New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-23

az ground for refusing 10 complete tae dlsc"-
sures Of corruption on the part OF certain members
| Of Cong sclo.ures voluntarily made BY hlm-
self and which = Congressional Investigating Com
mttee is attempting to bring to come specific point
MIR SimontOn sets up delicate sense of personal
honor, and nsincible regard for the sanctlty OF
confidential communications. This is certainly
novel view of the extent to which confidential COM
nunicsiiUns can be carried. Certain members OF
Congress. according to Mr.. SimOnton's story, seek
TO employ him sort Of broker in bribery through
whom they might sell their votes and their influence;
and this proposition, so insu ting to him, considered
in the character Of an honest man, he now seeks 10
cover over with the sanctty of confidential COM
municasOn
Between an honest maa and q rogue seeking to
employ that hottest man in criminal and disgrace
full undertaking, there is and there can be no con-
fdence. Such disgraceful propositions can never
be made TO an honest man under any circumstances
which viii not leave that honest man at full liberty
10 denounce the rogue who makes them. Where
both parties are rogues, old cOnfederates in crime
the case uay, indeed, be different. a refusal TO
disclose the names Of the parties seeking to use his
agency 10 a corrupt transaction might, perhaps, be
fully justified under the rule Of honor among thieves
by party accustomed to act as bribery broker, and
to whom, in that character the communication In
question had been made. But we do not unders
staLd Mr.. SmOnton to place his refusal to disclose
on that ground and if he did, it is quite too late Tor
him to attempt to avail himself of it. Having dis
closed so much already, it is too late to refuse to
disclose more He began with general charges
of corruption, leyeled through the columns of
prominent newspaper, against the members OF
Congress- and urged with such emphasis as to pro-
duce or confirm ia the mind OF the editor OF that
| paper a "moral conviction" that these charges
| were true. On the strength of this "moral con-
yicton" Congress is soemny arraigned before the
public in the leading columns Of that paper as con-
| tanning members who habitually sell their votes,
and through whose purchased support measures are
carried involving great expenditures of public mo-
ney. Reused up by these and other similar charges
emanating from other sources, Committee OF the
House is invested with full power to ferret cut the
| Guilty members. Mr. SmOnton is brought as wit
ness before that Committee and so far from refusing
to testify, on the ground that what he knew on the
subject had been communicated to him contden-
tally, he states that two members, after repre-
sentpg that certain measures before Congress ought
to pay and that the parties Interested in them had
the means pay and that they individually the
monty, had desired him specifically to arrange mat
tiers in such manner that If the measures passed
they should be paid that is TO act az broker for sell
ing their vote, and their influence with other men,
bers To stop short here and under the plea OF con-
idence and preliminary promise of secrecy on his
part to refuse 10 60 further leaves every member Of
Congress exposed to suspicion on the part of bis con-
stituent, and the public being one ofthose two cor
rupt members who sought thus 10 use the serv:es of
| Air. SimOntOn as broker in bribery. The express
promise of secrecy made by Mr.. SimOnton, as be
Gays, and to which be seems disposed to give such
decisive weight has no bearing on the case. I'm.
piled promises are just as binding, both in law and
in Deras as express PROMISES and If the nature OF
the communication TO him was such that no implied
obligation Of confidence arose, neither is he bound
| by any express promise he may have made to keep
| it secret. AL such promises of secrecy are made
with the implied exception of being required TO tes-
tify as a witness; and further that the communica
| ton does not relate to any crime proposed TO be
| committed.
But whatever may be the obligations of Mr.. 81.
monitor toward the two members in question, by the
course that be has taken he has cOntr acted an obi
cation toward two hundred snd more other men,
bers, which be is at least equally bound to dis
charge. BY bis voluntary act these two hundred
aud more members stand exposed TO suspicion of
most damaging and dsgraceful character-s sus-
pcion from which they can only be relieved by the
disclosure Of the names Of the two members from
whom be understands himself TO have received
the corrupt proposals 10 which he testi6es
The obligation of honor is surely as strong
70 shield the innocent as to conceal the guilty, aud
in Mr.. SimOntOn's case vastly stronger since it is
be who, by hi, course in this matter, has involved
the innocent in suspicion. Nor is it only to these
innocent members Of Congress that Mr.. Sinonton
owes duty BE owes other duties, not less i'm
peratiye to himself and to the public press, of which
he acts at Washington as one of the representatives
So long as be retains his present position he stands
exposed 10 two most damaging suspicions-the
suspicion of being himself quite deep in the cor
ruptions Of Washington as anybody else, and of
refusing to speak further, not from motives of deli
cacy aud honor be pretends, but from the fear Of
Eliminating himself; or, IS alternative to this, the
suspicion scarcely less damaging Of having brought
false charges, which be was ready enough TO make
against members in general, but which he does not
dare to expose to detection and punishment By
descending from general to particular lying