Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-06-28
port of this resolution. On pages 50 and 81

port of this resolution. On pages so and 81
find the following:
Your committee are aware of the very
general practice which has long prevailed of
addressing, by letter and verbally, to the Of
fcers OF the Government recommendation
based in whole or in part upon political con
sideratIons. The practice cannot be too
strongly condemned, especially so where it is
| resort to with a view 10 effect the award of
CONTRACTS ~---
The case under consideration was one
where this practice" was '-resorted to- for
the exclusive and especial purpose ofsecuring
contract Instead OF being rebuked by tie
President. 1t was encouraged by him, the
contract being awarded according to the
prayer of the letter. The argument of your
report Cpointing TO Mr.. Bocock1 is. that this
| practice aud such conduct is dangerous. and
'cannot be too strongly oondenned;" yet, in
your speech to-day, the purpose of your rea-
soning is to prove that it ought not TO lie
condemned.
BY way of an attempt at al explanation of
| the conduct of the President it has been said.
in connection with this Patterson letter, that
it was the habit of the President to SD limit
| all letters addressed to him to his Secreta-
ries, as the business referred to in the letter.
might appertain to the transactions of the
one or other Of the Departments; and thai it
| was natural for Mr. buchanan to refer this
| letter, like others, to his Secretary. The
committee called one of the Private Secreta-
Ties of the President TO give evidence in re-
| ference 10 what was the habit of the Prcsi-
| dent. What did that witness say?
"Qaestioa. / would like 10 ask you whether
| the President, no matter what may be he
| character of the letters, destroys them, or is
| it his practice 10 send them TO his different
| Departments
"49slcer. Yes, sir; he sends every letter TO
| the departments, unless it is silly letter or
q crazy letter.
But, if it happens TO be q letter which would
tamper with the honor of the highest officers
of the Government; if it proposes to sell out
the sovereignty of the people at the ballot
box. if it proposes, in doubtful district, to
elect 4 Democrat to Congress; if it proposes,
ia exchange for Il profitable contract, to give
votes to build up and sustain the Admiais-
tration, then it is not regarded as either silly
or crazy, but it is esteemed very proper to
be, and as, submitted to the consideration of
the Secretary of the Navy. l submit that if
there IS any character of communication
which should be torn up and spit upon, it is
one which proposes 10 bride the highest Off
Ger of the Government.
would like TO dwell longer upon this res
olution. 1t is one that demands the cOnsid-
Grafton of this House, because, rs was wisely
said by Washingt ton, .'tbe ballot box is our
ed; whenever the elective franchise of the
citizen comes to be lightly regarded; when
ever the right to vote is made matter Of
blrter, then. "Ichabod'' may be written upon
the walls of our national Capitol; for, a
nation, our glory shall have departed.
The last resolution is:
"That the appointment by the Secretary
of the Navy of Daniel Il. Martin, chief eng-
neer, as a member of the board of engineers,
chinery for the United States. the said Mar
tin at The time being pecuniarily interested
in some of said proposals, is hereby censured
By this House"
Now, Mr.. 5 peaker, 1 call the attention of
the House to what my colleague ON this
committee, mir. Bocock. says in his report
about the matter involved in this resolution
| His statement of the facts is an admission
| that this man Martin was interested in the
contracts awarded; that this interested party
was placed on board of engineers TO deter
mine to whom these contracts should be
given. Though he cannot find any fault
with the contracts themselves, he says, sit
would have been more proper and satsfac
tory if another person than Mr.. Martin had
beea selected Why? Because he was in-
terested in the contracts on which he was
called to pass. | ask the gentlemen from
Virginia how it is, that he can admit, in
his report, that it was wrong, yet, by his
course on the resolutions, seem to deny that
it was wrong? | cannot reconcile these con-
citing positions of the honorable member
am making no reflections on him, bat
simply referring to facts to sustain my own
report. His argument is, that although it
was improper, although it ought to have been
otherwise. vet he does not think it resulted
in any harm 10 :he country. Tihat rs not the
question, Mr. Speaker! 1t is whether what We
say in this resolution is true or not. Was it
improper for the Secretary TO appoint man
on the board, TO determine between cOntrac-
tors, who was himself interested in the
awards to be made, and who, the Secretary
of the Navy had been expressly informed,
was thus interested? | submit it to gentle
men on the floor, without reference to party,
whether that was not wrong? L. wrong.
shall we not say so when we come to vote
cay or MOI on the proposition?
| have now referred TO each Of these rcso-
lulions, aud to the particular phraseology
of each, and have referred to the report of
the honorable member from Virginia, as
furnishing authority for the declaration
which constitute the very substance of the
resolutions themselves. The report which L
have made recommends their adoption. l do
not ask that any weight be given to cur
recommendation, especially as the Secretary
of the Navy and his friend, the gentleman
from Virginia, mfr. Bocock,l have both eX-
pressed dissatisfaction at its organization
The gentleman from Virginia thinksit strange
that the member from Ohio mir. Sherm IN
should be on it, as he is upon another i'm
portant committee. Is it less singular that
the member himself should be on il? The
acknowledged leaders of their respective
parties in this Hall; alike distinguished for
their superior ability; their connection with
the committee, furnished ample security
against the parry friends of either suffering
for want of proper representation. But il Is
the Secretary OF the Navy who seems most
disturbed at the arrangement of this COM
mittee. In his letter to me, of the 1lth inst,
he mauifests evident dissatisfaction at the
fact that the member from Ohio { Mr. Sher-
mani was put by you upon this committee
He would have arranged 1t differently. That
the chairman of the Ways and Means Com
mittee should beat the loot of this, disturbs
him, and he declares his displeasure to me,
us chairman OF the committee, | have no
doubt sir, he'dislikes it, and / am not ast0nish-
ed that he does. At the head of Depart
ment, in which, according to the statements
of the friends, as well as the foes of the Ad-
ministration, there is the grosest corruption,
be is naturally anxious about the character of
those whose duty it may be to examine into
its condition. The language OF Caesar, in
speaking to Antony about Cassius, has 10
him, at this time, much significance
ssLet me have men about me that are fat;
81 EEK -hea ded men, and such a sleep o. night:
Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look,
lie think too much; EtEf
He is great observer, and he looks
Quite through The deeds of men;
Such men are dangerous"
So thinks the honorable Secretary, and
hence his objection to your appointment of
the member from Ohio upon this committee.
That member is not only not fiat" but he
thinks much;'' and, as the Secretary has
discovered, is disposed to look quite
through the deeds of men,. and, to one in
the Secretary's condition, lis dangerous"
Just here, M. Speaker would state that
the present is the first instance in the his tory