The weekly clarion., 1871-05-18

SENATE CHAMBER-
JAcKsoN, Miss May 5. ISL.

Editor ef The Clarion
Ny attention has been called to COM
mnnication addressed to me and published
In THE CLARIoE, styled a aPr0test Of At
torney General Morris.r Had this commu-
nieatTon been signed By some anonymous or
irresponsible writer, might not have
thought proper 70 refer 70 It. But coming
from the highest law officer i'm the State,
and -Ex-oficio member Of the State Board
Of Education" / have thought proper to
take this notice of it.
1t is well known to the Senate, that differ
in politics from the Superintendent of Pub
lie Education as well rs the Attorney
General, and the action taken by me in
introducing the resolution of inquiry of the
former cannot be attributed to . desire on
my part to screen a political friend from
punishment for misconduct, or public obli-
quay for malfeasAnee in Office.
Until short time past, had no acquain-
lance with the Superintendent. He was
placed in Office by the dominant party with
out my consent, and was elected by the
same votes that elected the Attorney Cen
eraI. In the course of my official duties
have occasion to call upon the Superinten-
gesting the names of proper persons as
County Superintendenfs of Public Schools.
in my Senatorial District, and uniformly
found that officer courteous and polite and
seemingly well disposed to deal fairly in his
appointments. had heard charges ofex-
travagance in his office, and am not pre-
pared to deny that those charges are untrue.
In fact. from what | have heard and seen.
am of opinion that they ARE TRUE. But
of whom or what department of the State
Government under the rule of the present
party in power may not the same charge be
truly mades Extravaganza. reckless eX-
travagance. which politicians stigmadze as
public pIatRder, have marked its career from
its commencement TO the present tlme-and
the people in every town and county and
neighborhood in the State now groan
under burden of taxes, almost too heavy
to be borne, proceeding from this extrava-
gance. In this particular do not look upon
the Superintendent worse than other menu
bers of his party. With the details OF his
office, or conduct In it, L had not and 10 not
now have any knowledge. l heard reports
of corruption in the management of his
office for private gain with the public funds.
made against him. But these charges were
vague and assumed no definite shape; that
while / am not prepared to deny them, /
can only say, that in these particulars, he
does not stand alone in his party obnoxious
to such charges. They have been made almost
without exception against every public OFF,
Ger connected with it. In this state of
things, without suppOsing that the charges
against the Superintendent would take
definite shape at any time, or for moment
thinking that they would ever come before
the Senate in the shape of charges or i'm
parchment, L introduced the resolution of
inquiry. did this at the instance of the Su-
perintendent.W who stated that he was entire
ly innocent and desired an investigation;
that his character was suffering from gen.
eral charges made against him with no op-
portunity for defence, and that he wished a
committee of the Senate to examine ilto
his office, and report upon his case; and he
asked that would offer resolution for the
appointment of the committee. Without
much reflection, and acting on the impulse
that every man charged with crime had a
right to be heard, and fearing that a refusal
to act might be attributed to political enmi-
ty, or partizan spite, introduced the reso-
luton, but in doing it stated that would
not be made chairman of nor placed upon
the committee.
| had heard no suggestion that an inn
peachment was thought of, or co.. templated,
and have not yet heard that such action is
at all probable. | acted upon the simple
impulse of dealing fairly with a political
opponent-Of giving man against whom
rumors and indefinite charges of official
had been made an opportunity
to be heard, and in so acting | had no
thought whatever of any probability of a
that his conduct would ever be
brought before the Senate as a judicial tri-
bunal.
From the letter of the Attorney General
l think now there is such possibility-I
say probability, that this may here
after occur, and under such circumstances
it would perhaps be well that the Senate
should proceed no further in the inquiry,
as the Attorney General has now given to
these charges the sanction of his official
name and in modest way has seen fit to
call the attention of the Senate to its duties,
he will pardon me, | have not doubt, for
that it nov becomes his duty as
the highest law officer of the State, who
should see that crime is unmasked and
properly punished, at once to bring his
charges of official misconduct against the
before the House of Repre-
sentatives, to the end that the question may
be fully Investigated and the alleged offen-
der. If guilty, tried and punished for crime,
or if innocent that he may be so declared
and his character relieved from the impu-
tations under which it now rests. This duty,
as the Attorney General has seen tit to come
forward as the public accuser of the Super
intendent. he owes TO the people of the State
who are deeply interested in this matter.
He owes it TO himself that the charge thus
publicly made should be substantiated. He
owes it to the accuscr. that if innocent, his
reputation may be freed from the odium OF
the crime imputed to him. He owes it to
impartial Justice that no man be accused of
crime without an opportunity of being
heard, and he owes it TO the Senate whose
official action he has arraigned upon
suggestion that they were about 70 act po-
litcally in a matter which should be brought
before it for judicial action.
have thought proper to say this much
that my action in this matter should not be
improperly construed.
Respectfully,
JOHN WATTS.
FRUITS OF RADICAL TEACH.