The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-06-10
Buffers Sneak Committee.
the New Orleans Picayune.7

| From the New Orleans Picayune.l
The House committee for smelling out bribery against
the Senators voting for the acqnitta of the President
have run down the price of Senator to very small
heure They found out that a gentleman from Gin.
| cinnati named Woolev, Kenturkiar, grandson We
believe, of old Robert Wickfe-who used to be
called in Kentucky, Duke Boo--had been saking
good deal OF interest in the impeachment case and
was intimate with the friends of the President
By pumping around they discovered that he had
taken with him, to Washington, twenty-five thousand
dollars, which he had deposited with jay Cooke and
| drawn out afterwards They got hold of his hank-
book; seized his felegraphc dispatches; and had him
up on the suspicion-or there was not shadow of
proof presented and is yet elicited-that he
an agent for the hribing of Senators for the
acqnit'ai OF Mr. johnson. They catechised him and
cross qnesuoned him to their full bent They got hold
OF his cash account and extracted from the telegraph
once MS private ospntches and showed acquaintance
honest men can hardly tell how-with every partcu-
lar of his ingongs and outgoings; where he visited
and what said and what done BY him during
the last days of the trial They interrogated him like
criminal, before justice OF the peace, under some
charge regularly preferred of definite crime and in-
sisted on his telling them what he had doue with the
money he brought with him. He objected on the
principle that they had 10 right in law tor the course
but answered, and thought he had answered sufficient
ly, wnen he had made oath that part of the money
had been used directly or indirectly in the npeach-
ment matter But the leader in the inquiston
Butler, who never be ANYTHING above shyster law
yer; and he pored over the items by one, and n
sisted on being told what was done with this and
that sum, which appeared to have been used from
time to time. Mr. Wooley's patience lasted until he
had accounted for 800 OF the S25, ,OOn and then he
broke off and refused be badgered further conclud
ing that authority is competent demand his pri
vate accounts and papers, except in the of some
proceeding in regular case.
1t is on this $4,000 that Butler has engaged the
House Of Representatives in the conflict with Mr..
Wooey He thinks he is on the trail of some discoy-
cry OF bribery fund to that amount tor the corrup
tion Of the virtue of Republican Senator'S 1t is very
small price, and must have been estimated for the pur
chase of very Nine thousand dollars for
the corruption of Radical Senator is rating Mr. But
ers political friends very low. For only it would
he dog cheap, in market i'll which Mr. Buffers friend
Mr.. Sumner in the Senate, pr-teuds believe that
the Democrats wanted to raise millions for the
purchase OF ten votes! From million piece down
nine thousand for chance in flock OF seven an
awful collapse OF Radical ideas of the price be paid
for vote; similar the fall Of that candidate for of.
fee, whom Mr.. Van Buren, used to speak OF, who be-
gan with asking for the mission to England, and fell
of to reql nest for suit of off clothes. Butler
to estimate the possible value of R ldical Sem
ator, i'll purchasabe lot, at les than that OF
trA band i'll New OrleadS when Butler protesting
to the holders here that he stuck his Charles
ton political opinions, aud had come down here to
interfere with the light to buy and sell negroes
We have no idea what the House can extract out of
Mr.. WooIey TO compensate them for the paltry bass
on which their arbitrary proceedings rests or hos ex"
them themselves for the extraordinary assumps
tons of arbitrary authority for the meanest Of purpo-
seq, which they are INDUCING in to humor the malig"
nifty of such as Ben Butler
few years ago, when British Minister stopped ia
the poStoce and opened private letters for the pur
pose OF arreSng contemplated breach OF the neutral
iy laws OF the country, there indignant outcry
from one end Of England to another before which the
ministry Guailed, and the offending minister lived Tor
the remainder of his life under the reproach Of having
violated one of the essential principles of civil rights
the sacredness of mans person and papers from se
zure, except under legal processes strictly defined and
of very limited scope
The Constitution of the United States makes express
provision that
"The right of the people to be secure in their per.
sons houses, papers and effects against unreasonable
searches and seizures shall not be violated; and no
command shall issue but upon probable cause sup~
ported by oath affirmation, and particularly describe
ing the place be searched aud the persons th gs
to be seized.'
This maraging committee has in direct violation Of
the direction, seized private d-pntches in the tele
graphic offices and the private accounts ot citizens in
banks not even with the poor excuse that they
seeking evidence to support charges against party
accused but to discover whether crime has been
mtted, and whether there is criminal. A
trait OF it Is, that in the of person. dragged
up suspicion of being liable he suspected of
unknown, the manager cros5-examinrd him
about the of letter he had written but never
SENT but which had been stolen from his writing desk.
1t was found in the possession Of Manager Butler,
and actually used by him for the purposes OF his i1s
qnistnn.
The infinite baseness of this transaction does not
seem to strike the Radical majority in Congress- in any
other light than piece of sharp practice, which
ties Manager Butler to be continued in their conf
dence us head OF special committee for the
agement of spies and informers.
At the time that this inquston of Mr. Wooley
is going on, suggest that Buters zeal for senato-
rial purity might find field OF service in the inquiry,
who telegraphed the Commercial Advertiser at New
York from Chicago the day of the meeting of the
Chicago convention, that Senator Wades nomination
for the Vice Presidency would prevent the of
pending negotiation for the (tor convction) Of
two of the Republican Senators who voted against the
eleventh article" "Negotiaons" were going on to
buy votes for conviction. Who were the tempters?
To suggest swap off nominations for office in order
10 obtain votes for conviction is quite as venal as to
hold SO 100 with which 10 buy up loose Radical or
Two TO vote for acquittal. Who they who medi-
lated and actually negotiated tor this re-purchase
Of the Judases?"
Besides there is the more lgrant case, of the par
Ties who, protesting to from Senator Pomeroy,
Of Kansas, of them being his bToher-in-aw, un.
iertoook negotiate with the Presidents friend Mr..
Cooper to supply for Si0ooO four votes for acquit'
al. There is as obstinate a denial in this as in
hat of Mr. Wooley. Shall not the skeptical Benz amn
pursue this NATTER which has the higher probability
Of being that it placed respectable price on the
sale of Radical votes, wholesale and retail.
The whole of the proceedings in this matter is
positively disgusting, that report speaks truly even
Thaddeus Stevens is ashamed of the sneakng malice
" hch it exhibits and like bold-faced rutian as he
e. washes his hands of it completely, leaving it to bs
yo orked by those congenial spirits, Butler and BIng-
lam who so thoroughly appreciate each other.
But to the candid and honest men OF all parties it
presents itself as an unprecedented and intoerable
outrage.
Miscellaneous Items