New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-17

the Press OF the Country.
| In justice to Governor Scott, of South
Carolina, and because the Columbia Union,
seems to have arrived at an intelligent un-
derstanding of the real condition of poll
teal affairs in Louisiana, we copy from
that paper the following editorial:
| Ever since the first telegram was sent over
the wires from this city relating to the fare.
| ical attempt to lmpeach the Governor and
State Treasurer for alleged "high crimes
| spired to injure the credit of the State by
| an 'Over-issue of bonds" the press, in
| various parts of the country, has teemed
with false and denunciatOry article Q,
| evidently based upon the information de-
| rived either from the bitter partisan re-
ports of the Associated Press, or from that
most mendacious of documents, the report
of the financial investigating committee.
| The State government has been treated as
| if convicted of the crimes alleged against
| it, and editors have seemingly made haste
| to enter their protests against criminal mis-
appropriation of the public funds, even be
fore they were in possession Of single fact
which would warrant them in using the re-
markable language employed by some of
them in casting Odium upon the Governor
and State Treasurer. We can readily con-
ceive how they could be misled into this
error.
The report of the financial investigating
committee phrpOrts to be truthful state
ment of the condition of our State finances,
made to Republican Legislature, by a Re-
publican committee. This last fact Of itself
would give the story of fraud and corrup-
ton more or less weight, particularly in
Republican circles. In this way the press
of the country has been led to perpetrate a
| ILL., L. l.
to correct it. The special message of the
Governor, delivered to the General Assem-
bly, on the ninth instant, was complete
aud truthful vindicatiOn of the State gov
eminent from the reckless charge made
against it OF Over-issuing bonds, and thus
defrauding the people.
AS he well says, nothing shall depend
upon his own veracity. He furnishes the
most unimpeachable testimony to sub
stantiate every point, and appeals to the
records in every instance.
The country will be amazed at the auda-
city of the man who could make such crimi-
nal charges unsupported by even a scintilla
of evidence. Nothing but wild rumor was
| relied upon to carry through this most I'M
blushing attempt at fraud and black-mail.
However much we may deplOre the neces-
sity which compelled the Governor to use
harsh language, yet it was necessity. 1t
sometimes becomes necessary in self-vindi-
cation to meet ones accusers upon the only
ground left to meet them, that is, with their
own weapons. Men are sometimes compel
led to use truthful language, even though it
may be harsh and personal. In this case
not only the personal character of these Off
GERS was attacked, but their official integ-
rity also; nor were their accusers careful of
| their language or decOrOus in their manner.
Laws were miscOnstrued, figures manipu-
| lated in an ingenious manner, and for the
| obvious purpose of bringing forth a partic-
ular result The committee to investigate
| the financial affairs seem to have been con-
| trOlled by one man, and, instead of endeav-
| oring to arrive at the truth, and nothing
but the truth he appears to have labOred
assiduously to make the report as damaging
as it was possible for malignity to draw it,
and recent action regarding the report
| would seem to indicate that one man at
least was afraid to have it reported stripped
| of its garb.
From beginning to end it is filed with in
sinutiOns, innuendos and sneers, instead OF
facts. The summing up under each partc-
ular head betrayed the most bitter hatred
and personal spite. Nor is this all; palp.
able untruths are stated with all the grav-
ity of legislative decOrum, and from these
untruths are drawn false conclusions tor
the purpose of injuring the State govern
ment. Upon page after page Of this report
appear expenditures on the part of the
State Treasurer which, this committee
state, are not vouched for: that is, the
| Tleasurers has no vouchers for these ex
penditures. This would lead the public to
infer that all these sums were paid out
| without warrant OF law.
After this report has been sent broadcast
over the land, and to every Democratic
paper in the State, after the injury has
been DONE the committee discovers that a
| mistake has been made, and note il
| printed and inserted, not in the books thai
have already gone out, but in those not YET
! delivered, correcting this great wrong, anC
acknowledging that these sums, marked il
the report mo vouchers are all right
after all. What will the public think of &
committee that would make such a. report
and then come out and acknowledge it
talsity, If there has been an error sc
grave as this committed in one place, whaI
| evidence is there that the committee may
not be in error in all its statements!
But one point above all others that viii
strike the public with surprise is the re
markable statement of the public debt
! Every financier worthy of the name, when
he comes to digest this statement will bt
astOnished at the conclusions OF the com
mittee. Millions upon millions of railroad
bonds, six million of sterling loan bonds
and millions of other bonds now in the publ,
treasury are added to the debt-the SAM
as if they were in the hands of bona tide
holders. Was it through ignorance OF
malice that this statement was made! i
has the appearance of both, for the Gov
ernor shows conclusively that the figures o
the committee, when properly stated, maxi
the debt even less than the statement Of tn
Treasurer, as published some time since
and verified by committee of gentlemen
in this city. The committee shows ltsel
not to have been an adept in book keeping
or an expert in the statement of accounts.
1t is but due to the parties accused tina
the message of the Governor should be crit
ically examined, and if it can not be i'm
peached, as We know it can not, then repa
ration for the wrong done should be mad
at once.
Will the press be as quick to do justice a
it has to credit one of the basest stories eve
invented by ingenious malignity!