The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-06-08
ESTABLISHED1
The Mig Job Of whit. w1..ninx.

4
| We have waited some days before copying
the full account of the Wholesale whitewashing
recently performed by the lower house Of the
Iowa Legislature, in order that the principal
performers might have time to cool down from
the arduous labors Of the session, and particu.
iarly of this job, and also be afforded chance
to see their constituents. We copy from the Des
Moines Commonwealth:
! MONDAY, May "a, 1861.
Clark, OF johnson, said that member Of this
House had been attacked personally with unu-
sual and singular violence by certain journals Of
this State. He believed it to be the duty of this
House to shield its members from personal vitu.
peraton SO extraordinary and uncalled Tor as had
been visited upon the Hon. J. G Hall, member
of this House. He did not propose to commit
| any member to the policy indicated in the reso-
lutions OF Judge Hall, which was made the oc.
casion of the personal attack upon him, for
many of us with the mover Mr.. Clark) were en-.
tirely opposed to the action proposed in Mr..
Halls resolution; but it is proposed to yindi-
cate from aspersi0n, the motives of a member of
this House, whose actions showhim to be worthy
of our confidence.
He therefore moved the adoption of the fol-
lowing resolution:
Resotted, That the members of this House
hereby disapprove Of the course of such public
journals, of whatever political opinion, in this
State, as have seen fit to make the action of
Hon. j. G. Hall, member of this House, in in
Producing in this House, certain resolution on
the subject of the appointment by this General
Assembly of Commissioners to proceed to Mis-
souri,, to secure the cooperation o. the authori.
ties Of that State with the authorities of this
State, in providing for the protection of our
n N hnrdars tha sio pf -
nunciation of Mr.. Hall, fully believing, as we do,
that in moving the resolutions referred to, Mr..
Hall was actuated only by motives purely patri-
otic; much as he may differ with any Of us in
proposing the action suggested in said resolu-
tion, and although many of us are opposed en-
tirely to any such policy by this State, as is pro-
posed by said resolution, we are free to accord
to Mr.. Hall earnest and unqualified devotion to
the Union and the whole Union, in his action in
this instance, as well as in his course throughout
as member of this General Assembly.
CulbertsoR, in seconding the motion of his
colleague, said he was performing the most plea
sing acts of his life. He could bear testimony
to the patriotism, loyalty, and devotion of the
gentleman from Des Moines to the Constitution
and the Union. However much he might differ
with the gentleman in regard to the policy con.
templated in the resolution, he most heartily con-
demned the scathing structures and sweeping de-
nunciations of certain journals rejecting upon
the motives of the gentleman from Des Moines
IA gentleman whose patriotic and earnest sup
port had been mainly given to every loyal mea-
sure of the session. and whose years of expert
ence, marked ability and fidelity to the laws
made him the very Nestor of this House.
Cue said that while he favored that of the re-
solution which endorsed Judge Halls loyalty, he
did not favor the sweeping charge made upon
the freedom OF the press. He thought newspa-
pers had a right to canvass the acts of mem
bers of the Legislature. He could not endorse
the latter part of til, resolution.
Baker said that he did not agree with the
gentleman from Scott, Mr.. Cue BY the charge
of the Hawk Eye every member of this House
was implicated with Judge HAIL. and charged
with traitorous feelings. He was for meeting
these unwarranted and infamous charges in the
manner proposed by the resolution before the
House.
Claggett defended Judge Hall from the impu-
tatious cast upon him by the Hawk-Eye. He
thought that this House had the power to bring
personal assailants before the bar and imprison
them for their lbelous charges. The House
could protect itself as well as Court.
Bennett favored the resolution. Such charges
were unwarransed, and they should not be toll
Grated. Such personal denunciations he should
| always condemn, come from whatever source
they might, whether from Democratic Or Repub-
| lican journals.
| Bereman said he knew that Judge Hall had
not sought the vindication Of his motives, as
proposed 10y the resolution; he had no need of
such an endorsement o! his loyalty in any place
| where he was known, and among his constitu-
ents-nothing that the Hawk Eye might say
could injure him in the least. While he thought
| the resolution somewhat general, he should
support it.
| Vplr f~I Ia IoFH 1ort
Rush Clark we believe is his name. We fear
| he is too smart to live.
| Mr. Cue seems to have been entirely sound up
on whitewashing, but somewhat doubtful of the
propriety of making an assault upon the freedom
of the press. He thought newspapers had the
right to canvass the acts of members of the
Legislature but had not the courage to vote nay
Baker, who run the House on his own ac-
count during the extra session, seems to have
been equal to the occasion and fully master of
the situation. His argument, which went right
home to the bosoms of his fellow.members, was
that if Hall was in the mud they were in the
mire-that the only way they could save them
selves was to whitewash Hall.
Clagett of course is sound. He SAYS the House
has the same right to bring editors before it and
punish them for speaking with freedom of their
doings as a Court has. We agree with him in
that perfectly. And he has worked out the
question and knows by this time pretty well
| what are the rights of Courts and editors.
Last, but not least, comes our particular
friend Bereman-Bereman, late editor of the
Mt. Pleasant Times and present Representative
of High Henry. We are disposed to make the
best excuse we can for him.. He is young, art
ess and inexperienced. We cannot say for Ger.
tain, but presume, he never has before seen
Judge Hall bubber. His tender sensibities
have been taken captive. II the Judge had
gay he would do such thing, he had only to
strike that attitude, blow his nose upon that big
pocket handkerchief and speak in that tender
way only known to himself, of having nothing
but his honor and honesty left, to have had Ber-
eman's unanimous vote. And Bereman was not
diddled to any greater extent than other mem
bers of the House, who, however, did not get
upon the record in a speech.
We shall have further remarks to make in re-
gard to this matter, as well as something further
to say in regard to the extra session, but expect
to give whatever we may say to our readers in
broken doses at reasonable intervals.
Look out for sharp Practices.
The present are times when it behooves the
good citizens Of Iowa to keep sharp look out
upon public men, and see that there is no plum
dering. Large sums are being expended for
arms uniforms, clothing, provisions, &c. We