Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-12-14
The Witnessvs. Bushby and Cover:

G. Bushby's late article, not only in
regard to its logic, but even the mo-
tives and common sense of the writer.
Mr.. Bushby is abundantly able to
take care of himself and sustain his
well-chosen position against this at
tack but lest he should fail of read
ing and answering the article intend
ed to demolish his character, by be-
ing beyond the limits of it's circu-
Iation, we will venture few re-
marks in his and Mr.. Covers behalf
The first moral lesson impaired
to Mr. b. in that article is that he,
clergyman, had no business to write
and print his ideas of right and
wrong in such a transaction. We
quote this stern rebuke: sit is no
credit to the clergy that one of their
number should become the champion
of one who has battered, or attempt
ed to barter, his country's sovereign
ty" These last words are high
sounding, but pray, what do they
mean? Had he said barter our
country's territory or currency, we
could answer yes or no to the charge.
Had the charge been that of barter
ing republican principles for dem
ocratic votes in local elections, we
could Understandings answer for
him. But how could he dispose of
"our country's sovereignty" in the
town of Boston ? We give it up
Isn't the supremacy of Uncle Sam
still pretty fair in these parts Isn't
Congress in session, and the navy
afloat, or does the Witness think Mr..
Cover has chartered or attempted to
barter" the whole concern?
1t also "presumes" that the recall
OF Dabney and the sending Of Cover
to take his place was ordered be-
cause national and maratime inter-
ests demanded il sat a particular time, :"
as a pressing and immediate necessi-
ty. If so, why did the Secretary
Of State omit to tell him 50 and, on
the contrary, direct him to proceed
to Boston and there await orders,
and look for convenient and favor
able chance to sail to the Azores
The fact is, there was no necessity
al q particular time, and the Witness
oft repeated charges on the Consul
are all based on this false presume"
to which it adheres in spite of con
trary facts. Dabney was carrying
on his immense consular ana com
mercial business this year as he has
for the past thirty years; will the
JVifnsSS show us any facts on which
to, base it's presumption Of immediate
necessity
There are other misrepresentation
at which we feel somewhat indig-
nant and may as we'll expose them
These cavaliers consider that this
change Of consuls is matter solely
between Dabney and Cover; that
Mr. G. might go there and assume
the place or stay away, as he alone
saw fit that having been nominated
for il, No one else was a party to the
business. 1t ignores the fact that
all this time, from June to December,
Mr.. c.. was under the orders Of Sec
rotary Fish, communicating with
him weekly, and postppning sailing
by his consent, for reasons that sat
isfed the Government. 1t willfully
ignores the fact that if there had
been any corruption Of bribery, any
malfeasance in office, any "hartering
of our country's sovereignty" the
first men to detect it and the best
men to accuse him of it would have
been Hamilton Fish, U. S. Grant,
Matt. IL. Carpenter, Gen. Cobb, and
other public men who had placed
him in office, instead Of an obscure
country editor. How long before
his appointment would have been re-
voked, had he trified with it against
their desire
1t also ignores the fact that Cover
office was not secured to him till
confirmed by the Senate that the
Dabney power and money, having
failed to seduce him, was to be used
to defeat this confirmation, and that
it was unwise to hurry to Fayal
upon an uncertain errand. People
of this vicinity have learned ere this
that in such matters there are unex.
pected slips between promise end
fulfillment, and they can appreciate
J the good sense of not being TOO ean.
, guine of success.
Mr.. Cover is repeatedly charged
by the Witness with a great offence
against "morality." Now Platteville
: is very moral place. In regaad tc
general morality perhaps it is not SC
far ahead Of other good towns as tc
be out Of sight, but in the line Of
official and political morality it may
be said to wear the belt Finer per.
5 ceptions of right and wrong prevail
: there, than in less moral places Tex.
j. cept when local issues are involved
Like the eagle, with eyes keen with
hunger, watching the plain from his
lofty crag, the astute Witness, backed
t by few sternly moral constituents
stands on the watch-tower of moral
: ity, with vision so overstrained by
| envy and suspicion that it sometimes
gives false alarm. 1t took so higt
f a perch on morality that it has beer
giddy ever since. We hope this
: moral spell will last through The
the next political canvass.
There was ludicrous falling off il
the violence of its attacks on Mr.
Cover. The first charge was that h'
had sold out for $4,000 in gold
which developed the fact IN detens'
that he had not sold atall, butretaineC
an office. Next he is accused of swap
} ping office for large. boot, which beins
untrue was well refuted. The per
severing organ of morality returned
to the charge, accusing him of cor