The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-09

when the gentleman is smarting under the sense o
imagined OF real wTongsl
l Mr.. INSERSoLL. Because ! never heard o
/ them vii yestt rday. ...
Mr.. WINTHROP. Sir, these hearings the da,
after an inquiry received TO be listened TO will
an ear almost, if not altogether, closed. They ar
| 10 be taken with many grains of salt-these infor
nations that are laid the day after an honorable gen
teman made an assault upon another in anothe
branch Of this Capitol. l think the common rule
Of candor and fairness required that the gentleman
should sleep night or two on this hearsay testi
mony, which he says he heard of only yesterday
Mr.. lNGERSoLL. Not hearsay.
Mr. WINTHROP The honorable member has
certainly means OF information, hearsay informa
tion, not open TO all. ..
Mr. INGERSoLL. Not hearsay.
| Mr. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. And here Lei
me protest against the Introduction OF the amendment
OF the gentleman from Kentucky, Mr.. BoYD.l Tn.
Judgment Of the Secretary Of State is TO be
TO on this question. IL is TO be put within the dis
| creton Of the friends Of the honorable gentlsmaI
| from Pennsylvania, whether letters which may beal
upon the question, shall be suppressed under tn.
pretence that the interests Of foreign governments
are concerned. say that, if this House is TO insu
tute personal process Of this kind, if under the
insdgation Of the gentleman from Pennsylya in
a moment OF passion, this House is u institute .
process against the character and fame of a mar
whose name will live when the names of Other
persisted forever, then let no hostile President
or Secretary Of State, undertake 10 discriminate
/ between papers thai are 10 be produced and
those that are TO be suppressed. Give all
every letter. The honorable member had one letter
which he called for Did h prove his case' Did
he prove II by letters written this subject from
the earliest days down to that on which are now
| speaking Let US compare the administrations OF
the State Department in relation 10 these foreign
questions from the time when Mr.. jefferson was a,
its head TO that Of Mr.. Buchanan. Let US see
what the Of this service money was in the
case Of Texas. Let us what IL was in the case
Of Louisiana, well in that Of the northeaste rn
boundary. If we are to have anything, let us have
| the whole. | demand it all-and in behalf Of the
distinguished senator whom | am proud this day to
call my friend, challenge the judgment OF the coun-
try upon the issue.
Mr.. Speaker, have been betrayed into a more
extended observation, and have seemingly ex-
pressed myself in a much more excited manner,
than had designed. do not intend TO vote against
these resolutions hold IL to be act VIII ich will
remain without example, without precedent, certain
ly, that honorable member Of this House. With
out undertaking TO state any specific CHARGE with
out designating any particular letter. without fixing
upon any one precise fact, upon which 10 base this
second series Of accusations, should call upon this
House TO run drag-net through the State Depart.
ment during particular period, TO see il he could
not hunt up something in the shape Of evidence to
inc mlScTdOlc bihnueTb winch nave been be-
for the country for two years past The proceed
ing TO me to be beneath the character and the
dignity Of this House.
Mr. r. HOLMES said, that if it were possible
amidst the excitement, which had been generated
and which naturally sprang from that feeling which,
from a common spark, kndled in the breasts Of all
that the still small voice OF could be heard
he thought this House would deliberate WELL would
solemny pause, (however great their sympathes
with any honorable member might be, J be forethey
adopted theimportant and comprehensive resolution
under consideration. The resolution proposed that all
that the government had done under the sanction OF
law, rendered necessary by the exgencies of all
governments which authorized the expenditure Of
secret service money at certain periods and for GER
tain purposes should be unveiled and fully reveal
ed. The resolution was not 30 limited in its
terms as to apply 10 persons In this country but
was as comprehensive and enlarged as the uses of
that money was applicable under the law. And in
what state Of things at what period Of our history
in what exigencies Of the country, were called
upon to unve this secret service money and the APP
plication thereof At period when he ventured
to assert, without any knowledge of the action Of
time, but with some knowledge Of the people with
whom we had to deal in the relations we bore to
the southwestern country there must be an applica-
ton Of the secret service fund here but in other
ways. We were called upon to set precedent by
the resolution Of the application Of that fund Could
power which, under difficult and extraordina-
ry circumstances, was beyond the constitu-
ton and the laws, but which must be vested some
where; which, in Rome, resided in its dctators;
and which in every government must be a reserved
power somewhere. And the little Of such power
which was left in this government, pressed upon as
i, was by the democratic principle which almost de-
prved it Of the ability to keep from the public eve
things which ought not to be disclosed, was to be
taken away For if this resolution passed, il would
not be limited to the senator from Massachusetts; its
effect would not be merely he vindicaton of the
honorable gentleman from Pennsylvania. 1t went
to the root Of the application of this secret service
fund; fund which he believed in the present state
Of the country was imperiousy demanded. The
resolution went not only to the case ofMr Webster
but to the end Of the administration Of Mr.. Tyler
and he supposed that additional propositions would
be made, the result Of which, would be to bring out
the use that had been made of this fund through all
administrations. We all know that there was
time when Mr.. Madison thought proper to use
secret agents for the purpose Of eciting important
acts involving the very destiny of this confederacy
Should we deprive the Executive of the means to
procure information which could not otherwise be
extracted There was nothing he (Mr. H.) would
not do as a representative on this floor to aid
the gentleman from Pennsylvania in indicating
himself if that were required, even by carrying the
war into Africa he believed it was the gentle
mans duty to do. As a gentleman he mr. H)
/
he would do it. But there were higher cousidera-
tons and nobler objects than even the sympathes of
ones heart towards friend. Let US pause before,
for special purpose, we did an act involving
general and comprehensive results.
Mr.. seldom said no one could feel more sur
prised at the sudden and unexpected debate which
had been sprung upon the committee on the resolu-
ton of the honorable gentleman from Pennsylvania
than himself; but he trusted this House would not
allow itself to be thrown from the balance Of correct
Judgment or be carried away by the exciting feel
ngs naturally inspired by the character of this
luton. He thought, when this House came calmly
to view the real character Of the question now pre-
scented to it, it would at once be seen by all parties
that there was great and palpable propriety in the
adoption Of the resolution somewhat modified in its
form And he thought the propriety Of its adoption
more clear the part Of the friends Of the
distinguished senator from Massachusetts who has
been alluded to than upon any other portion of this
House Mr.. s., (who in many portions Of his re-
marks was doubtfully heard,) as far could be
gathered proceeded to say that, after the honorable
gentleman from Pennsylvania had risen, and upon
his official responsibility, declared, not from hearsay
but from personal knowledge and examination that