The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-02-04

and one of his legs was also broken. He was
otherwise badly bruised, but it is hoped not
fatally.
One Of the worst accidents that has ever
taken place, on the CC&IR r., occurred
last week, near Wellington. A night freight
and stock train Of a cars, was going South,
when an axle Of the second car broke, and it
together with seven other cars were thrown
from the track and demolished Eighteen
beeves and fifty hogs were killed and eighteen
had to be killed owing to injuries. The loco
motive aud first car were all that remained
on the track. The five hindmost cars were
thrown from the track, but escaped injury.
The second Thought Not Always the
Best Thought
Think twice -beforo you speak once, Is IN
a.lage we shall not quarrel with. Yet it does
not follow that observance of such an adage is
the safer rule of conduct The sober second
thought is a popular expression, but the word
sober very much qualities the expression,
inasmueh as it implies that the first thought
was an inebriated one. OF course, if a person
is under excitomen', thinking twice before
acting once, gives time for the mind to calm
down. In such case, the sober thought, whether
second or third, is the best one. But when
there is no inebriation of mind, it does not
follow that the first impulse is to be rejected.
As a general rule, that impulse is the most
generous, the most Just, Tor it is deliberation
that makes men over cautious, makes them
selfish, makes them hard. The most generous
deeds are those of sudden impulse; the most
hearty words, those that well up on the instant
and before caution has had opportunity to SOW
its snon-committalism, or to croGk its "take
care"
A very notable example Of the, first thought
being the best thought, was that wherein the
Congressional committee on the gold in4ation
investigation decided TO give the testimony OF
CORBIN to the press, but on second thought
concluded to withhold it. That second thought
was very unfortunate thought, and unworthy
the sagacity and common sense Of the gentle
man who have that investigation in charge.
That decision was the result OF the evil OF
reticenee that marks all our Congressional
committee investigations. Proceedings in
civil or criminal legal proceedings, whether
preliminary or final, are public. We might
except grand iuries. Yet those bodies merely
review what has already been made public by
a preliminary examination. And what good
reason, under the sun, can there be for Con-
gressional Investigations to be private? None
can be imagined.
Secrecy In Congressional Committee in
vestigations has destroyed, not only all the
benfit that otherwise would accrue to the
country, hut has actually given such investig-
ations the reputation OF lnqUlsltorial, star
chamber proceedings. The majority of every
committee, of course, is Of the prolitical hue OF
the controlling party, More or less suspicion at
taohes to every such committee, and large
minority-if not majority-ot the people are
ready to believe that the ann and object OF
such investigation is to shield political and
party friend The secrecy enjoined upon
witnesses, the refusal Of the committee to
give the proceedings, as they progress, to the
public, sO4n convert suspicion INTO conviction.
1t would have been far better for the country
that no committee Of investigation had ever
been raised in Congress, than that such in
vestigations should have been with closed /
doors. We will not except the COMMITTEE
on the Conduct of the War
The Congressional COMMITTEES move with
q snail pace. Eaves-droppers are at every key
hole, the members of the Committee are not
themselves immaculate, the witnesses are
leaky, no one connected with the investigation
is air tight, the proceedings ooze out, distorted
discolored. either by desi n or by human in
trinity OF memory The consequence is the
whole pretended testimony is revealed, goes
out to the world, sinks into the preudices o.
men, and the slow, moping truth, that weeks
after comes out through red tape report to
Congress, never overtakes the false version
Congress thus is made to spread q lie, that
never would have been started eScept through
the agency ofthe very means intended to reveal
the truth
In the case in point-this gold investigation
see how this committees secrecy works.
Among the good and bad men before the com
mite are two very notorious personages-
FISK and CoBBIN. We do not say whether
they are enumerated among the good or the
bad but wedo say that both ''wiil bear watch
ing" FISK is blatherskite A man, probab-
", Of generous impulses, and while he holds,
to the fullest extent, the horse jockey principle
''every man for himself, we are disposed to
believe he is true where he pledges his con-
fidence to d friend. He however, likes to talk,
he is witty and vain, and bombastic. Nothing
suits him better than a crowd OF gapers who
will drink in his facts and his fancles And
he has such q faculty Of mixing those two in
gradients that no one can tell where his facts
end and his fancies begin The shading OF
truth, into falsehood is so artistic that none OF
his listeners know when they step over the |
imaginary line that separates reality from |
romance. CoRBfS, evidently, knows no friends |
in pecuniaIy venture. He will ''seii" any
body Il purchaser bids enough. He even |
takes advantage of his connection with the |
President to further his own pecuniary adven- |
lures, and at the risk of ruin to the name and |
influence of the President.
These are the two men whom the Gold |
Committee had to do with. FISK testified |
left the committee room, gathered around |
him the reporters gave them the story as he |
claimed he bad given it in committee Such |
q nan can mover tell the same story twice |
without varying it, and, ifhe could, the nee |
dom of unrestrained conversation, where there |
was neither oath administered, nor formal |
cross questions put, would lead to variations |
and additions. But this tale gees to the world, |
and in that tale is an indirect lmputatiou upon |
the integrity of the President CORBIN testifies |
and scamp as he is circumstances SO coToborate
his testimony rs to make it credible. On thai |
testimony turns the reputation Of the Presid- |
eut Corbin leaves the Committee room, but
az there IS nothing in the whole affair over
which he can joke-eyen If he ever Jokes al
all-and much that must make him feel ike
felon, lie has no disposition to cul-
tivate the reporters and repels them from his
door.
FIsK's tale is flashing from one end Of the
land to the other: The enemies of the Prosid-
snt are jubilant his friends are saddensd be-
cause a liz Is striding I league at . step, and
the truth is kept II the Committee Room. Il |
OF the truth Is as bad as a lie. that
Committee are lying about President Grant
every moment they keep the seals OF secrecy
upon their proceedings. 1t viii be weeks be
fore that Committee reports That report viii
ie read by nobody, the matter viii have be-
come stale, and the SANDER en- tbs President
will go into history. The country IS sick Of
md disgusted with, Congressional COMMITTEES
Of Investigation. They subserve no good,
hey do much evil, and until they can be con-
iuoted according 70 The rules that goYarn mon