The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-08-27
THE MARrTRED MEMBER.
lErom the New YORK Trlbune.l

Mr.. B. F. Whittemore, member of the late
House of Representatives from the FIRST Con-
gressional District of South Carolina, was
found guilty upon irrefragable evidence OF OF.
fetal corruption, e., OF selling cadetship ct
West Point. He said that he sold his appoint
give the money to bis needy constituents. "A
more extraordinary plea never came from
representative; it was, in fact, the confession
of q new crime. Finding himself In tight
place, !Whittemore ed-hilnself from expul-
sion by resigning; he went back to his constit-
uents, and they, grateful, doubtless, for his Pc
cuniary consolation, sent him back to the same
Congress; the House. not caring 10 stultfy Itself
and being by the provisions OF the constitution
sole Judge of the qualifications Of Its members,
returned him his credentials. His grateful con-
stituents showed signs of sending him still to
the next Congress; but MIR. B. F. W., In let
ter exhibiting the virtuous exultation OF MT
Pecksniff. and thinking 1t doubtful whether
the next House would prove more pacaoie
than the last, declined, in letter Of mingled
dignity, wrath and sorrow. He recites his
many services to the body polite; he declares
modestly that for five years and more ne
had been identified with South Carolinas des-
[tiny,''tI have tried, !" he says, "to do my duty
wherever duty called" II have received ne
declares, generous majorltles;;" my acts" ne
urges, shave been unssltsh; my motives ior
might have said, as good as twice kicked
out of Congress, and with every prospect,
should be reelected. of being kicked out q
third tme And all through the action OF
Logan, the wilful deceiverw am the VIC
tim Of an unprecedented and dunconstltuuon-
al act. The sacred rights of electors have been
subverted Magma Charta has been despised !!
Law, reason. justice, precedents nave 0een
disregarded III We, the governed. have no
longer the prerogative to say who shall govern
us HIP And all this through the assumptions
of logan, the wilful decelver !" Verify, Mr.
Logan has great deal to answer Tor. And so
on, through quantities of what we must be
excused for calling the very purest fapdoo-
die
Hold hard, Mr.. B. F. Whittemore Stop
moaning and groaning and sighing and
turning up the whites OF your eyes for mo-
menL Don't you see that the main question
is whether or not you took the money? You
were either knavish or foolish, and, in either
case, you have proved yourself TO be unit for
seal in the House OF Representatives !!
Whether you bc an ass or something morally
worse, does not make the least difference, ex-
cept to your own conscience. A man who, in
perfect Innocence, commits penitentiary Of
fence, isn't the person to assist In making the
laws OF the republic. He may be model Of
mature piety, the most patriotic creature
sbreathing. very incarnation OF beneVolence,
but the place Of honor and safety lot MIN Is
the private station.
/ Yet we should not fall to express our adml-
ration Of Mr.. Whittemore's course, In refusing
to be again a candidate. Whatever credit be
Is entitled 10, let him, In the name Of common
humanity, receive. He keeps off the course,
he tells us. lest by permitting himself to be re-
elected, he might "confuse his best and truest
friends" his "triends" will be grateful, or at
least they should be-. We assure him that
there are very few Republicans in the country
who will not be profoundly thankful to him
ior the selL-sacn1ciuS spirit which he has ex-
'hibited He remlnds us, In some sort, OF those
gentlemen who, alter u compulsory emigration
" q peIal settlement, declared that they
''leiL their country tor their country's
good" Go, MIR. Whlttemore, if such
are your feelings-go, wherever you
pleases (provided the officers don't nab you
for the peniieniary,) and may you be happy
As the preiats said iO Gil Bias, I'VE wish you
all manner OF prosperity and a little more