The New York herald., 1868-06-02
)utraaes of the JncObin CnbaI
WASHINGTON.


Hon. Robespierre Butler met with an unex-
pected rebuff on Saturday last in the House of
Representatives. A telegram that had been
received by the prisoner Wooley was laid be-
fore the House, when Butler moved that no
further kilograms or letters should be sent to
the contumacious witness until they had been
opened and inspected by the Speaker To this
Mr.. Colfax objected, giving as his reason that
he possessed no right to open closed envelope
directed to another person, either with or with
out the order Of the House. This was simply
statement of fact but taken in connection
with the recent meddlesome, prying, outrageous
conduct of the impeachment Managers ii ad-
ministered a severe and merited rebuke to
Butler and his associates, who have violated
decency and law by seizing upon the private
telegraphic messages Of individuals and subject
ing them to the noses of the smelling com
mtaee.
The atrocious and tyranical conduct of the
Jacobin cabal affords us foretaste of what the
government would become in the hands of such
men under the Presidency Of General Grant,
gress /; fgurehead without brains or ideas;
q machine whose only province, if elected,
would be to swing the sword and with closed
eyes cut and slash according to the will of the
radical majority. The sacred right of every
citizen to his private correspondence has bee n
disregarded witnesses have been badgere d,
bullied and threatened, and one of them 'aas
been thrust into damp dungeon under the
national Capitol and kept in solitary cor fine
ment for refusing to divulgo his pc, .sonal
affairs before Buffers committee. Yer little
more is needed to restore the days Of she In
uuisition, with their thumbscrcws, ra eks and
redhot irons, and their masked tort nrers To
apply the test to unwilling Witnesses II is no
wonder that Colfax finds it necesse .ry to dis
connect himself from such men on the eve O,
the Presidential canvass. But VIII lie the Jaco-
bin conspirators are thus rebuked and snubbed
in, their own household their lav;less violence
remains unpunished. When they seized upon
private telegraphic messages tn ey became law
breakers, and their character as Representa-
tiyes affords them neither exc nse nor protec.
tlOu. 4 VI sucSc oSoc ehey chV tllu DC pu0lSucO
by civil and criminal proceeding Their guilt
was shared by the telegraph company whose
officers betrayed the confidence Of those who
had entrusted private messages to their keep
ing BY voluntarily EXPOSING the kilograms
in their possession to Blu tier and his associates
the Western Union Telegraph Company for
feited their charter, which expressly prohibits
such gross breach of confidence under the
penalty Of forfeiture The parties whose mes
sages were thus outraged should proceed al
once against the Impeachment Managers and
the telegraph company, and should prosecute
them to the extent Of the law, both crminaly
| and for personal damages. This is matter
| in which the whole community is interested
| Colfax has put upon record the fact that the
House has no business to order any of III
members to pry into private correspondence
| Butler and his committee have done this or
their own responsibility. The Western Unior
Telegraph Company's managers have volun
teered to aid them In the consummation of th,
! outrage. Let them oil be punished to the ut
zaoat Limit ioSshAvlss.-----.s.------- Of ---s