The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-09-26
THE SECRETARY OF THE INTE.
RIOR.
From the Chicago Tribuns.l
Gn.laRuRaH Ill Hanf Ia /

..,.. GMssBURGH, ILL.,, Sept. Is, 1855.
In number OF your paper issued some
two weeks SINCE there was, among your
Washington dispatches, a statement seriously
affecting the personal character Of Mr..
Browning, Secretary Of the Interior. can
not now quote the dispatch, but the idea dis
tinctly sought to be conveyed was, that Mr..
Browning. when on the eyedof entering the
Cabinet, il not already within II, flor no pre-
for bride Of $40 ,000 sold his personal infiu.
ence with the President, in order 10 prevent
the punishment Of certain persons in South
Carolina, sentenced to death for the murder
Of Union soldiers. do not belong to the
political party with which Mr. Browning is
now identified, but my personal relations
with him have been intimate for more than
twenty years, and j take pleasure in saying
that, among all the men OF my acquaintance,
there 10 not one whom should consider more
utterly uDapproachable by bride. When,
therefore, / saw the paragraph In your paper,
felt entirely certain there was not shadow
of truth in Il, so far,a IL attributed corrup-
ton or improperly; and in letter written TO
Mr. Browning shortly after, called his at
tention to it Is . mattsr which, Appearing in
the papers Of his own State, should not pass
uncontradicted t'1 " sa-''l ~
! .sIhsvsa reply ftomhim, and ON hisauthority
/ give to the statement Of yOur correspondent
an unqualified denial Your correspondent,
i'll remember rightly, did not apsetend to
speak from his own knowledge, but only from
Washington gossip, and the story has no
other foundation whatever than O professional
retainer of Mr.. Browning some months be-
fore he had, or thought Of having, any official
connection with the Administration. and
under circumstances which rendered the re-
tainer, and all that he has done under it. as
unobjectionable as any professional service
ever rendered by lawyer To man charged
with crime.
The circumstance was briefly this: Some
time last fall, three Union soldiers were mur-
dered in South Carolina. -Four men, not be-
longing TO the military were charged
with the crime, tried by military commits
sion, and sentenced TO- be hung Gen
Sckles committed the sentence OF two of
them to imprisonment for life. A relative
Of the other two came 10 Washington, where
Mr.. Browning was in the practice, OF his pro.
fession, having no official position nor the
expectation Of any, and applied to him for
professional aid in bringing the sentence be-
fore the higher Authorities at Washington for
review. An ordinary retaining, fee was paid
him, and he prepared an argument discuss
ing tho evidence as preserved In the record
and the legal questions involved in the case.
His argument was pointed, and submitted to
the President. Mr.. Holt, the Judge Advo-
cate, presented an argument on behalf Of the
prosecution. The sentence was finally com
muted to imprisonment for life. Mr.. Brown
ing had no other connection with the matter
than to prepare this argument, and never
received any fec beyond his retainer at the
outset. d.. 81. ,,, .
Your readers will see that in this transact
ton there is nothing which exposes Mr..
Browning to the shadow Of censurc. A per-
son under judicial sentence of death, even
though he be South Carolina rebel, has
right to prosecute his appeal to the tribunal
Of last resort, and lawyer who should re-
fuse to present to the appellate tribunal
such just reasons for reviewing the sentence
as appears on the face Of the record, on the
ground that the accused. il guilty, deserves
death, would have very false ideas Of his
duty.
II will, doubt not, give you pleasure to
publish this letter. However decided may
be our political antagonism to the Admins
tration, we must all be glad to believe that
the men who control the Government are
free from all faint Of personal or political
corruption.
/ am, with high respect, your obedicnt
aruant Il I.AwpnN,v