The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-07-30

Babbits,s Laxvyer Courc...s ID M.
ss a Ap zThonsassa Doglars. n@s7s=r
. From the Gate City.
Charles Mason, Democratic nominee for 1
Supreme Bench, is out Ii the Journal Ia deftn
Of L. w. Bahbitt. st staisai75aSee 4ssuas
Judge Mason il regarded as . very shrev
lawyer and possesses better reputation tht
most Of the le,diDg legal politicians of h
party in this State. Hence the party have bes
constrsined 70 avail shemselves Of the ahili
and reputation Of the Judge 90 frequently On
in such desperate cases as 70 have slightly dim
med the brightness Of his reputation and Dc
tfacted somewhat from bis influence. +
We need but recall TO public recollection
few Of the cfisica! periods ia which the service
OF Judge Mason have been called into reQuisi
ton to save the party and defend the criminaiit
Of iss leadera. AZ the organization. Of the Stat
government be was candidate for Superinteu
dent Of Public Instruction on the Democrats
ticket. After q contest Of some months Har
Ian was elected snd Mason defeated. Thereupol
Mason, then fresh from the Bench, declare,
that the election had been held wilhou
authority of law, and 30 Harlan having beer
| elected, and not Mason, the election was an
nulled. iast taf t@1e asH@ a4
Again, Hall. Thompson 4 Co., stole the poll
books and they wers placed in the hands 81
Mason as their attorney, who, by conceslna
them, sirove to swindle Miller out Of . seat ia
Congress, to. which he had been elected. sg
last summer the extravagance of Buchanan's
Administration had excited the attention and
aroused the indignation Of the people, aud
again Mason was called TO the defence, OF the
party leaders. and went into lengthy, ingenious
and sophistical argument in defence Of the
&c A.ns.
claimed that these expenditures were al right
and necessary. And > little later in the season
the Judge entered the field Of newspaper con-
troversy, asserting and maintaining through d.
vers lengthy articles that Judge Springer was
not duly elected Judge of this District, and that
the general laws passed at the session Of the
Legislature were not In force.
The necessities Of the party may have de.
manded the services of Judge Mason on all
these occasions, but while they have established
his character and reputation as the criminal
lawyer Of the Loeofoco party, with perpetual
retainer on behalf Of its leaders, public cobf-
dence has been shaken. And now the COM
munity generally take it for granted when they
find Mason in the defence, that the case is 4
very hard one. @
With these preliminaries, we approach his
artiul lawyer.like representation Of Rabbits
COrfeCt some
mistakes made by the Gate City. Then he goes
on with long palausr Of white Washing srtenu
dssons OF the crime Of Babbitt, but with no de-
nial of the facts whatever.
We stated that Babbiit had been turned out
OF Office by President Pierce because be was
delinquent in large amount and that suit mad
been brought against him by the Government.
years ago, and that the suit was still pending
and undecided.
Judge Mason does not deny these material
allegations, but he sets up that Babbitt claimed
more than the Government allowed him under
tne law, and that, therefore, he ought not to be
considered defaul:er Eads also claims more
lh the State viii consent to allow him, and, on
tne same principle, some of the Democracy insist
'nat ne Is not a defaulter, but that on the con.
frary, the State owes him twenty five thousand
dollars. This logic may do for a criminal lawyer,
out 1t will not answer with plain, honest men
rho have to foot the bills.
The Judge was inclined to think that
he law was ID BAbb;t,s' favor" tin he found
,ut what the law was, some two months ago. |
md now he thinks" that il is against Mr. |
8abbtt; and, in view of this, his last i" think |
~ the subject, the Judge admits that the |
Imount OF Babbitt's default is nine thousand |
lollars .
The Judge don't like to call Babbitt q I" de- |
auiter, and that seems the only materisl \
Inference between him and the Gate City-l
5ut the law and the dictionary, a. well 20 |
'ublic opinion and the Gate City, hold that |
,uollc officer who tails to square up with the |
iovernnent and holds on to It's money is Z |
deiaulier" in spite OF the squeamshness Of |
'oiticians or the protest Of criminal lawyers.
DEMOCRATIC FooLrsHNEss sham democ- |
ak hs,N NfAs L.. \
or extolling the talents, virtues and peculiar
tness Of their candidates Tor office. Some OF
ur readers will rem mber he fulsome adulatiou
Fhica was last summer bestowed on II. II.
'rimhle, the democratic candidate for Congress
tbis district. Alter his nomination it was
uddeniy discovered that he was man OF giant
Intellect and most wonderful attainments Too
nuel could not be said in his praise. Had the
'eopie believed the half that was told them, tlley
Ould but regard Mr.. Trimble as one of the most
'rilliant men Of the age. Now, however, in re-
alton to Trimble the tide has changed Dem
'crass tell Us that be made q very weax andsi
'ungiing canvass, and that be 10 but man Of
cry ordinary talents. He is now . private in
he ranks and they speak Of him as they think.
Just now the organs Of that party are vieing
nth each other in exalting to the skies the men
yhose names are on their State ticket. Brigadier
ieneral Augustus Caesar Dodge, they tell US, is
man Of astonishing ability. His intellect 10
erfectly Websterian. The great wonder is,
hat such renowned warrior, statesman. and
lplomatst should signify bis willingness to act
8 Governor OF the people OF Iowa. The people
ught to be profoundly grateful for this great
ondescension. The peerless Cesar, the great
'robdignagian of the age, graciously coIsents
govern the Llllipatians Of the Hawkeye
tate,--Ntr0bsEe dicku!
And then there is "Col." Lysander w. Bab-
1T. he, too is a man Of great ability, great
onesty. and great fitness for the post OF Lieut..
Governor. II hero, or q distinguished man
Ias ever manufactured out Of poorer timber
han Babbitt, we acknowledged our ignorance
the fact. But be is democratic candidate
ar office, the dictionary furnishes the adjectiyes
nd they are saddled on him with profusion
ruly prodigal.
In speaking of their candidates for the Su-
rene Bench their pretended admiration knows
Q bounds. Their praise and their comparison
etween them and their opponents, violate all
he rules Of propriety and are positively dis
usting. We are wiling to admit that Judges
Jason and Wilson IRE gentlemen OF respectable
ttsinnents. But that they are superior to a
nndred OF their legal brethren in the State, We
box upon as . claim entirely without founda-
be ticketsare laid high and dry on the forgot
en- shelf Of the past, rs Trimble, Elwood, and
tbers have been, we shall hear no more al their
emarkable talents, now SO toollshiy magnified
nd lauded.--Oskaloosa Herald.
RUMoREn INVASION or MExico.--..Ion" writes
0 the Baltimore Sun:
u - lumored that q vpry extensive military
nd prominent movement is Low on foot in this /
ountry, with the purpose Of uniting in a plan
Or the regeneration Of Mexico. About ten
honsand men have been enrolled MS s.Knighs
crusaders OF the Order of the Monteznmas."--
'unds aud munitions Of war have been, or will |
'e, fully provided for the invasion. Loans,
'ased on the generosity Of an adequate Ameri-
an firm, will be taken, and b, British bond |
FOLDERS. The resources Of Mexica, under q |
,eneral government, would 10 immense. The |
rhole debt, foreign and domestic, would be but |
"aea-biie,' - Mr.. DIsrAeli would say, in |
omparison with the revenue to be derived |
rom her vast mineral and agricultural wealth. |
Some Of the Northern iournAl Il ha W held ont I