Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1839-02-14

49, Z
EXTRACT FROM THE SPEECH OF HENRY A. WISE,
f. IN THIS House OF REPRESENTATIVES,, DEcEafa
Der 2l, 1888.
"First came the explosion Of the pet banks
--now como the explosions, ono after another
in quick succession, of the sub-treasures, who
were, or are TO be substituted for banks, and
will show you that they prove all ever charg-
ed to be true.
said that in December, 1886, when General
Jackson gave his certificate that all was wells
honest, fair, this very leg treasury, Swarlwout
at New York, was in default $336,7l8 Wellj
s.r, bow il appears that in twelve months alter,
he was in default to the tune of $l,0l6,755
and three months after that time was deiaul.
ter in the still larger sum of $225,7o6 60
PREVIOUS 10 Rly attempt nj investigation, he had
been stealing public money at the rate OF $780,
600 per annum. Afier Tie cat waS belled, he
stole in one year S630,236 63. and in the next
three moths S208,780 81. Yes, sir, after the
| President had given him certificate OF homes
Ivy, aud y,lt, sir and the House, and the commit
lee, aud The Executive, had shielded him from
all scrutiny, he stole in one year the sum CT
! S680.236 60, and in tho next three months at
The rate of more than 100000 per nnnum--
his deacatlon averaging, throughout his OIL
cial career, the sum oil more than $l70,OO6 per
annun, for seven years-and MtS, ee are told,
pilhOm The least suspicion ga jew may be"
/, ieye it-but DON'T"
Sir, said the other day that did not res
RI joce at these public losses and caamites, tho
II confessed | did not feel a thral OF triumph
. at having gained victory for truth. The pet
bank system aud the Sub-ireasurers have ex+
plodcd, as said they would, and exposed their
f hidden enOrmtleS, concealed until they could
>, be concealed no longer; bnt do not rejoice at
it. | made me no booth TO sit and watch tor
= the destruction Of corrupt Nineveh. But, sir,
III there is one poor human being on this earth
alone now In the world-wreckcd in reputation
i; -basled-slighted by men not half as worthy
), as he iS-whose soul at scenes like these, does
rejoice, must exuIt Who and where is he?
~ Sir, if you will go down Pennsylvania avenue
J., 10 the corner of Fourand- ahalf street, beneath
L Mrs. Peyton's boarding house you vii! find a
p grey headed man, stricken III years: his name
, is Tobias Watkins! That man, for borrowing
q money Of public officers, funds in their hands,
Il not converting funds in his own hands to his
q own use, was imprisoned on the l4lh Of August,
q 1929, and tried on three several indictments,
on all of which he was convicted and fined, on
ono of the sum Of $3.50, and another $500, and
: on the third $4,000. He was sentenced 10 be
IS imprisoned three months OH each Indictment, in
=, all nine months; and though imprisoned in Au-
: gust, 1929, he was not released until March,
~ 1888. Kept in Jail three years and six months
~ for a real or fictitious delalcation Of $4,000
" Where are now the delaulters of this reform
" administration Where is Swartwout, after
embezzngipu money for eight years in sue
y cession, till he had taken and carried away Q
~ million and quarter! Where is Pricel Where
" is Graiol? How long since their carriage
=. wheels proudly hurled the Olympic dust of the
% fashionable streets g. avenues your metropolis
u of court and fashion No marshalls at iheil
hecs--no district attorneys prosecuting against
. them triple indictments; they ran away or walk
~ ed away un(orbidden, aud none to hinder them
NC Where is Boyd2 that land delaulter, who ap
ne peaed to SHE misfortuacs cf speculation" tc
- elect him to the Senate Of the State Of Mlssis
~ sippl These are all innocent and unfortunate
nc or escaping delaulters! These are full hand
=" ed public plunderers, and go "unwhipped o
Oh . Justice" Sir, so was Tobias Watkins un(ortu
Tic nate. He was born and bred a geat'eman-
NV dazzled by the tinsel glare of this mctropoli
: of splendid misery and shabby spendor," IA
Nv it was once, with equal force, truth and beauty
JUS described by that unequalled orator Of Virginit
VI, John Randelp h)--of liberal minds aud habit
10 too, he lavished some three thousand, inprov
IDENTIFY, thinking in his heart, that he should b
IA able 10 replace that sum and more, and "mak
oe all straight aud he was imprisoned for his In
nN pudence for nearly four years and made
no bear a (eon's brand! All! sir, but he was
VI geaLleman--he belonged to all The descency,'
I've The "siIk stocking gentry"--he was not one
n " your Loco Foco deiauers-he was not info
NY tunaie TO the amount Of millions-he was N
al too full handed to be touched by the rude bauc
'"e of the tipsaff-he was not deiaulier Of II
great democracy, and, poor fellow, he has su
,ey Eered for being Il gentleman. BY the by, 81
We that word reminds me of the fact that it WI
an during, or not until the past summer, your pa
,as ty first discovered that your President was
mn gentleman. The discovery was made first,
ing think, by grannie Richie. That venerat
'ole gentleman took me 10 task for finding sor
rue gentlemen IN Petersburg, and as sci off,
the seemed, boasted that President Van Barren I
was actually gentleman ! Very sirang,'! III
un. a made pres dent, he successor OF The ''lLLV
Ied, TRlous" in 1887, they did not find out TO bt
heir gentleman until tho summer OF 1898 Th
S. must have been trying to make him out VIII