The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-03-05
WASHINGTON, March 2, 1919.
General Shields.


The case of General Shields ID at present at
iractlng a great deal of attention. The iac,s of
the quarrel between him and Mr.. Breese are not
well understood. and the affair, if 1t be mooted
in the Senate, will be one OF much interest," involv-
ing, as it does, grand constitutional question.
Since General Shields first distinguished himself
at Cerro Gordo, the people of Illinois have spoken
Of him the successor of MIR. Breese in the
Senate OF the United States; and Mr.. Breese, lii
order to keep his seat hs: with the most industrious
perseverance, crcusted the most injurious reports Of
General Shields In this species Of warfare, Mr..
Breete displayed the most consummats taat, Doth in
using his weapons, and keapipg himself concealed
East or West North or South, wherever the General
turned these reports met him They logged his steps
1T every turn. They we're circulated, too, where he
never went ! myself, not many weeks ago, heard In
New OIltsps the NEST absurd stories about him, and
,om NE. Bree,s's own lips All this very nstu-
raj Mr Breese was unwilling to give up his sea-, nd
evidently gave Gen Shields credit for greater mt
OF angelic patience than that gentleman can boast Of
In on his arrival here, harasssd and faded
by the attacks upon him, he wrote Mr. Breese setter,
expressing not very fatteing opinion of his conduct,
The letter evidently to lead to other
suits than newspaper controversy; and several of
General Shields friends hearing Of its contents pre-
vailed upon him to withdraw 1t. Accordingly Mr..
Mapgum and another Senator, waited on MIR Bresse,
and propofed formally, in General Shislds name, to
withdraw the letter Mr. Breese refused to give it up
and sent it the next day to the teisencsr for publ
cation.
J cannot conceive any act to be more utterly I'M.
prkcipled MIR Breese sends out to the world IS the
that gentleman had voluntary retracted and repu.
dated, thereby not only taking most unworthy ad-
vantage Of General Shields, bat doing an act, com
pared with which to utter and circulate the notes Of
bank after they have been called in and cancelled,
must b. held by all honorable men to be venial and
think harshly Of General shields. The only things
that appear on the surface are his hssty letter and
Mr.. Breeses comments but that there was foul
at A~fo tha- tok
Of the people of Illinois, to make him their represents
tive In the Senate of the United States their Is
manner q doubt, and there Ia little doubt that Mr.
POLK who generally contrves to BE- in every
paltry affair Of this nature, connected with this
plot 1t is very certain that the whole power Of the
rehabilitation In Illinois, exertVd against General
Shields. So far for the quarrel between the General
and MIR Breese.
It is rumorsd that an attempt will be made to de.
prive Gen. Shields Of his seat in the Senate, the
ground that he has not been sufficiently long natural
lied to be eligible. 1t 10 to be hoped that such dis
graceful effort will not, In reality, be made. General
Shields has lived since his childhood In this oouury
has allied some Of the highest Offices in the gift Of his
Mex'co and in the sllsnt performance Of his duty
IN tho field has suffered more than any other ten mea
done honor to herself by sending him to the Sc
The Senate will drgrace itself by any attempt to nm
seat him. 1t would be . proceeding never witnessed
the uitsd taes declares that "eaoh no
than be the judge Ct the elections retur and quail
the right to decide whether member bs fairly entitled
to hts eeat not, a. in the Of dispute eestio
But General Shields election 10 not disputed. No
voice raised to FAY that he unduly elected 1t Is
ustomary TO bare the investigation Of the eectio
committee sfidsvit that the person taking his
fest has been unfairly elected Here there is an.
davit, 70 complaint by General Shields whig eompst-
tor; and II tho question be raised the Senate
place itsf the anomalous position of prosec and
judge. This might do very we'll In the Of Q poor
devil Ct ne~spsper correspondent but In the case
OF man cent by sovereign State, with all the
ary formAtie torepresent her in the Senate of the
United States 1t Is another affair
But again-csn the Senate go behind the cecthcAt to
OF election and inquire, had the Legislature or Illinois
Alright TO elect Gem raj shields? think not. 1t Is
certainly to be supposed that the Legislature Of Illinois
made itself acquainted with the fact OF Gen Shields
ebgioy before proceeding to elect him. The fourth
article tie constitution declares that full faith and
credit shall be given in each State to the public acts
records and judicial proceedings Of every other State
OF course General Shields IL utterly precluded, by
every principle Of honor and State pride from going
into proof Of his eligibility IL would be casting
iDgloi ous Election the Legislature Of his State to
ray word in his defence That he assert do
rot nertsn the smallest doubt In 1896 he elected
to the Legislature Of Illinois qualification for which
Office absolutely required the candidate to be citizen
He afterwards els cted Auditor Of State and again
Judge Of the Supreme Conrt-the latter one Of the
mort important oces In the State, and absolutely
curing the qualification Of citizenshp That he af-
erwsrds In 1e40, applied for ps pere Of
10 true He had intended to join the revolutionary
movement making itself nifest in Canada and took
out papers OF naturalization as tangible proof Of
citizenship, to be used when necessary. N.