The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1867-01-21
TalEin. out in Metin'.


rFron the Cincinnati Commercial. January lsl
The Prosecutors of the President.
It strikes us that gentlemen who move
the impeachmcnto Of the President on counts
of dishonesty and corruption in Office,
should, Of all men. have a record for purity
aud integrity OF public life that can not be
called in question. IL singularly happens
that the two men who have manifested the
greatest anxiety TO be the prosecutors of
his EXccllency, are not above suspicion.
aud it takes something from the moral
force of their action that they are accused,
with some show Of reason. OF acts not
compatible with the highest standard of
official honesty.
The fact is recalled that Mr.. Ashley used
his official position to secure the appoint-
ment Of an old friend as Surveyor General
of Colorado. ''the best office. IN his opin-
ion. in the gift Of the President so that
he Ashley might go into a partnership
with him lin all land speculations and
town sites" Three letters written by Ash
ley TO my Dear Case" pending the APP
pOintment, exhibit good deal more anxi-
ETY. to have a hand Ia The speculati0ns than
In the appointment of a particular person.
Il was only because Case appeared TO him
better tool for his purpose than any
other, that Ashley urged his appointment.
In the first of these letters Ashley writes,
March II 1861:
IF YOU get 1t, want to unite with
you as fun partner in all land specula-
tions aud town Sites
Six days after he writes:
This IS considered the best appointment
in all the Territories. and is the best Of all
the Territorial appointments. | want to
have an interest with You. If l get the
place. in the city and town-lot specula-
tions. The Pacific Railroad win go through
this Territory. and II will be fortune TO
as IL / eau get it,
And the day after:
'Now. IL get this. | want to be a full
co-partner with you in the purchase OF all
the real estate that you make in that Terri
tory. | have spent good deal of time
and some money to get this place. and if
do get it hope you will cheerfully 90 in
with me-
But he was not satisfied with this chance
to make fortune. Believing with the
Apostle that he who does not provide for
his own household is worse than an infdel,
and enlarging the application of the text
70 take in my brother Eli and my
brother William he insisted that Case
should give Eli the chief clerkship, put
Bill into any place he was competent to
fill, and keep one position open to be filled
by some one of Ashley's favOTites, whom
he might name afterward. After that, I
comment would be superiluous.
The other most ardent prosecutor of the
President for iniquity in office is the bottle
imp of Bermuda HurdredLthe valorous
Maj. Gen. Benjamin f. Butler. He may be
one of the most immaculate patriots ia the
land, but the recent suits brought against
him somewhat shake our confidence. The
suits came up in one of the New York
courts a few days ago. Without commit
ting ourselves to one side or the other, we
give an outline of three Of them. The first
is brought by Henry Siebrecht, who al
leges that Butler while commanding in New
Orleans employed him TO do the upholstery
of his headquarters in that city. which con-
sisted in removing certain articles OF
Cerfu and furniture from residences in the
city, including, among other things. twen-
ty-two oil paintings and pictures, three
pieces Of statuary, aHumber of candelabras. I
a billiard table. brocatelle window hang
ings, velvet carpet DC from house
situated in Rampant street, to the house oc-
cupied by Butler. For this service. Sic
brecht presented bill but Butler. intend
ing to be at no more expense in having the
articles put in place than he was in acQur-
ing them. refused to pay--and therefore the
suit.
The second suit is at the instance of
Henry 4. Tilden, who asserts that Butler.
while commanding in New Orleans. seized
money, compelled the owner to take $4,000
in deprecated bills Of New Orleans bank
for her. chartered her to the Government at
$3.50 day. though the original owner was
willing 10 charter her to the same for $50 "A
day, and that he finally sold her for over
$4,000.
In the third suit the plaintiff. Alfred
kearuey, makes ayerment that while But
Ter commanded in New Orleans, he (Kear-
In lf - -isrhF I D..
rels resin. 1853 barrels pitch, and 800 barrels !
tar these articles Were valuable in those /
days, worth S66,7l5; that the defendant, |
cOntederating with his brother. Andrew J. /
Butler. since deceased, caused the plaintiff |
to be arrested by squad of soldiers, and !
taken before him at his headquarters, and !
upon the pretence that plaintiff had agreed
to sell to Andrew j. Butler the property
mentioned. in exchange for certain notes in
the similitude of paper money, issued by
the so-called Confederate States of America
but which were worthless. ordered, and bv
force of his power compelled the plaintiff
TO deliver to Andrew j Butler the property
in question for the nominal sum of S7.9SS in
the invalid and worthless notes of the Con-
federate government, and that the said An
drew j. Butler was enabled to, and did car
ry away and dispose of the goods and mer-
chandise TO his own personal profit and ad
vantage. for which property the plaintiff
asks Judgment in the sum of $66,7l5, with
interest.
Now, we do not pretend to say that there
is one jot or little of evidence to support
these charges; the Courts will decide that
but we do say that ifthe President is to be
impeached for malfeasance or corruption
in Office, or. in the language of the Consti-
tuition. for "treason, bribery, or other high
crimes or misdemeauOrs," it is not an
agreeable reflection that the Indictment is
TO be moved by men who have such un-
pleasant "reminiscences hanging about their
records. 10 the great detriment of their
reputation for lotty virtues and official in
tegrity.
How it Would Work.