New-York tribune., 1872-04-03
CAUCUS MOR1IS.

Dir. Carpenter IS entitled 10 Jnt cItulD VI
having invented an entirely new theory OF
public duty. 1t is something much narrower
and more selfish than even that old war-cry
of former times, "Our COuntry-right or
wrong.p 1t was Mr. John p. Hale, we believe,
who adopted this immoral slogan, and made it
unObjectOnable with the commentary II
fright, to be left right; if wrong, to be set
"rightn But Mr.. Carpenter repudiates any such
transaction as this. IIo distinctly justiiies any
wrong committed by our own Government
at the expense Of other nations, and
says it il the duty Of all good citizens to aid
and abet the national ng-doing. A theory
so monstrous cannot be paraphrased without
seeming exaggerated. We will let Mr.. Car
De nter set forth this new principle in his own
language. He has written a letter to the
President of O German association in Milwau-
kee who had adopted resolutions condemning
his effort to prevent investigation in the French
Arms business, in which he says:
at is charged that our Government made sale OF
arms TO persons known be agents Of France under
circumstances which made such sale violation OF tho
law Of nations. II so, then this Government subjected
itself TO the us criticism Of other Dations and gave TO
Prussia cause of against us. Prussia has made no
complaint, Now, what did say was, and
repeat and abide by it. either Sumner and
schurz believed the charge TO be true, or they
did not II they did, then they were con-
tending for another country against our own
which was substantially treason against our
country But could not believe them guilty OF this
hence was compelled to conclude that they did not
believe the charge to be true, and had brought 1t for
ward tho Senate for immediate political erect hoping
thereby to niure Gen. Grant and prevent his renomina
on but believing that the investigation our country
tfaI % oil
tain that American citizen is at liberty to take sides
with foreign nation against own, and hunt up and
bring forward accusations against us which the foreign
nation has never madei II you do then that Is the pre-
else difference between u.s. and am willing to leave it
to the people TO decide"
We venture to say that no Senator OF the
United States has ever before given delib-
crate opinion of his duties so marked with
hopeless and ipcurable low tone as this.
There have been thieves and rogues in the
Senate - bullics, blustcrers, and drunkards.-
Even yet it is far from being an assembly OF
the just made perfect. But in their public ut
terances the worst of Senators have usually
preserved that decent hypocrisy which is
compelled by the mere knowledge Of
right and wrong. But Mr.. Carpenter,
in this astonishing performance, con-
victs bimself Of nothing less than moral
ilocy. lie says that a wrong consists in
being found out; that if our officers have
secretly violated the law to the injury OF
Prussia, and the facts fall into the possession
of q Senator, he is guilty of Substantial
treason against our country" if he attempts
to purge our record and bring the offenders to
justice. This position needs only to be stated
to be refuted. IL shows to what lengths Of
absurdity the habit of reckless advocacy
will carry man who has some natural
powers of logic and considerable legal expert
ence. Suppose a merchant discovers that his
clerk has without his knowledge swindled
house with which he is doing business out of
a thousand dollars. According to Mr.. Carpen-
ter, it is the merchants duty to wait and see
if the other house discovers its loss if not,
there is nothing to be done but to pocket the
stolen money and reward the thievish servant.
A mind so blunted by pettifogging partisan
ship is not fitted to discharge the duties Of
Senator. And yet that is the condition to
which any one may be brought who considers
himself the servant of a faction rather than of
the people, and who imagines that in accept
ing his certificate of election as O legislator he
has taken a brief to defend every act of an
administration in power, and every caprice of
a caucus.