The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-11-10
.TME wEEKLY PIoNeER AND DEMocKAr.

IGnaSias Denneny OonsaAerea ~ IN
49, In Polnt OF Fact, ana I'm Poinl
Of Style.
1t h no new thing in human action fos
the criminal to be the loadest in crying
"tbief!" It Is nothing rare for the cor.
rupt man to be fiercest in charges of dis.
honesty. And, it is a matter Of course,
that tho protested libeller should make the
air ring with complaints of I" ISLANDER .
against those who know and expose his
viscioasness. These are general PROPOSE
tons, recognized as true BY all men, and
confirmed by everyday experience. We
don't propose to apply these propositions,
BY way of texts, to any particular case;
but We couldn't help thinking Of them,
one after another, while cogitating on the
libel suit which IGNA11Us DosNE1LY has
brought against TIE PIoNRrR.
We find, On returning to the State from
an absence which includes the date of
publishing the article complained o. and
the commencement Of the suit by Mr..
DoNNELLY, the common sentiment Of the
people to be, that Mr.. DoNNzLLY has made
an Ass of himself An egregious ASS of
himself A more elaborate and circum-
stantial Ass Of himself, than he has gene.
rally been in the habit of doing. That is
to say, that Mr.. DoNNM1Y has outdone
himself in a line wherein he was acknowl
edged before tohaye been rarely equalled
and never exoe,ied.;' ,.l - -
In abiding to this matter we shall no
tice Mr.. DoNNEILY only so far as it may
become necessary to show that the public,
in coming to the oonclusicn above stated,
were governed by . reliable, because an
unerring, instinct Of propriety and good
sense. And to show this, we will consider
Mr.. DoSNEILY, Ia his conduct with refer
ence to the alleged libel .aa.asss.s
1st-As an ASS in Point of Fact
2d-As an Ass in Point of Style.
The accuracy of the public judgment in
classifying Mr.. DoNNElLx as an ASS in
point of Fact, is determined by the matter
which he selected on which to commence
bis action for libel. That matter, as set
forth in his complaint, is - follows:
We dismiss Dounelly and his "best speech. !"
God knows We have no desire to pry into his
private affairs. either social or pecuniary. Eek.
cuse as from DISTURBING that cesspoo. But we
trust for the hooor and credit of the State
that we may hereafter send to Washington, if
not men of talent, at least some one who can
pass from Minnesota to the capital of the ma
ton without being under the necessity of
pleading his congressional privilege to save
himself from arrest. 500 ally
Mr.. DoNNErLYs complaint alleges that
the words /" without being under the ne
cessity of pleading bis congressional privi-
lege to save himself from arrest, I" infer
that he had committed some crime, on
account Of which he could avoid arrest
only by pleading "his congressional privi-
lege." Mr.. DoNNELLYs stupidity, here,
consists in the fact that his congressional
privilege cannot be pleaded in avoidance
of arrest for tho commission of any crime
whatever. If Mr.. DoNNkLLY has COM
mitted any crime, either in this State, or
elsewhere, he cannot lay the "flsttering
JUNCTION to his soul " which his complaint
implies, that he can rid himself from az
rest on account thereof by any plea Of
congressional privilege" The Federal
Constitution in granting immunity from
arrest. expressly exclues al crimes from
such grant, from treason, which is the
highest, to the lowest, breach Of the peace.
Mr.. DosNE1LYs complaint, therefore, ex-
poses simply an ignorance Of bis conaitu-
tional privileges, or it exposes in addition
thereto, q knowledge or fear on his part,
that be is criminal, or has committed
some oct to which . criminal asimus
might be given. On this point We confess
ignorance. If the impression should pre-
vail that Mr.. DoNsE1LY Is infamous II the
eye of the law, by reason Of criminal
practices, be has clearly no one to blame
but his asinine self We decline to stig-
Matte him, as it seems he would stigma
tie himself by fair inference, through the
operation of his sense of guilt or sense
OF fear. ea.. ,.t,.essf ,.ress. -,''-
We will tell Mr.. DoNNEILY, for his in
formation, what the constitutional clause
of exemption from arrest, was adopted to
guard against 1t was adopted simply and
only to relieve Congressman from arrest
for debt, and not from arrest for crime.