Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-06-20

vestigate aud the duty of the Senate
not to punish witness who prevent
ed the investigation. In other words
although the Senate ought to inves
tlgate the matter, if it encounter ;
witness who refuses to answer, i
ought to suspend investigation. This
sir, is the conclusion of the statesman
not of the lawyer.
Mr.. President, | have no ambition
ever TO be a statesman. If the Al.
mighty will save me from that fate
shall not be unthankful. We're
called upon to-day by my brethern-
l mean my bretnern of the bar, for i
claim no brotherhood among states
men-to vindicate the Senator from
Ohio upon this subject--no | do not
mean vindicate; for no lawyer, with
a fee in his pocket, wonld attempt
That impossible task-but if | were
called upon to offer the best possible
apology for his course, | should COM
menced by frank statement of the
Facts. | would say, "brethern, true
it is the Senator from Ohio is good
lawyer; he has practiced long at the
bar, and presided with distinction
and honor upon the bench, sending,
no doubt, many man to jail for
contempt of judicial judgments he
knows what the law requires, he
knew these witnesses to be in con-
tempt of the Senate, he knew that
they ought to be sent to the common
Jail, and yet he voted not to send
them there. His conduct is indefens-
ible. Yet Christian charity and pro-
fessional forbearance demands that
we should consider and properly esti-
mate the circumstances under which
and the temptation before which he
fell. He is a candidate for the Presi-
doncy and it is a lamentable fact
that with the lawyer and stateman,
as a New England poet says OF a
sleigh-ride with the lovely lasses of
the Green mountains, Venus rose as
the mercury FELL so the lawyer sinks
as the statesman rises" Laughter. ]
And having thus made the only apol-
ogy | could conceive Of for his course,
| should conclude, in the language of
Woolsey
Cromwell charge thee fling away ambition
By that sin fell the angels; how can an. then
The image Of his Maker, hops to win byt."
Well, Mr.. President, without dwell
ing upon the mournful details of this
melancholy chapter of the Senate's
history, suffice it to say that the
Senate, on the motion of the Senator
from Massachusetts, Mr.. Sumner
decided that these cOntumaciOus wit
nesses should not be committed, but
that they should be entertained at the
public expense. The public learned
from the press that two correspon-
dents of the New York Tribune have
been incarcerated. How are they
incarcerated, and what are the
gloomy accomplishments of their con-
finement
Mr.. President / have been a men,
Der of this body for two years. |
have not yet been able to obtain a
committee-room, but am compelled
to pay $500 year for the rent of
gloomy Offices on the avenue. When
these men were arrested and brought
to the bar of the Senate for contempt,
of which they were pronounced guilty,
the New York Tribune by way of
encouraging them in there contu-
promised them double salary,
and the Senate, not to be outdone in
in generosity toward these martyrs,
assigned them the best commit,
tee-room in the Capitol; a room
commanding the most beautiful view
in washington. The park of the
Capitol, the Presidents mansion,
with all its surrounding beauties, and
the bewildering landscape of Airing
ton Heights are spread before them.
Their room has also an ante-chamber,
thronged, am told, by sympathiz-
ing statesmen patiently awaiting
audience. This is the Imprisonment,
the coercion adopted by the Senate
to compel these witnesses to testify.
Why, sir, the other day Senator
was in the restaurant below taking
his lunch when the doors were sud.
denly thrown open and the servants
entered with imposing ceremony,
whirling the largest table into the
center of the room, and covering it
with a cloth, in imitation of the fine
linen with which Dives was furnish
ed when enjoying his "good things
in this world" The Senator, aston
ished at such elaborate preparations,
inquired what it all ment. He was
informed that the hour had arrived
when the Washington correspondents
of the New York Tribune with their
families were to dine. Laughter.
The Senator rose from his unfinished
lunch on a naked table and SUNK
away with the humility that should
ever characterize o Senator in the
august presence Of the press.
[ Laughter
This, sir, is the coercive discipline
resorted to by the Senate of the
United States to compel obedience to
its orders. Everybody knows that
if the Senate had done what every
court of justice would have done
and | do not speak only of courts
that rise to the dignity of courts of
record-but had the Senate done
what any justice of the peace from
Maine to California would have done
In such case, had it simply commit
ted these men to Jail, without debate
and by unanimous vote, as it should
have done, they would have answer
ed the question put to them within
twenty-four hours. But, sir, the
Senate of the United States dared
not do what a justice of the peace
would have done, commit these men
to Jail for contempt. And the course
pursued by the Senate was simply
and plainly disgraceful.
These correspondents have no am
bition to be honest martyrs. There
is in this country a martyrdom thai
is easy, cheap, profitable and court
ed. But it is bogus martyrdom
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