Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-08-30

o'o man enjoy more commanding triumph
over his enemies--never did man appear
more completely indicated before his
friends. Now came another Committee OF
lnyeslign 'ion--an independent Committee
ID Committee that would inquire aud ex
pose, not prevarica,e and conceal. w hat
was The course Of the administration party
on this subject, Still, as ever, they show.
cd themselves the ENEMIES or lNvEsT1GA
TioN. They were unwilling to let in light
on the secrets Of the prison. house. They
were aira id 10 trust the people with full
knowledge Of The administration of their
public servants. From the commencement
of the session they tried to talk the propo.
stion out of the Eousc, or compel the
House to entrdst the inquiry to another
Committee. packed by Mr.. Speaker POLK
They baltled dey by day the election OF
the Committee by baIlot--but the powe.
Of the majority without the House finally
triumphed, and the ballot wns conceded to
the irresistible demands of Public Opinion.
1t was not, however, till the l7lh of Jan
uary, 1889. that this boon was reluctantly
granted. Then came another slrugg lie for
the defeat Of the Committee. When it
was ascerlained that u WING majority
was elected, j, became the cue of the party
TO decry the COMMITTEE as linguistic or ial
and oppressive, unfairly appointed, packed
! bv the House. OF the nine members orig
,nally elected. three TONES declined to
serve Gilmore of South Carolina. CUsH.
MAN of New Hampshire, and HUXLEY OF
Pennsy vauia. Mex, Mr.. HAYNES OF Gcor
ua gave notice that he should not serve, il
elected. TAYLOR of New York, and POT
TER of Pennsylvania, followed the same
example. MARTIN of Alabama trod in
their ilustrious footsteps. Here was a
combination, doubtless, to defeat the crea
ion OF the Committee, to destroy its luhu,
ence, or. at least, delay aud embarross its
operations. The House excused the friends
OF the administration as they requested,
until The plot became too obvious, aud the
members finally elected were compelled to
serve.
We thus see that from the very momen,
INvEsTIG ALTON was first attempted by Mr.
WISE. down to the appointment OF The
COMMITTEE of the los, session, it has beer
sysemat lcaly and uniformly opposed b.
the administration. SulI further, the mi
norl'y o! that Committee, in their ex,raor
dInary report, have put doctrines on record
which indicate that government opposition
to the inquiry Of the People is not yet or.
rested. Freedom cons isls," says tina,
Tory minority, Gin being governed by
" known laws, and not by the discretion o.
"caprlce of either branch of Congress
" The officer Of the Government, agains
whom no charge is Iade, however limo
" cent, must b. blind indeed if he does no
" see, his sensiblllty must be blunted if hs
" does not feel, that The INQUIRY ALONE
" casts shade of suspicion on his charac
u" ter; that. in public opinion, he is NOR,
Il" than ha f condemned by the act of tn,
" House. Such proceedings, if tolerated
"arc calculated to degrade the public off
" Ger 10 his own esteem, aud in that Of tn,
"publlc; aud the inevitable consequence
" is to drive from the service of the Stat
every honorable man. TO allow eithe
" House of Congress, by its action alone
"to direct its scrutiny into the conduct o
this or that particular officer, withou
J " charge, allegation, or suggestion OF mis-
conduct, would be to usurp an aulhorit
f mot recognised by The Constitution and ia
" BILE in high party times 10 great abuse
A" 1t would be an arbitrary exercise of pow
ser OF no ordinary character similar /
" the sic rolo of the Roman lady. CD
=" ,couid be The concentrated essence of des
polism."
Now, if we estimate this superla,v
! twa'te al its intrinsic value. it would no
) only be unworthy Of comment. but infinite
, ly beneath contempt. But it will be born
in mind, that it embodies novel and start
ling doctrine of patent Democracy, intend
ed to be brought 10 bear upon the mex
> Congress. The ground now taken by lh
administration, and distinctly defined in tn
8 report of the Tory minority, which W
y quote above, is simply this; that the PEG
b pie can only institute inquiries by spetia
tuUs-and that neil her hynnch or Cono,os