The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-04-18
Galvisnsas a,.d the Senate.
CUSTODY OF THE SsRGSANr ALARMS
oF THE SENATE,

TIKI SENATE, 4
WASHINGTON. April Is, lSfS
There are some considerations connected with
my examination before the committees OF the
Senate, to which desire to call special atten-
ton, before continuing the proper narrative OF
the subsequent proceedings.
If the Senate had reasonable ground of suspi-
cion against any of its own officers or members.
in a matter SO serious that conviction would
draw down punishment the offender, they
had right to examine witnesses touching the
fact It will be seen that the proceedings insti-
tued avowedlyi reference to the treaty and docu-
ments published in the Herald, bore none OF those
legitimate features There was no reasonable
ground Of suspicion against my individual Sena-
tor or officer. The offence touching which tes-
timony was sought, was not such that convic-
ton could entail punishment, as appears from the
case of Senator Tappan; for, if Mr. Tappan
escaped punishment after confessing that he had
furnished to newspaper a copy Of certain
treaty which was under consideration by the
Senate, IN secret session, with what show OF
CONSISTENCY could the Senate now visit penalty
a Senator acting by Mr. Tappan's example, and
on the plea of his IMMUNITY 1t is impossible.
They must hrst blot from their records the case
of Mr. Tappan, or else that case will stand az a
deusion and a snare to Senators for all future
time.
The Senate. then, resolved to obtain testime-
ny. For what purpose To ascertain the guilt
or innocence of some party accused Of punish
able offence Not at all No person was
raigned, nor was the offence, vaguely supposed
to have been committed ny somebody unknown,
a pun lshabe one. The S nate either flung tnis
investigation, at random, into the midst of the
twenty millions OF people of the United States,
as wanton boy, shutting his eyes, filings q
stone into the midst OF a crowd, unk moving and
regardless whom II may strike, and without
QcQua0e a In
the world the solemn absurdity of a body arraign-
ing itself and It's officers at Its own bar, and
calling upon private citizen to give testimony
on oath, not with view to convict any accused
person with further view to that PERSONS pun
ishment, but for the mere purpose of freeing
itself from the suspicion Of having done thing
to do which had been already adjndged to be, it
not allowable, at least not penal. This was
certainly the understanding on which that testi-
mony was requested and voluntarily given-"to
clear the skirts vt the Senate"-that was the
homely phrase employed, il l remember right,
Aad TO do this, being IN a position to do it,
had not the slightest Objection. The Senate
having but Indifferent confidence in its own no.
nesyy requested me to prop UP It's reputation, and
with cheerful alacrlty, consented | speak now
OF the color given the initatory proceedings Of
the members Of the committee before whom
was II Ut requested to appear To that commit
tee, my testimony, on the first examination, was
fully satisfactory, as completely generating the
Senate and its officers. The leg timacy OF the
proceeding, If any It have, I" hath this extent,
no more"-to ascertain If the members or Off
GERS Of the Senate were instrumental In furnish
Ing the papers in Question. Whatever may have
been the concealed motives lnstigatlng the pro-
ceed,ng, this was its avowed object, and this ob
Ject was completely accomplished by my first de-
position. That deposition was gwen freely, In
good fa,th, and In The kindest spirit. Whatever
objections / might have raised to the mode OF
proceeding, and they were many-whatever OBJ
stacies l might have thrown In the way of the
committee, In arriving at the facts that would
hel had Hh4Ipv ePA dm a n ms
l might have withheld-all such means OF
INVESTIGATION totally discarded
II the object OF the Senate had been to exone-
rate themselves, would they have proceeded fur
theri Officers and members stood fully acqult-
ted, and In the most satisfactory manner, to wit,
by voluntary testimony.
But the iostigators OF the proceeding were not
yet satisfied. Their real object may be ga hered
from the main interrogatory OF the second ex-
AMMUNITION" Can you absolve the head and 9TH
er officers of the Stale Department - sc. Why
thus question 1t my answer had tended te nix
the alleged off-nce on Mr.. Buchanan, the Senate
could not have tried hum rney have no power
to puoisa the Secretary of State. Their penal
Jurisdiction In suh cases, admitting that OF right
they hsv. any, DIES not extend, nor do the,
ella IN that il extends, further than their own
body They might as we'll attempt to bring the
nperor of Chias, as to bring Mr. Buchanan
within the scope OF It's exercise Wnar, then,
could have been the Object OF the inv stIgation,
unless to fix cd ium on the s cretary of State,
basely suspected by Mr. Polk .! Perhaps II wa
to afford an opportunity for exOneratlng Mr.. Bu-
chanan; we shall see. On Monday, the 27th
ult addressed a note to a member of the Sen
ate, stating that my refusal 10 answer the ques
ton OF the committee touching Mr.. Buchanan's
agency In furnishing the copy OF tn treaty ano
otner documents published In the Herald, had
been by many m sconsnu-d, to that g-uti-man's
prejudice, desired, in justice to him, taat a
committee might be appointed to take my depo-
sitlon to the truth of declaration which / en-
closed, fully generating him from any agency,
direct or indirect, in furnishing the papers in
question, and requesting the Senator to move
tor such a committee. That committee has never
been granted.
1t Is unnecessary to dwell longer on this posi-
ton OF the subject. No fact can be demonstrated
more clearly than that the first object of the in
vestlgatlon was to iRjure Mr.. Buchanan. The
phase 1t subsequently assumed, proves that it's
secondary aim was vengeance on the Herald,
through its very humble correspondent,
GALvIeNsIs.