New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-06
WICKLIFFE'S ISLANDERS AGAINST THE
GOVERNQP

A day or two after Governor Warmoth
sent his special message to the House,
preferring charges against Wickliffe, which
subsequently led to the successful i'm
parchment of the latter by the unanimous
vote of the Senate, long array of charges
against the Governor were concocted by
the late Auditor, and published in the
Bulletin, apparently as they came from the
hand of the author. These charges were
specific as to the acts on which they were
founded, and the names of the witnesses
on which the accuser relied to substantiate
them were given. The same charges were
afterwards presented in the House of Rep
resenta.ives, and a committee of impartial
and intelligent members appointed to in
vestigate them.
Unfortunately for the success of the ILL
conceived ruse to attract attention from
the real culprit, nearly every witness re-
ferred to in the Bulletin, published cards in
the city papers, denying, in the most en-
phatic manner, any knowledge of the mat
ters of which they were said to be cogni-
zant. But the ISLANDERS were taken up by
the True Republican, an illegitimate little
sheet, of which Wickliffe was the sole au-
thor, and there amplifed and reasserted
with the most desperate and reckless per-
tinacity. The two papers named above
enjoy the distinction Of having committed
the egregious blunder of apparently be-
lieving in the stories against the Governor,
and 50 far as we are able to remember,
they have left their readers in some doubt
on the subject to the present time-the
True Republican having come to an untime-
ly end, while investigations were pending,
and the Bulletin having apparently forgot
ten all about it.
The House of Representatives at first
showed disinclination to examine these
charges, but, at the earnest request of the
Governor and his friends, a rigid investi-
cation finally took place. Wickliffe and
all the witnesses he had named, beside
many more who were supposed, by their
relations with the Governor, to know
something about one or more of the
charges, were summoned to testify before
the committee. The result was, that not
single act, unbecoming high official or
an honest man, could be proved or even
alleged against Governor Warmoth. On
the contrary, the ISLANDERS were shown to
be so entirely baseless that the House, by
unanimous vote, declared that no case
had been made out.
The intent of the accuser was too
obvious to deceive any man who was not
anxious to be hoodwinked. Wickliffe
hoped to raise dust, under cover of
which he expected to escape. From first
to last of his trial, he made no effort to
establish his own innocence, but relied
upon saving himself by employing
technical bubbles, and blackening the
character of his accusers and the wit
nesses by malicious falsehoods. The
testimony ELECTED by the committee to
be prepared for publication. 1t is of the
most positive character, and shows that
he stands before the world without blot
or blemish upon his character. We
should have rejoiced had Wickliffe been
able to come out of the ordeal through
which he has recently passed only half so
well. For, while we concur in the verdict
of the Senate, and join in the universal
demand for his punishment, we should
have been glad to know that the unfortu-
nate man had some redeeming qualities
something to show that he was not all
bad. But his false charges and malignant
attacks upon the Governor, by which he
hoped to save himself, show him to be
capable of any act of degradation which
promised even temporary advantage.
Shoe. fly, don't bodder me. am going to
the Shakespeare Sample Room, 157 Common
| street, and get good drink of pure.