The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-05-18

Snow i win bo cruelty to him to lct
nim see himself emerge from the in
vestigation as others saw him.
Ny reasons for foFbearance would
be, an honest compassion that / have
felt for him for somo years. Smitten
with some capkeripg mental disorder,
not affecting the integrity Of his mind,
but controlling its manifestations and
his whole nature, he has been a moody
suspicious, and most unhap-
py man. Stunning his former lite-
long friends, consorting with. new as.
sociates, and haunting for him, strange |
visiting places, thai he would have
avoided in happier and healthier days,
as II their presence and contact had
been defilement. s..'
His old friends Knowing his infrm-
ity have bornc with him kindly, sorry
that he now so takes to his confidence
and esteem those whom he formerly
hated as his traducers and despiers-
those who, for many years, and many
years ago, before he had leaned the
use Of latin and historical quotations,
and displayed great. erudition, de-
lighted to bring him into contempt in
his favorito organ, the Eagle notify
honest criticism and manly attack,
but by belittling opithots and con-
temptuousnotice as in the case of his
now personal and political friend,
whose society seems constant pleas
ure to him, who in earlier days gave
him the name of pee ,cee Trump, which
ho bore until he received at the hands
of his own political friends the title of
Governor" earned by his modest
doclination of the position before ten
dered. For these reasons 1 have
thought compassionately and kindly
of him but it would be better per-
haps for his moral discipline and to
prevent further exhibitions by him Of
weakness and vanity, that he should
really understand how in the eyes of
the public and even many ofhis polit-
ical friends he appeared in tho result
of the brief, partial and unfinished in
vestigation OF his case. .s.ss
But two objects were to be gained
by the investigation-either positive
proof of his guilt or complete cxono-
ration and q finding that he was not
guilty. Neither object was attained
and tho case stands simply stricken
from the docket, or rather closed fol-
want Of timc, by the sine die adjourn
ment Of the tribunal before which the
case was pending, without judgment
What man of true selt.respect ant
moral courage, charged with higf
crime or that which casts infamy up
on tho accused, would be satisfied Will
n technical or accidental disposal o.
his case, without q vindication com
plcte and entire upon the testimony
by the tribunal before which he wa
brought. Only the weak, tho timid
and tho unmanly, or the consciously
guilty would be pleased at cscap
from the penalty yofthe offensc charged
by accident, witho exoneration iron
guilt. And yet this man who write
so bravely and triumphantly OF con
, scious virtue and successful vindica
tion, was 30 lacking in courage an
: true dignity, as to be satisfied with
simple dismissal ''for want of time,
to take further testimony of the charge
, against him, he alone at tho time
/, feeling as if hehad achieved a triumph
: He cannot say that a fullinvestig,
, tion resulting, as he says it would hav
; done, in q full acquittal, would hay
7 been denied him, if he had with tf
true courage Of o manly charactc
: and of conscious innocence demande
it. Lacking this, he unblushingl
J. publishes to tho world this kind I
y verdict which he claims as favorabl
u to him. Tho Committee "erdmine
: the tco principal uitnesSeS, the con
g Iplaindat and Samuel Ldnt=. on,
!, witnesses uere not erdmined for wdi
q of time. Judge Van Trump was il
i vited to testify if he desired to do g
!, but he declined, saying that he W.
y ready TO proceed with tho cxamini
! tion of witnesses. The Committee
o both Houses were unanimous in Il
}, opinion that "the eridence ras insut
u cient 10 justify further proceedings
I the matter No finding that tho a
o cused was unworthy of belief
y finding that the charges wcre untr,
J. or groundless mo vindication of Il
1t accused, but oil occurring a few hou
. before the final adjournment of Il
II Legislature, when, "for want of time
10 but two witnesses could be heard
r the matter, and the principal char
being directly proven by but one vi
IN ness, n technical but safe rule car
G. to the, aid of the accused, that at leg
v two witnesses should sustain the ma
+. fact in order to justify the extraort
Is nary and arbitrary power of the Le
ID islature of dismissal from Office, o.
W therefore no further action in the mi
y ter would be taken. An innocel
a. firm man would have compelled eth
In a full acquittal or full investigate
e. and thus thought tho public th
no thought many Of tho personal and
nc litical friends of tho accused, BY I
ty record alone can this matterbc judg
~ not by the newspaper declarations
he the accused. AfAA ." p" ''.''''''''
ht If Miller was unworthy Of bel
,m why was he not judicially impeach'
no By the record he was as credible
nt the Judge himself, no matter wi
he the private opinion Of the latter Of
10 character may have been. And tn
ri stands his evidence forever, that