Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-04-13
MUSCATlNE, IOWA, FRIDAY April. 13, 1860

, CV"I feel personally conscious that there
is no public act of my life which will not bear
the strictest scrutiny. l defy all investigation
Nothing but the basest perjury can sully my
good name. do not fear even this, because
| cherish an humble confidence that the
gracious Being who has hitherto defended and
protected me against the shafts of falsehood
, and malice will not desert me now when
have become old and gray-headed. can
declare before God and my country that no
human being, with an exception scarcely
worthy of notice, has at any period of my life
dared to approach me with a corrupt and
dishonorable proposition.
"Until recent developments, it had never
entered into my imagination that any person,
even in a storm of exasperated political
excitement would charge me in most remote
degree with having made such proposition
to any human being. may now, however,
exclaim in the language of complaint,
employed by my first and greatest predecessor,
that have been abused in such exaggerated
and indecent terms as could scarcely be
applied to negro, to a notorious defaulter,
or even to common pickpocket. ."-President
Buchanan's Protest against Investigation.
By way of contrast to the above, we present
the testimony given by Mr.. Wendell before
the House Committee on Public Expenditures.
Mr.. Wendell did the printing for the last
Congress, and he testified that the amount
paid for printing Post Office blanks was about
$40, 900 year. The profit on this was about
$4,000. Prior to 1856, this printing was
done by contract, but under Mr.. Buchanan it
has been dispensed by him and the Postmaster
General. The President gave it to Mr.. Rice,
for whom Mr.. Wendell did the printing,
receiving 43 cents on the dollar. When the
work was given to Mr. Rice, it was the
understanding that the Pennsyluanian-a
needy Democratic paper published in Phla-
delphia-was to be supported out of the
profits. The Committee asked Mr.. Wendell
between whom the understanding existed in
regard to the Pennsylvania. He replied
that it was between the President and the
Postmaster General, and that it was also
understood that $4,000 should be diverted
from the Post Office printing to sustain the
Washington Union. Mr.. Wendell further
acknowledged that, in 1853, he contributed
from this fund, aoiM the hnowledge and
consent Of Mr.. Buchanan. ga good deal of
money" to secure the election of members of
Congress from different Districts IN Pennsyl-
vania, though he declined mentioning the
Districts. He said, in conclusion, in reply to
the question whether he had contributed any
money in 1858, in any of the Congressional
Districts of New York city, that he had con-
trbuted, he believed, in nearly every District.
Can evidence be more conclusive than this
to implicatc Mr.. Buchanan in the wrong of
which he solemnly protests his innocence
w The election in Rhode Island has
resulted as we expected. VIM. Sprague the
Know Nothing and Democratic candidate for
Governor, is elected by about 1900 majority.
He was first nominated by a number ofbolting
American Republicans, but declined. The
Democrats then nominated him and prevailed
on him to run. Seth Padleford was the
Republican candidate. Last year, the Demo-
Gratis and Republicans were combined, and
elected their Governor by over ), 900 majority.
The result, this year, was by no means unex-
pected, owing to local feuds and difficulties.
We firmly believe the people of Rhode Island
are true to the cause of freedom, and will
prove themselves so at the Presidential
struggle in November AS cotemporary
remarks, Rhode Island is very small State,
and we can better afford to lose her than any
other With SO much from other States to
encourage the Republicans, they can afford to
endure this one small reverse with philos-
ophical placditv.