The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-02-21

to have adopted as an axiom, that,
"a little thfeving is q dangerous arr,
But thieving largely il q noble part;
IT'S vile to rob q hen-roost of o hen,
But stealing largely makes us gentlemen.
And il is the adopting of this maxim
which has brought half Of this country 81.
most to restitution, while in the other nalI
the people are raising their hands in vain 70
heaven for bread.
Ruin and devastation have spread all over
the land. An over-burdened people are ap-
pealing now to this congress LOT REDRESS. II
we can in any manner give IL 70 'hem, II Is
our sacred duty to do so.
ant. while this is so, it is unfair and I'M
inst on the par. of my colleague Nj. Logan
or of any other member upon this floor, to
deal in wholesale denunciations of any pub
lie official without bringing forward facts to
show that those charges are we'll founded
Charges have been made here by my col
league Mr.. Logan] against the President of
the United States and against the secretary
of the treasury, which, if true and sustained
by evidence, ought to send them through all
time loaded with shame and damned to in
fanny.
Now, admitting that many public officials
all over the land ,as charged by my colleague,
am not willing to condemn any man, high
or low, upon broad specifications of this
kind, unsustained by one single fact or one
particle of evidence. l understand my col
league Mr.. Logan TO say that the secretary
of the treasury has knowingly appointed
these thieves and robbers to Office, and that
the President has done the same, or has
winked at enormous crimes of this character.
He also charges that the secretary of the
treasury has issued instructions that prove
him to be fool or a scoundrel.
These are grave charges; If true, these
men should be infamous. But, if they are
| not sustained by facts which can be stated
here, what ought to be said, what must be
| said. of honorable men upon this floor who
make charges of this kind against men in
| high official positions without having one
particle of proof to sustain them?
Mr.. LOGAN Win the gentleman yield
to me for a moment right here?
Mr.. MARSHALL. If my colleague will
be brief, will do so with pleasure.
Mr.. LOGAN. Certainly. My statement
which l will repeat, was this: That the
| principal frauds which were committed wert
committed under treasury regulations; that
if the law was carried out, it would be pro
lection against fraud TO a much greater ex
tent than are the treasury regulations; tina
| those regulations were of such characte
that they did absolutely authorize or protec
| fraud, from the manner in which they wer'
| issued. There were so many of them
Mr.. MARSHALL. l cannot yielG
| further.
Mr.. LOGAN will make my stAtemen
very brief
Mr. MARSHALL. | cannot yield.
IL.
second matter.
| time, or the house would agree to extend II
| would yield to my colleague with grea
pleasure. But | am indebted for the shor
time that am now entitled TO the floor, en-
tirely to the courtesy of the gentleman from
New York Mr.. Van WICK and shal
probably not have time to make the remark
that have suggested themselves to me as az
propriate on this occasion. / do not wis
to do my colleague or any one else an inJu:
tice. His statement is on the record here
and if do him injustice he can correct m
hereafter
| understood him to state, in regard :
these treasury regulations. that they were il
tended to aid in the preparation of frauds
1t that IS SO, is it not the duty of my co
league to bring before the house the instrut
tons to which he refers, in order that W
may Judge whether or not the secretary {
the treasury has been q party to these fraud
upon the country?
1t is very easy matter to deal in generf
. charges of this kind. To what extent hs
the secretary Of the treasury or the Presider
appointed thieves and robbers to Office? @
: when have they. if appointed, been called ,
| the attention of the President or secretary
and they been asked to exert their power {
remove? Name the man, the occasion, th
circumstance, and if they have been guilt
of offences of this kind, let them be col
demned by the country, by history, and b
the world.
Sir, no mans reputation is safe if men
, Der upon this floor can be justified in dea
ing in wholesale defamation of public of
GERS without bringing forward one particle
proof, or single fact against any one
the men. If my colleague Mr.. Logan wi
reflect moment, he must see that such
n course is unj ust-one that cannot be su
tanned for moment upon any principle
justice or fair dealing among men.
Mr.. LOGAN. Does the gentleman
sire me to state a case? | can do so.
! Mr.. MARSHALL. / would yield to Il
gentleman if it did not come ont Of n
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore Mr.. WI
DOM 1t must come out of the gentleman
. time.
Mr.. MARSHALL. IF my colleague ca
. state a case, let him, when he has the ho'
land he has much better opportunities
obtaining it than have J, bring forward b
charges; let him prove them; it is his du
f to do so if he has facts on which to bal
them; and then let the facts go before Il
country. If there is no other mode of pu
ishment, let the country at least know tn
these high officials are conniving at or pa
tcipating IN these enormous frauds. | W
be the last man in the house to attempt
shield them if they are guilty of these emo
e mites. But / say here that do not b
u lieve that the President or the secretary
the treasury has knowingly aided in the pc
petration of these frauds. Why, sir, VIII
do they know personally of the men a
l pointed to official position throughout Il
n broad land Neither the President nor Il
IS secretary of the treasury knows personal
le one man IN . thousand of those appointe
u The appolntees are recommended by mel
y ners ct cougress,--by my colleague
Logan and gentlemen on that side of t
81 house, to a much greater extent than by al
II on this side. The men holding the publ
OF othces OF the country under presidential a
le polntment are men appointed either by N
OF Lincoln or MIR. Johnson, with the approx
~ ton OF the senate of the United States.
p is notorious fact that no member of 4
t. democratic party proper can pass the erde