The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1857-09-10

from official reports to the Legislative In
Eyestigating Committee, and from the Aud
itor, that the money was all safe in the
Treasury as they had found it. And il
was there when they examined the Treas
ary; and shall show you that it had been
absorbed during Breslin's administration
and that not one dollar of it ever sulied
the fingers of single officer of the Repub-
lican administration.
And shall show you the circumstances
under which the Republican administra-
ton assumed tie Government We were
elected in 1855. No Legislature had met
for two years, and the last Legislature
which proceeded our entry into office,
which was Democratic, had failed to pass
laws 10 guard the Treasury, and thus left
1t at the discretion and mercy of single
man.
When the Republican Legislature met
in January, 1856. almost the first thing
they did was to pass a law guarding and
protecting the Treasury But upon trial
II did not prove as efficient as had been
anticipated. Learning its defects of ex.
perience, however, when they met at the
adjourned session of this year they enact.
ed new law, which required quarter
! ly examination by the Governor, and also
by the Auditor. At the regular session
they had also appointed Legislative In.
vestigating Committee, comprised of three
members, all of whom were Republicans,
the Democrats having refused to permit a
representative of their party to serve on
the committee. They did hold caucus
and designated one Democratic member
for each of three Committees, but subse-
quently another Democratic caucus was
held. and upon deliberation they refused
to countenance to the investigation into
the administration of their own party thus
establishing their fears that corruption
had existed which they feared to expose.
The examination, however was made
by the Committee, and also by the Audit
or, and they found the money. 1t was
there, in the Treasury. But it was a
sham. 1t was there, as money is some
times found in the vaults of your bankers,
when the examiner comes around. They
fly to some other bank and borrow funds
for present purposes. The examiner sees
that allis right. He retires, when presto!
change! and it amt there. Just so in t,ii his
case. Just SO with Gibson. He has bor-
rowed Crafts, bills, &C. evidently of val
ule, for the purpose of concealing a def
cit which he knew existed, and, I have
since learned, for purposes which, if cor
rectly understood, cannot entirely dis
creditable to him. The money was there
but the Committee was deceived.
Mr.. Gibson was elected when [ was
The same confidence was exposed in
him that the people reposed in me. In
fact. they reposed more confidence in him
than in me. for the KnoaO Nothings had con-
fdence IN him amdH appears they didn't
have an me. laughter
When discovered the deficit Mr.. Glib
son was absent from Columbus. 1t was
eleven O'Clock at night when lie returned.
| had an interview with him Immediately,
| demanded that he should resign. He
didn't want to resign. I insisted again,
and he retreated his disiuclination for rea-
sons that cannot be considered culpable.
But the keys of the Treasury were put in
my hands, d they did not leave my possess
sion until he did resign. I then appoint
ed an officer in whose integrity l have en-.
tire confidence, and who demands and re-
ceives the suriest possible security from
every depository of the State.
Now, respecting the blame that is at
tached to me, and for having sooner dis
covered the robbery: Gibson is man
from whose appearance and character I
never could have suspected of the great
wrong he has committed Auditor Nor
gan and Governor Medill had ten times as
much reason to suspect Breslin of dishon-
esty, as | had to suspect Gibson. And
they could have as easily compelled him
to resign as I did bis successor. What
did they do? Compel his resignation?-
No! At the very first chance they had
they put him on their State ticket again
for the very same office.
l am obliged to talk somewhat of my
self, but the nature of the case is my a.
polcgy. asked Mr.. VIM. D. Morgan
to act witt Mr.. Dennison, a gentleman of
undoult d integrity, and native of your
city, in VIII ,m the people everywhere have
confidence, in an investigation of the
Treasury, but he declined. He did sug-
gest Mr.. Prentiss to act in his stead, and
Mr.. Prentiss, pro-slavery Democrat,
agreed to accept. On further considera-
ton, however, he adopted his party's tao
tics, and declined to serve, doubtless that
they might have fairer opportunity of as
serting, that what ever appeared is a
"Black Republican lie." A party of them
then got together and BACKED balled me.
Mr.. Cox was their speaker at the meeting
and Gen. Joe Geiger, Buchanan man,
who immortalized himself by abusing me
asst campaign, immortalized himself again
On that occasion by defending me. Laugh
ter.
After the refusal of morgan and Prem
liss to serve, I then appointed Mr.. Thorn
- Sparrow, member of the Democrat
c parsy, and late an oficeholder under
President Pierce. and he--a gentleman of
and character-accepted,
and made the investigation. He has pre-
sented the facts, and they are before you.
! am told that the Democracy way up on
the Lake, in Mr.. Payne's region, now at
tempt to get out of the scrupe by saying
am pet of Sparrow. / am sure he is
not pet of mine, for he has not sense
enough to vote for me. He isn't good