Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1848-03-15

sion, and who at the same time, would ex.
ecute every scheme Of villiany that he
could plot. The arrangements" srert
made, whether skilfully or not, the ma
jori,y ofthis House evince disposition to
make them successful. There is still an.
other paragraph Of this PILGRIn's evl
dence. It is the last, and closing para
graph, entirely disconnected with the
rest. It reads as follows: ".M. Kinsman
told me he had resigned" This, sir, gives
it its proper coloring, and impresses upon
its face, .tatsehood and perjury. Although
strength and force may sweep the net
that he has spread, yet, it must drag him
'entanglod in It's meshcs. He states, first,
that he got the impression that MIR. Kins-
man had resigned, and next, that in the
he was told by Mr.. Kins.
man that he did not know whether his seat
was vacant or not, but had written to the
Governor to ascertain. Here, sir, the
witness leaves this portion OF the tesiimo-
nv, and goes on to tell what he did in
Jasper county. In stating the converse
tion, he states ell that passed between him
and Mr.. Kinsman, or else why does he
break off and fly to another subject. Al
ter he has reviewed his evidence, he finds
that it will not quite answer, or may not
be strong enough to produce the desired
effect, and he says to the committee, you
may put down, "HE TOLD NE HE HAD
RESIGNED If he was told by that gen
tleman that he had resigned, why did he
not state i. at first, or in connection with
the conversation? / am advised by the
gentleman, l'ir. Kinsn,an, that he never
told the witness that he lad resigned; and
the manner in which that part Of the evil
dence is given, as well as the evidence
that precedes it, shows that it is false It
the gentleman had resigned, why did he tell
the witness that he did not know whether
his seat was vacant or not? And why did
he, when interroeated by the witness, dis.
cuss the probability Of his seat being va
cant? He knew, as the witness well
knew, that resignation settled this ques-
tion at once. | pretend to say, sir, il the
members Of this House composed a jury,
and were trying matter Of dollars and
cents, and witness should be introduced
by the plaintiff, to establish his demands,
and upon being Intercepted as to the in
debtedness Of the other party, that wit.
ness would state "that he got the impres
sion" from some other persons that the
defendant did owe the plaintiff something
and upon further interrogation, would
state that he had conversation with the
defendant, who told him that he did not
know whether he owed him or not, bu,
had sent to his Law yer to determine point
of isw--the verdict Of that jury would
be fer the defendant; and il before leav-
ing the witness stand, after having made
the above statement, that witness would
say ''the defendant told me he was indeb,-
ed TO the plaintiff in the full sum he claim
ed Of him." ask you, sir, what impress
sion would be left upon the minds Of that
jury? There is not competent juror
in Iowa, that would believe a word that
he had said; and there is not even JUS
tice ofthe Peace in the State who would
not order him under immediate arrest, TO
answer for perjury! Now, if this would
be The decision Of gentlemen, as jurors, in
a matter Of few dollars, then, sir, in
matters Of as great magnitude as the pre-
sent case presents, when the rights, and l
may say the liberty, of citizens-of re-
pnblicans-of ireemen, are assailed, evil
idence OF The same kind, end of no higher
character, should in all reason, be as eau
tiously admitted. If this admission had
been made 10 the witness, he would not
have avoided telling it when he was first
Intercepted. especially after having evin-
ced SO great an anxiety to establish this
fact. This, then, is the evidence! and
Well does it compare with the character of
the witness. a'.t
+. ! askagain. who is this exalted person.
age! His biography is published by
himself! He is compound of cowardice
and treochery! See him, hyena-like, Prov
ling on the borders of civilization ior an
unwary victim! His. plans are all concoc.
ted, The arrangements are all made and
while every passi is guarded, and his en-
issarles are on the alert, with the snare
sci ready TO be sprung on the instant; see
him stalking into the precincts Of ciyiliza-
ton, and with affected dignity, and the air
Of successful commander, he approaches
the habi,alion Of his victim under the sa-
cred shield Of friendship; he partskes OF
his hospitality; and what does he give in
return? First, he tries to decoy his vic
Inn into an admission of the facts he seeks
to establish. With the prorptitude Of an
honest and unsuspecting mind, the facts,
as they really exist, are given him! Hav-
ing failed in this, he next tries to persuade
him that he is wrong, and that he is in
curing the great dispieasure Of the peo-
ple-his constituents! His answer il,
hat ne had sen: to the Executive to ascer-
AIN the effects that would be produced by
his acts. Thus foiled in every attempt to
'educe and betray, maddened at the defeat
which met him at every turn. this assume
q dignity and high minded and honorable
'how, that had been burthen to him for
30 short time, was cast aside and the
PILcRIM was transformed to the scauenger.
Behold him here! First, in the commit
ee room, alternately disgorging his over
charged mind Of the political filth it had
accumulated, and the treason it had given
birth to, during his embassy, and debating