Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-04-30
THE SECRET SERVICE FUND.


asking an account Of all payments made out
Of the 'sSecret Service Fund, !" from the 4th Of
March 1871 until the retirement Of Mr.. WEE
sTEB from the Office ofSecretary ofState The
answer Of the President in our humble iudg-
ment is very proper and does great credit to
him as the Chief Executive Officer Of the
/ Government We commend its perusal to
all
The President declines TO comply with the
call for the reason that il is IN direct contraven
ton Of the law. He exonerates Mr.. WEBSTER
entirely from any responsibility, by showing
that the certificates of Mr. TYLER Chen Presi-
dent) for all amounts expended under the APP
preparations foi the Secret Service Fund are
upon the confidential files of the proper depart
ment In word, Mr. WEBSTER stands ac-
quilted Of every charge made against him by
Mr. INGERsoLL, as there is not word, not
even hint in the Message that there is any
thing on record in the slightest degree deroga-
tory to the character of Mr.. WEBSTER as a
man or as an Officer. As we predicted last
week--lNGERsoLL is ga used up man"-he
stands before the country convicted most con
clusively Of the blacklist lalsehood and the foul.
est SANDER He has now found his level-he
has sunk beneath contempt prey for the
bloody beaked yulture Of his own meanness-
He indeed is a fit person to have said ''ttat he
acoltld hare been Tory had he Tired in the days
of the Reroltaion'-no doubt of the fact Mr.
INGERsoLL in his remarks in the House on the
Message the President said 81 shall not make
any further movement on this subject; sim
Il ply repeat the charges, with the asseveration
that they can be proved" Now we see from
an announcement in the "UNIoN" that he is
going to makes some further movement onthis
subject" and attempt to prove the truth Of his
charges TO the House. Very well, we shall
see-''those whom the gods wish to destroy
they first make mad" lNGERsoLL IS not the
first reptile that has died of its own sting. We
should think after the miserable failure which
he has thus far made, that the country will
put very little confidence in any thing which
he may say, or any charge which he may
lIidht Iit icSOit " NtlC cdillc HUN 81
lemnity of embodying his charges in the form
of resolutions, and write out his speech to be
read Sin solemn form" before the House and
thus TO give them mportance--all honorable
men will put their mark upon the trick and
scout it as piece of finesse worthy alone of a
certain kind Of accomplished gentlemen known
as accomplished blackgudrds. Mr.. INGERsoLL
is undoubtedly man Of talents, but such is
the miserable putting together" OF his moral
constitution that one may search in vain for
zone principle of virtue. or truth, or integrity
to redeem his vices or to palliate his many cul-
tivated iniquities."
What will he prove-what indeed can he
prove Did he not state the fact in his sec
ond assault upon Mr.. WEBSTER that he had
had the advantage of whatever information,
confidential or otherwise, the Department of
State afforded. This statement must have
been true or it must have been false. If the
proof was nj hand he knew ii then, as well as
he knows nO,o-why did he not accomplish
his work ofdemolition at once? We will ven
ture to say that he has not Scntaia Of proof
which any honest man would consider entitled
to the least respect in the trial of the most triyi
al cause. If he has any proof, it consists in
mutilated records-detached and isolated ex-
tracts of letters, SSc.;-the meanest and lowest
of all evidence--the miserable resort Of diseased
immagnations-hear hardened against mag
naninity and justice. No honorable man will
ever attemptto fight an opponent with such
weapons-and he who is base or mean enough
to do ii, viii sooner or later meet with that re
tributive justice which will consign him to the
common grave of the base slanderer-the grave
of iniamy and degradation.
We DO not make these remarks with plea
sure-but because we deem them Just to the
accused as well as to the acc,ser. Every charge
made, from the first 10 the last, has been re
futed not only by Mr.. WEBSTER himself, but
by Mr.. ADAMS, Mr.. CRIrTENDEN, Mr.. KING,
and the President Of the United States, Mr.
Polk. But hereafter, if Mr.. lNGERsoLL shall
make good his charges, we shall do him fun
iustice-butif he fails, (ofwhich we have no
IuOuDtsJ uc luuSl Slduu DtlOIC tlle country. III
the language of an able writer, '"as base and
deliberate liar, a slanderer without n cause, a
defamer from malice, calumniator. and a
cowardly deractor, without other motives than
the malignity of n nature governed by bad
passions and worJe principles, to depreciate the
influence and to injure the moral standing of
one whom-when the tomb oftime has conceal
ed forever the corrupt carcass ofhis calumnia-
tor. and left not even TO survive, the remem-
brance of the iniquities, which comprise his
most conspicuous qualities of character-wil
be freshly abiding in the memory of grateful
hearts and an admiring country, his name and
his greatness illuminating in the future the
glory Of the age in which he lived"
IfMr. lNGERsoLL fails now-then the House
owes it to its own dignity and self.respect to
give him his walking papers.
0s-Since the above was written, we see that
Mr. TNeERsoLL has made the speech alluded
to by the "Union," in which he reiterates some
Ia l.. l.