Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-07-03


THE EiBC0CK INVESTIGATION
The Cincinnati Gazette (Radicall Sc
verely condemns the majority report sub
mittcd to the Senate by Dir. Nye In the
Hatch Babcock Hsays there is no
attempt at whitewashing or at disguise,
for the report "palpably declares the de-
termination not to inquire into the mat
teri of the imprisonment of Mr.. Hatch.
The Gazette adds: SIT has the baseness
to charge that the investigation was insti-
tuted for the purpose of assailing the
President; thus laying down the rule that
they who do not condemn Hatch, are hos
tile to the President, and that all the
friends of the President must sustain
Babcock and Baez in imprisoning Hatch.
Thus they announce that the mat ]
ter was prejudged, and that they
gluttonously accept the dirt eat
ing Office of smothering the inquiry and
reporting lie. We doubt if any legis-
lative document in our Government has
shown so humble an abnegation of the;
independence of the representative Office
and of manhood as this. Besides taking
the ground that to inquire is to sssail the
President, they servilely travel out of
their province TO declare that if Hatch was
imprisoned to prevent his giving informa-
ton against the treaty, it ought moi to
initiate against the treaty of annexation !"
The Gdzstte states pointedly that the
effect of Hatch's imprisonment on an
nexation was none of their business that
they were directed to inquire if be had
been wronged, and if Babcock had q
hand in it, and instead of doing this, they
report that he was justly imprisoned be-
eansa he uauld have eiEAn information
against the treaty of annexation which
would have rendered its confirmation
very doubtful. The Gazette charges
that 'there can be no pretense that the
majority investigated this affair, or in
tended to report the truth on it, Thi.
is very grave charge, but it is fully sus
tanned by the facts. Babcock's own ties
timony shows that Hatch was kept il
prison to prevent his giving information
against the proposed purchase and an
nexation of San Domingo; and, besides
I 11.o - f1r,~,laroI hot
kept in prison because it was the desir
of the United States authorities. Tn
Gazette states the case thus:
GAN our talk of taking high ground il
the protection of American citizens il
foreign countries is made a shabby fare
by this report of committee of tn
United States Senate, which allows tina
Z because Hatch was favorable to Cabra
| when Cabral was the government, ant
4 Baez in exile, therefore he was Lawful
4 victim to Baez as soon as he got int
: power; that a so-called military trial i,
such a state OF struggling revolutionar,
, factions as that of San Domingo is a goo,
4 enough trial for the sentence of an Amer
can citizen to death; and that if o.
American citizen expresses an opinion
against the terms of the purchase of Sal
! Domingo from the tyrant temporarily il
possession, he ought to be imprisoned,
and this government should make no in
reference. -..-.- ar
J ''These are the rights of an America
{ citizen abroad, and this the whole duty o
, the American government in the protec
ton of its citizens, as laid down by Sena
tors Nye, of Nevada, Howard, of Mich
gan, Williams, of Oregon, and Warner
of Alabama. They have made to them
l selves record.
''This connivance of the treaty nego
, tiator with Baez for the imprisonment O
Hatch has severely damaged the schem
of purchase. The abject servility an
dishonesty of the majority report has in
creased the damage. And of course, 81
the majority plainly declared that thei
conclusion was forgone, and that the,
, would not investigate, their report con
tains nothing TO controvert the direc
conclusions of the minority report tha
r the imprisonment of Hatch was gros
e | outrage, that Babcock, assuming TO b.
, the representative of the President, di
contenance this imprisonment, in ordel
TO prevent Hatch from giving informs
ton against the integrity of the sale, ant
that Hatch is entitled to reparation."
What must be the character of 3 gov
eminent which is guilty of such atrocit.
, towards one of its own citizens in ordel
to carry pet measure?