisted
against Mr.. Fletcher, which were ready to
implicatc Mr.. Poindexter in the attack upon
General Jackson's life. Messrs Wise and
Peyton can bear testimony to the employment
Of this outrageous and vindictive system by
the minions of the administration The sntpe