Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-01-16
Speech Of Gen. Dodge OfIowa
ON THE PRESCRIPTIONS BY THE GALPHIN
CABINET.

Mr.. Dodge of Iona. Mr.. President, have
a few words TO say on this subject and wish
first 10 do an act ofju>tice 10 my friend from
Maine, (Nlr. Brudbury.) feel that II is du-
~ | owe To defend him from the unjust i'm
pulation boldly made by the Senator tiom
Ohio, (Mr EwlnS.) He charges the senator
from Name with inslncerIty IN Offering his
resolution AT the last session, calling for the
number OF removals from office under the
late administration and the charges upon
which they were made, and says that he did
not press ur desire 10 press Ito u vote whilst
that cabinet was in existence aud ready TO
answer Tie call. This. sir, know to be un-
Just. bear evidence here, man aud a
Senator, thai he pressed vote on ibis reso-
luton, with all the Zeal and determination
thai any Senator could have evnced. More
than that; believe was myself perhaps The
UNCONSCIOUS instrument OF preventing vole
upon his resolution. had the hour, and
was pressed TO make whut would in all prob
ability have been the lasI speech ON II. The
compromise measures were before the Sen
ate, aud the venerable and distinguished SEN
ator from Kentucky, tMr. Clay, did me the
honor 10 come 10 my seat, and make per-
Sonal appea TO me 10 decline and furego
what he esteemed to be mere paTtizLn dis
cusSion unui alter the passage OF those great
measures which II was hoped would give
peace 10 the country. | well remember he
gave II as his opinion that the resolution
would NOT De answered If adopted. Under
these circumstances, | yielded the floor,
against the WISHES OF the Senator from Me,
who was anxious TO bring his resolutions TO
vote. did not then, nor do now doubt,
that II would have been passed buI for the
cause stated by the Senator from Maine, who
was ANXIOUS 10 bring his resolutions TO vote
did not then, nor do | now doubt, that il
would have been passed but ior the cause
stated by the Senator trom Name the death
OF the late President upon The day upon which
II was TO have been tuaily considered.
The assertion, therefore, Of the senator
from OHIO, that The senator from Maine did
not desire, or that a majority of the senale
did hot desire, a vote on that resolution is
incorrect. With all due Difference 10 the
senator from OHIO, think may be permit
ted 10 say, that my means OF knowing The
motive and aclIons OF senators in this pro-
ceedlng were qnIe as good, II moi better than
his. | was member OF the body al the time
time and he was not.
The senator from Ohio says that he cannot
be eXpecte 10 answer tor the removals OF
The post-nasters referred TO by the senator
from Name. No, sir, no-he ought not 10
be. On that score hu nbly conceive that
that senator has sins enough OF his own 10
answer for and us he is on This floor aud
has chosen 10 engage IN this discussion,
dealing literally with the molIve and con
duct Ut othors, trust it may not he deemed
inappropriate IN me TO ask some account
from hlm OF the esIsters, marshais, Tecelv-
ers, district attorneys, ana other officers plac
ed under hIs kindly care, as Secretary OF the
Interior, about the 4th OF March, 1919, leav
ing 10 the heads OF other departments OF tha
| administration, which had no friends 10 re-
ward, and no enemies 10 punish 10 accoun
tor what was done by them. Sir, If memur,
truth, HISTORY aud everything is not AT fault,
no man u that administration, Or of any adj
tninlStraIIon ever welded the gui lotIne with
more merciless severity tnuu did the senator
from OnIo. He struck down wi hout giving
them ali opportunity OF defence, every land
officer, save one IN Iowa. All IN Minesuta
ali IN Wisconsin; al IN lliuois. Missouri, In-
diana, Michigan, Arkansas, Iuuisana, MIssIs-
sipFI ana AlaDana-l believe OF every grade
aud character that belongs To his department
had their heads brought 10 the block.
o. those who were thus beheaded by the
senator from Ohio, III my state, can say
that more faithful, honest capable officers, or
upright citizens. never held place under any
government. No man has had the harrllhond
even 10 IuSinuare that they were gully OF
ualieasauce in office, Of untallhiulness 10
lhelr duties or OF anything other than the ex-
preston OF their honest sentiments as men
and American treemen. Sir, ask the sen
atul TO tell me for what crime these Off ers
IN Iowa, my friends were removed. Hit be
tor their opinions, | am ready as they are TO
admit that they are Democrats; and # The
removals were made for that cause, candor
aud justice require that 1t should be so stat
ed. But, sir, knowing that neither scandal,
nor ininmy, nor one sided representations,
can ImPugn the characters OF any OF these
gentlemen, IT | am answered, am sure ii
viii be with the vague, indefinite, and anti
American charge OF their having mtertered
M elections. BuI, according 10 whg ethics
this is only crime when perpetrdted by n
democrat, 10 prove which II Is only necessa-
ry To cite the tact, that The most rabId and
DIter partIzans-ihe whig electors
the dust OF the canvass yet upon them-were
/ IT. t hrst 10 be rewarded with the spoIs III
/ Iowa. But allow me 10 refer 10 another
case, TO illustrate the injustice and exparte
character OF the whIg rule for the removal OF
/ such officers as Interfere with elections and
/ In doing so trust | shall do violence TO the
| feelings Of no one, us nothing Is further from
my intention.
The District Attorneys, believe, all be-
longed 10 Ihe Department of the Interior, ov-
er winch the Senator presided. | believe
ftI,
ment, lie removed every District Attorney i'll
America save the late john Norveli, of Mich
igan, who was more conspicuous for having
interlered in the presidential election of Is
45 than any other Office holder in America.
Mr.. Norvell was not only removed, but
! reaominatcd TO the Senate AT the expiration
of his term oi service; and that too, after an
interference in elections with which all
America was made acquainted by means ol
the teie graph wires and the newspapers
A word now as TO the prescription OF the
/ late administration generally. Sir, 10 point
Of numbers and violence, there has never
been any thing TO equal it IN any or all the
administrations puI together, and what makes
II worse, and more unnatural than any other
that has ever niarked the history Oh lhe cohii-
rrv. is the severity with winch II mas iailen
upon those gallant patriots who, quitting lhe
purs,,rs Of civil and quet lie; rushed 10 the
standard Of their country IN the late war with
Mexico, and by their herolsn aud vaior did
80 much TO MAINTAIN the honor of the Amer.
lean arms, aud 10 enable the late President
to acquire those laurels which he so ably won
and for which grateful people elevated him
to the first office M their gilt. Look al the
manner in which Lane and Weller were hun
ted down on the Pacific coast--pursued Will
indecenl haste around nearly half The cir