New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-11
SPEECH OF MIR. PINCHBACK.

Mr.. Pinchback made the following re-
marks in the Senate yesterday:
Mr.. Pinchbaek-I am again forced, Mr..
President, to claim the attention of the Sem
ate for few moments on question of
privilege. was not little surprised on
yesterday to see so many gentlemen rising
for the purpose of making personal ex-
plantations; but 1 find it explained in
the fact that serious charges have been
made by certain witnesses before the con-
gressional investigating committee against
those gentlemen as well as myself. This is
the first opportunity have had since read
the testimony OF those witnesses to make
|. personal explanation. see that one Mr..
5. W. Scott testified that at one time was
to be paid tor some vote or action of mine
on the floor of the Senate. have not be-
fore me the paper containing the evidence
of that gentleman, and, therefore, cannot
allude to it specifically. l desire to
say to the Senate and the members
of the congressional committee who
are present, that Mr.. Scott has s.ated
that which he knows to be untrue,
l had no knowledge of the gentleman
prior to the time that we had before us
the bill which empowered the Governor
to sell the stock in the jackson railroad
held by the State. l saw him then upon
the floor of the Senate lobbying, as l I'M
derst0od, in faver of that measure. He
testifies that large amount of money was
to be spent in its passage. and that the
votes Of legislators were to be paid for by
the issue of paper by Mr.. Kimball, in
dorsed by himself (Mr. Scott) He saws
that l, among other gentlemen, received
one of those checks for $1,000, and l pre-
sumo he intended to have the committee in
fer that received it in consideration of NV
vote. Twill state to the Senate and the
members OF the committee that Mr. Scott
led the committee to imply that which was
not true. ! admit his correctness in
stating that | held one of those checks.
1t was placed in my hands for
collection, and presented it to him for
payment. l am commission merchant,
and sometimes have collected notes for
friends of mine. He was buying paper of
that kind, and says he offered me $3.50.
which declined to take. do not know
that he offered me that, but | suDnose so.
How that paper got Oh the mark ke knows
better than anybody else in the community.
1t is IN my hands yet, as l was not empoW-
ered TO take less TOR it than its face called
Tor, which was the reason could not accent
MS proposition. SO much for that transac-
ton Mr.. Scott also charges that Senator
Beares and myself opposed the new citv
charter in consideration of a certain sum
OF money. That charge is untrue, and the
gentleman can not produce any evidence
to substantiate it. The reason I opposed
That bill is well known to the Senator now
presiding DIR. Barber) as well as to every
other coiored man in the Legislature and
many not IN 1t. The question was, who
was to fill the Offices to be created I? A de-
mand was made by me, at the request of
the col0red men OF this city, that the Gov
ernor should appoint cOlOred man to tho
position OF Administrator of Public I'm
provements. The Governor would NOT
comply with that request, and we deter
mined then to oppose the bill to the last.
ayy
to the Governor. l opposed him for two
years by my votes and by my influence in
he Senate Chamber; and PERHAPS would
De supporting him now if had not be-
ne convinced that only by sustaining
MN could the Republican party be saved
IN this State. AS to the gentleman who
tGstined against me on political points
known in this community. He is blatant
democrat, and one of the editors of the
most malicious. newspaper published in
our clty-a sheet that would not scruple to
traauce the character Of any man who was
not In political accord with it. The out
rageous statements Of that gentleman were
made for no other reason than to make DO
lltlcal capital for himself or against ne.
There is one portion Of his testimony which
seems to me to be extremely spicy. l refer
to the following extract:
IL was surprised to learn from
Judge Dibble and General Sheridan that
Pinchback was the Governors choice.
my disgust in emphatic terms:
General Sheridan excused the
choice as one to which the Governor was
driven by the apprehension that if a con.
sentative citizen was placed in the L;euten-
ant GovernOrship, the Legislature would
mpeach Warmoth in order to get that citi
zen into his place, and that the election of
Pinchback would flank this movement
Judge Dibble gave the same reason. and
'ook the same view. l denounced tbe
proposition as indicating very low IDEAS
md notions of action.
"Qnestion-Did these gentlemen deny
hat Pinchback was a rascal
"Answer-No; they said he was the smart.
st negro in the State"
This, say, is very spicy piece of evil