Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-06-29

the Attorney uesesaI; and, 10 addition
'sA9se. with having umNr 20 )vashag
d ana soy b the erv y hsdsr =
81 bcsion q Feraey. ~ pre- rs
-, ~ true: s.rj man sso..
that when the testimony Of . pareiceps
crimssis n Inferred 70 csimiaats Others.
It is uniformly refused oil .credepce in
IN courts aof JUSTICE uniess corrobo.
rated. II, therefore, there wss any
thirg criminal in this conversation, Mr..
Wsbetcrs vas not eonnst1bGto ProsA il
BY bis own oath. II, On the other hand,
the conversation was innocent, and had
nothing in It dishonorabIe to either par
~, then those who vantonly dragged it
before the public, who, regardless OF the
sacredncss with which, hitherto, society
has looked upon private correspondence,
published before this Committee private
le.tcrs-they, and they only, are guilty
Of an offeuoe against good morals, and
mast bear the burden Of the just CEN
sure, which, sooner or later, shall, by all
good men, be visited upon them. Again:
Mr.. Webster's testimony from beginning
to end shows that bis memory is treach-
erous and unreliable. He fails when be
attempts to give the contents of his own
letter deliberately written out. What
reliance can be placed upon his recol-
lection Of a desultory conversation, of
three or four hours in length, which oc-
Cured more than two years before lie
/, himself SCENE distrustfui OF himself. In
stead Of giving the Attorney Generate
word, he says: "Judge Black gave me
to unelerstand,"&c. 1t is clear that the
whole conversation underwent trans
mutation in the mind OF the witness, be-
tween the time that he heard and that
at which he swore to it. This is not to
be wondered at. He who hears con-
vers ,tion, private and confidential, from
one who trusted in him, and then goes
forth and repeats it to those who have
an interest to pervert it will soon, inset
sibly learn to pervert it himself.
Third. If the Attorney General had
been dead il this attempt to blacken
him, like that upon the late Postmaster
General, had been made when he was
10 the grave, the written evidence would
Of itself have been sufficient TO relieve
nim from all suspicion. MIR. Webster's
own letters furnish triumphant refata-
ton of his testimony. They show that
the Attorney General made no promise
and gave n" pledge and they show fur
Their that Forney refused to do what
had been suggested, for the very reason
that he and Webster could not succeed
in getting promise Of patronage from
the President or any other member ol
the Administration.
The transition from this matter to
the charges brought against the Presi
dent, which are embodied in the nara.
tive Of Mr.. Forney, is natural and easy.
But the undersigned has not yet been
able to see what possible connection
there is between them and the resolu.
tons Of the House. 1t does not concern
the Philadelphia and other navy-yards,
or the Chicago or other post offices. 1t
does not concern the public buildings OF
other public property. 1t does not in.
volve the expenditure of money in car
rying elections, save in the respect oil
the total expenditure Of Ill Of Mr.. For.
ney's means and exhaustion Of all his
resources, which he alleges happened to
him in securing the election OF Mr.. Blu.
chanan. Nor does it relate in any de.
gree Whatever to the remaining three Of
the seven branches of Investigations, that
is to say, whether the President has
sought to influence the action of Cen.
gress for or against the passage Of any
law by corrupt means, or whether any
officer Of the Government has attempt.
! ed to defeat the execution of any law BY
corrupt combination, or whether the
President has failed or refused to execute
any law !; but it sets out simply with q
MARI alive of alleged merits on one side
and alleged ingratitude and unfaithful.
ness on the other. With all of this
what has this House to do! Itdegradet
itself when it lends its high name and
exalted authority to the resentments Of
individuals, and surrendera itself vii.
ling instrument to wreak the vengeance
Of disappointed seekers for office against
the authorities OF the Government, 10
whose hands, with the advice and con-
sent of the Senate, the dispenaation oil
patronage has been placed. But the
colleagues Of the undersigned deemed j,
proper subject for consideration, and
respect for them leads him to treat Of it.
Mr.. Forney up to the LIST of January
1858, although he had com nenced ia
break with the Administration on the
kansas-Lecompton question, had not in
du'ged in personal rancor against Mr.
Buchanan. His anxiety had been to
come to Washington a. the editor of the
organ, as it is called, and Of course ia
the hope ef enjoying the public print
ing. Before the inauguration of the
President the latter told him frankly
that such an arrangement could % t BE-
carried out. Mr.. Nicholson, the owner
Of the Union, had communicated to the
President bis ;ntsntion Of not disposine
Of the Union to Colonel Forney, ID con.
sequence Of the objection made thereto.
There was among Southern gentlemen
q decided opposition to Mr.. Forney,
which the President was bound t. re.
spcct, and the difficulties in the way were
insuperable. With regard to the print
ing Of the Post Office blanks, Mr.. Brown
| testifies IN Tho pros;dontss das;ro oud