The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-04-18

many others of whom we shall probably never
hear word?
The Congregational Iavestfg stIng Conn
mfttec-Eviaence OF Mr.. Wendell.
MIR. Cornelius Wendell has succeeded in
placing himself In anything but an enviable
position in relation to the public He has been
guilty of regeneration SO gross and palpable
that it is utterly impossible to find any excuse
Tor his conduct. In the latter part of the year
1858 some absurd rumors were put in circu.
lation by the republican opposition press, to
the effect that President Buchanan had caused
certain public moneys to be Improperly appro-
pIisted for election purposes. The fippancy
OF the accusation and the vituperative charac-
ter of the organ that gave 1t publicity. COM
biaed to render it unworthy OF any thing but
contempt. But Mr.. Cornelius Wendell, whose
name had been mixed up with the origin Of the
rumor, was of very different opinion. He,
no doubt was fully aware that the President
had been maliciously villified, and accordingly
fastened to remove the impression from the
public mind that he was in any way concerned
ia the disgraceful transaction. To do this
most effectually, and in the most public man
ner possible, he caused the following card to
be published in the Washington Union of the
18th of December, 1885,
CARD.
Ny attention has been called to paragraph In letter
10 the New York Hnses OF the 9tn inst, 10 vague
general terms, that the President had certain
money, justly due to individual, be ussd for
been SO generally used in con versstion ha.
Jet corsrasmed, pnottey AVID emphacA lty to deny all
dare a mc ea did ssr e nS %
or ,eq1t me, directly smdrecy either my oscn
nsy or tot @ any ether per.on for any purpose lke thai
affecting any Putlfc decason. c. WENDELL
Now, here is contradiction as fat and en-
pha c as words can make it, that Mr.. Wendell
had any part or parcel in the circulation of
80 foul calumny. But a change for the worse
appears to have suddenly come over Mr..
Wendell's dreams. An allegation, which he
found 1t absolutely necessary to deny in
1885, he now directly asserts before Con-
gressional Committee. During the Investigation
arising out of the contest for the printing
spoiIs, Mr.. Wendell publicly declared, accord
ing to the embodiment of his evidence, in the
report Of the committee, that moneys belonging
to other people had been applied to illegal
purposes, by and with the implied con-
sent Of the President. Upon this evidence of
Mr.. Wendell-so Numerically opposed to the
plain statement which, by his own confession,
he felt constrained to make in the year 1853
the Congressional Committee drew up report,
in which the accusation touching corrupt prac-
tees in elections Is reiterated against Mr.. Blu
chanaD.
In order to do full justice to this gen.
tleman, and at the same time to lay the
matter fairly before the public, we give
in another column q few extracts from
his evidence given before the committee
before alluded to. And it must be borne in
mind, while comparing the plain matter-offact
card of Mr.. Wendell with these selections from
his published testimony, that the former was
the result Of spontaneous action, made in the
most general and conclusive terms, while the
latter results from an official inquiry, in which
Mr.. Wendell was personally interested.
These extracts from Mr. Wendell's evidence
are sufficient to show the animus Of the whole.
He dared not, 1t is true, in SO many words de-
clare that the President was particeps criminis
in this most nefarious application of the public
funds, but that this is the inference clearly i'm
piled and intended must be patent to every
mind. He shufles out of grave responsibility
by evasive answers, and rests his charges
against the President on the weak basis of vain
suppositions. Thus, in reference to the asser-
tons concerning the appropriation of large
sums of money in support of a newspaper, and
to the question Of the Committee whether
there was any understanding on the sub
ject with the President, Mr.. Wendell re-
turns anything but satisfactory answer; for,
while he could not openly accuse the Presi-
dent of completely, he plainly states that be-
be improperly expended, that therefore the Pre-
sident should understand it also. This Is GER
tainly novel mode Of coming to conclusions,
which we feel confident will not recommend
itself to an enlightened public.
That portion of his evidence which refers to
the expenditure of moneys in elections Is de-
serving of particular attention. While he has
used the same caution on this part of the sub
ject which pervades his entire testimony, he
leaves abundant room for unfair suspicious to
fall on Mr.. Buchanan. That this is the correct
tendency Of his deposition is proved by the
Interpretation placed upon 1t by the Commit
tee. In their report to Congress they state
that the investigation developed the
fact that these abuses existed chiefly
in the use made Of the excessive
profits derived from the Executive print
ing, which printing has been by custom, and
not by law, controlled by the President of the
United States. Direct evidence on the subject
aoas giuen By Cornelius Wendell, his testimony
being co,roborated by Others" And again, after
quoting an extract from the Presidents Du-
quesne letter, they add =
Iappears that but few weeks before this letter Vas
written large out Of the profits Of public printing