Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1838-05-17

y ~ 'eeiirg Mr. Bond The collector "i MS bonus ihre'
lie na, be looked upon e representative ofaEfniE'
: I'D DEBTORS"
After the vile ISLANDERS which the Govern
mcnt press had wantoily heaped upon many
of the most eminent and justly distinguished
public men of the country, Mr.. ID. said an
humble individual like himself should not
complain, but rather feel honored that he
was thus noticed. For himself, personally,
he would say nothing; but for lis disirict-I
his consttuents-for the People, who had
honored him with their confidence, and made
him their representative here, he had much
to say. lie could not, perhaps, express all
the just Indignation that he felt. My consti
tuents, sir, (said Mr. BOND, in every trait OF
character which can justly cnnoble man. are
not second 10 those of any member in tins
House. With Gods mercy, and their own
right arm, they have been the builders OF their
own fortunes. In every sense, they are vir'
tuous, intelligent, ond independent irecmen
-"who know their rights, and, knowing,da
maintain them" They love their country,
and revere its Constitutions; but they have
never yet bowed the knee 10 Baal;' and be-
cause they will not, the editor OF this vile
press, bloatcd and swollen with Government
patronage, stigmatIzes them as 'reprleved
debtors Elr. Speaker, should this hired
'cribblcr,' Francis L. Blair, ever venture INTO
that district, 90 not believe that the People,
whom lie has thus basely slandered, would
consent to deie their hands by touching
him; but they would cast upon him scorn-
ful and withcring look of honest and just IN
gnation, which would give to his vsogc
more cadavcrous aspect than it even now has,
But who is this man who thus impudently
arrays himsc If against the People? Why.slr,
lie is himself 'rcprieyed debtor OF the very
bank which he is every day revlllng. DO
gentlemen require proof? The files OF this
| House furnish it,. A paper reported or filed
| by one Of the committee Of this House shows
that this same Francis p. Blair, who was
brouah here from Frankfort, in The state Of
Kentucky, owed the Bank Of the United
States the sum of S20.74l 3j. 1t is true that
only part of this sum was his own debit
nevertheless, on his own account, and as Sc
curity for others, lie was debtor 20 that bank
on the Both day of November, 1890, for the
whole amount of the sum which have men,
toned. Did he pay il? No, sir. Does he
yet owe it? No, sir How was he discbarg-
ed? lie compromised, if the terms on which
he was released are justly entitled to be
called compron onisc. What were those terms?
Why he held clerks fee bill, amounting to
s37 AZ, and a note on gentleman by the
name Of Gratz for $500, say, together. S23I
~ cts, which he gave up to the bank, and
was released from ss20,744 36! Now, sir, |
think Francis P. Blair may justly be called q
'ropreved debtor.'
Such settlement proves that Blair
was utterly insolvcnt at the close Of the
year 1880. Ii his insolvency was oc-
cnsioncd by misfortune, he should be
ptied rather than condemned on that ac-
count. or the circumstances OF his fail
urc ! am ignorant. refer to his insol-
vency for what l esteem perfectly just
purpose in this debate. We find hIm
brought to Washington in 1881, and
employed as the publisher or editor Of
the Globe, which is made the Govern
ment press. We soon see streams OF
patronage flowing in upon him from all
the Executive Departments. The ex-
tent and character Of this patronage !
have before alluded to. In brief
space Of tims we see him living and en-
,ortaining expcnsiveIy, and going all the
rounds Of the court society at Washing
ton. IfMr. Blair had no connexion with
this Government patronage, he might do
all this, and 10 man would be justified
in alluding to CT commenting on 1t. 1t
is high prcrog alive Of every freeman
to do with his own as lie pleases. But,
Mr.. Speaker, the sudden change in the
fortunes of Mr.. Blair, connected as he
is with Executive patronage, his single
leap from insolvency TO wealth, impel
me to inquire if" there is not something
rotten in Denmark 2" Upon the whole
sir, l think his case most strongly Illus
tratcs the necessity Of passing the reso-
luton now under consideration, and, If
possible, making total separationeof
the newspaper press from the Govern
ment.
At all events, if this shall be found
impractcable, we can at least destroy
the pct system Of exclusive favoritism,
by inviting competition, and giving the
contract "to the lowest bidder" as the
reforming report Of tho gentleman from
New York (Mr. CAMBRELENG) and his
friends induced the People to believe
would be done. When the rctrench-
ment resolutions, which produced the ia .
nous report already mentioned, were un-
der consideration, the friends of the then
Il
Administration denied the existence Of
any abuse, but invited inves:ig alton, and
the resolutions passed almost unanimous
ly. Now, however, when the reformers
are in power, and an investigation is
proposed, they admit the existence of
any abuse, but invited investig alton,
and the resolutions passed almost unani-
mously. Now, however, when the re-
Formers are in power, and an investiga-
ton is proposed, they admit the exist
cnce of the evils referred TO in the reso-
luton, but resist the inquiry, because
as they allcgc, the abuse cannot bo cor
rected
The gentleman from New Hampshire
| (NIr. CUsHMAN) may deem this end i'm
lpracticablc. ] do not would rather
follow the example Of the gallant Col.
Miller, (sf ihe gcntlemon's own State
who, when ordered on perilous service
on the Niagara frontier, during the war
Of 1919, did not say it was impractical
BILE, but said "I'll try, sir" to the com
manding General. He did try, and he
succeeded. The achievement not only
rendered csse ntial service at that crisis,
L,,t booo,oJ III ,auntrv,s arms md a. lp