The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-04-19
A Great Fizzle

inators of the most stupenous hum
bugs ;-particularly has this been the
case with what is known as the "Yan
kee nation" But in our opinion they,
too, have been thrown into the shade
by Southern democratic Senator,
backed by those who style themselves
the "bone and sinew" of the Democ-
racy. We allude to the investigation,
which has been carried on at Wash :
ington,to "probe into the depths" ofthe
Harper's Ferry raid, set on foot by a
resolution introduced by Senator Ma
son, the object of which it was cor
rently proclaimed was to get at the
truth of the matter, and thus relieve
the mind of the people, but which in
reality was nothing more nor less than
a vain clutching after political capt.
tai, by the action of which upon the
nnsophisticated, they intended-as
Southern journals had ito elect the
President in, 1860. 1t was not enough
for the self styled. leaders of the De-
mocracy to see the actors of the Har-
per- Ferry invasion-from the least to
the greatest-from Brown to Stevens
and Hazlett-suffer the extreme PENAL
ty of the law by a death upon the gal
lows, but in order to satisfy their great
love for the prosperity and happiness
of "our dear country they must needs
go still further and attempt to show by
investigation that the entire Republi.
can party is to be. held amenable for
the conduct of John Brown and his
few followers. 1t was not sufficient for
them to witness the death of the seven
teen mistaken men who so paralized
the 'chivalry" and "valor" of the
"brave sons of the old Dominion that
it has weighed upon them like heavy
nightmare ever since, but they, must
seek, by the basest of means, to inn
plicate men who, in love for the nation,
powers of intellect, sound judgment
and common sense, are their peers, and
whose names will be cherished by the
American people, when their accusers
shall have passed from memory, and
who will never be brought to mind ex-
cept in the minutes of Congressional
proceedings. Hence it was that before
the Senate had hardly affected an or
ganization, Senator Mason introduced
a resolution to Investigate the Har-
per's Ferry affair" in the hopes that by
some means they might by unscrupu-
lous dealings make it appear that the
Republicans were indeed enemies to
the country. The may pirate as much
as they please and try to deny it, they
cannot disguise the too transparent
plot-this pretended investigation has
been, and was so intended, great po-
litical humbug. All their movements
during the examination have tended
direct in one path-a continuation of
party power. Now they may deny this
as much as they like, we tell them land
we claim their own movements will
bear us out in the assertion,) that not
one single proof can be declared to
show them sincere in their professed
desire to get at the truth of the matter
and we believe that Senator Mason
and all his attendant satellites and
shadows had no other end in view i'm
their Investigating committee" than
to gain little political capital and
thereby keep in power a party whose
very leaders are never ut ease unless
they can stand up to their arm-pits
in the National Treasury.
twill be remembered by our read
ers that astounding disclosures" were
promised the people after the death of
Brown" disclosures " which should
clearly prove the completely of the Re-
publicans in the transaction at Harper's
Ferry. Well, the promised "examina-
tion'' has taken place but the "disclos-
ures" are not forthcoming. Senator
Mason, with his usual obstinacy, has
gone against all common sense and
bent all his energies and devoted a
good share of his time to the enterprise,
and has had the pleasure of seeing all
his efforts beget-nothing. Witnesses
from all parts of the country have been
summoned and came, with perhaps the
exception of one or two, and Southern
sschivalry" and Northern "Doughface-
ism" have used all their eloquence to
gain the much-hoped-for end. But
they have failed in everything--all their
maneuveres have exploded, and the
main movers-dumb in their modifica-
tion-now stand before the country
condemned. They cannot bring for
ward as an excuse that they have met
with any serious impediments, for the
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