The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-19

| House to act with energy and decision Il IS i'm
possibe,in practice, 10 bring numerous body 10
aci Otherwise with any decision Especially is this
the case in The short session Yet, although am
opposed 10 The resolution OF the gentleman from Vir
ginia on principles OF eypediency and policy, and
ihongh believe the difficulty Of the inquiry to be
so great that Il cannot be gotten through with this
session, yet will vote the resolution because gen.
tlehen who are clamorous for an investigation wish
the resolution To pass in that form. ] will give
them all they ask Let probe corruption TO the
very bottom. l will not shield the guilty ! will
hod up deiaulters 10 the sun In the heavens and
let The flies blow on them, and let the world gaze at
the corruption that covers them. The gentlemen
shail nave justice done, SO far as my vote can go.
ishonld not now trouble the House, had not
Deen referred TO by several gentlemen who have
been up. What do gentlemen suppose that, be-
cause choose to support an administration because
II supports the principles Of the Constitution, my
mouth Is TO be shut when corruption is TO be exposed
II they do they have greatly mistaken me- Neither
the smiles OF party favor, the piiful denuncia
lions OF party malieny, shall ever deter me from
treading the path of honor and virtue do believe
that there has existed most shameful corruption in
The country. Take your committee, and 60 and
search it out, and purge the country from the con-
taminalion
But when you attribute this defalcation and that
deialeaiion 10 this that peculiar system OF manag
ing The public finances, ] enter my protest against
all such deductions. As well might you attempt TO
make God responsible for sln because he has
Dreamed life into human beings No, sir; what
ever gentlemen may charge upon the Sub Treasury
S ohar ! pelieye that much Of this robbery is
sShaIgeaoie on the legislation Of this body. You
nave thrown millions upon millions into the keeping
OF the Treasury, and human nature is not ALWAYS
apie 10 Withstand The force OF temptation. did not
Vote Tor these measures In 1885 The House voted 10
place three millions in one gross sum- In the hands
OF The Executive 10 be disposed Of his discretion
IN Inc pubic service, without specifying single
ooIee. % winch z II should be applied. Thank Godno
man caA say that sustained such proceedings The
gentleman has quoted Shakespeare | will say TO
him, Thou canst n say / did it." / will not
screen any man from investigation | go for the
SricteSt responsibility Of every officer Of Govern
ment to this House. These principles have always
governed me: and no temptation Shall seduce me
TO depart from them. Let no one suppose shall
abandon them for party considerations scorn it,
will express my sentiments here with the most per-
feet freedom. Noparty es shall bind me down on
questions of corruption. Take your committee
You shall have my vote Take it, But still ! be-
leve the thing will be failure. desire that the
examination be full and prompt. | should think
that committee, If appointed by the Chair ought
nave upon i majority of those who are heartily in
iavor OF the inquiry But gentlemen desire another
MODE OF raising the committee and they shall have
~ as 70 The poor miserable party tactics about
| Whelher The defanler has been Wing, or Con-
sefVatlve, or friend of the Administration, ii is to
| me not matter OF the slightest interest. | would
| not turn on my heel TO save the President himself
| II he is Justly chargeable Again, say take nv
| vote.
MI. WISE next rose and said he was glad he had
got the floor at last. He wanted it, that he might
repyto the remarks OF the gentleman from New
York over the way (Mr Cambreleng, J but first he
! would say few words in answer TO what had lust
fallen from the gentleman from South Carolina
The question now is only whether this nvesiga-
ton shall be made boaa fdc. An investigation is
proposed: the Administration itself proposes IL and
if you will give them only such a sort of invesiga-
ton as they seek, verify they will go for it, But The
question now is, and ii is emphatically The question,
whether the investigating committee shall be ap-
pointed by Mr.. Speaker, or BY this House; whether
il shall be appointed here by ballot in the secreSy
OF the Speakers chamber? No: itsayS, indeed that
they shall be appointed by the Speaker mlesS the
House determine otherwise in which case they
shall be appointed By ballot' The rule obviously
contemplateS and provides for the occurrence of
cases in which there will be necessity that the
House take the matter into their hands. Sir, |
will put case; supposing there should arise time
in this country, when we have corrupt Executive
in the White House, and gentleman presiding over
this House to which orders from such Executive are
law. We may suppose such case, presume and
suppose further, that through the thousands of Post
Offices and the hundreds of Land Offices, the Exc
cutive has exerted powerful patronage, and given
office TO his partzans who are wasetully and shame
lessly squanderng and plundering the public mo-
ney, and that when inquiry is moved into these
abuses, the Executive has tool there, pointins TO
the Chair there may still perhaps be honest men
enough on this floor to be disposed 10 probe the cor
ruption OF the Government.
Mr.. PIckENs here inquired whether the gentle >.
man intended to allude TO him.
Mr.. WISE said, not at all the supposed case had =
no,reference 10 the gentleman from South Carolina;
the case referred 10 state of things ~hen The al.
minislration had lis devoted friend in the chair OF
this House. Mr. Speaker, is not such case sup
posable7 Is it not at least possible case here
MT w paused and seemed TO wait replyl ef,
will not go back TO the commiite OF 1896 I, nor
remind you and this House in what manner you ap-
pointed them There is now a minority in this
House in opposition to the Administration; but, at
fharn &c ntnrttty arnnS
fine Administration scheme, of Sub-treasury, and
who are for probing the corruptions which have
grown up under system which, though thrice re-
jected the President is determined to force the
country Is the Speaker with that maority2 And
if not, what sort of probing shall we have from
committee of his namngl
Again. My friend from South Carolina tells us
in tcne and spirit of past times-tbat you will not
catch him screening punderers-no sir, not fybow-
ing can harden him 10 their distress Well sir, this
is the tone was wont TO hear echoing through this
Hall when the gentleman stood side by side with me-
and went heart and hand for bona fde investigation
of abuses. Yet the honorable gentleman will allow
me 10 say that he seems to grant the investigation
somewhat grudgingly. He says, take your com
mitteeW take my vote, take il, If you will
have it-"take it," Sir I should rather have ex-
pected him to ask that vote from Others than thus 10
grant il as il exiorled.
Take IL, is language should rather have ex-
pected from the gentleman from New York, (Mr.
Cambreleng) But, sir, all this is easily explained
~ diiscs IoH PtCuildl PoSilioh NY liiSho
occupies. He denounces the Wings as pitiful, dis
appointed faction yet permit me TO say, he stands
with those who seem TO me very much like DIS
appointed faction themselves. am glad however,
that the gentleman and his friends are al least nor,
with the Administration He cares not farming
on which party the blow shall fall he would not
turn on his heel to save the President. Indeed! has
a change come over the spirit of his dream p9es
he begin TO disrust the sincerity OF that parry ioi
whose embrace he left his old friends expected
il would be SO. And | congratulate my friend and
the country that il is So r-, .,.s
Again. My friend from South Carolina says
and says truly, that the dctacaons are not 70 &c at
tibuted TO this system or to that NO, ST i ~ S,,a
banks, nor to the Sut-lreasury that you are 70 at
tribute these enormous corruptions. No Have