New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-18
A BAD SHOT.

A BAD SHOT
All through the present session OF Congress
il has been one of the daily duties OF the AL
ministration leaders in the Senate to throw
stones at the liberal minority. Every Jealous
Grant man goes to the Capitol with his pocket
full of missiles No sooner are prayers over
than we hear the cry of Heads" and straight
way the orthodox begin to pelt MIR. Sumner,
Mr.. Schurz Mr.. Trumbull, Mr.. Upton, Mr.
Logan, and other respectable persons, to the
great advantage of the country and the expedi-
ton of the public business. The Military KING
gathers in the lobby to watch the scrimmage
while John Thomas in the background shlleks
with ecstacy, and cheers on the attack. III
Senator hints at the redress OF any wrong IN
side the Republican party, or shows dispo-
sition to kick over the traces, somebody throws
q menace at him in the shape OF resolution
of inquiry. Mr. Sumner is to he convicted OF
conspiring against his country with French
spies. Mr.. Schurz is to be imprisoned as Il
secret agent of Count Bismarck. Mr.. Featon
and Mr. Logan are to be found guilty of max
ing recommendations to Office. A few weeks
ago, when debate was pretty warm, Mr.. Chand-
Ter threw his brick bat into the Senate Cham
Der. He proposed to inquire whether Mr..
Trumbull had violated the law by taking n
fee as counsel for the Government while he
was also drawing pay as Senator IN Con-
gress. 1t was well understood that the charge
insnuated by this inquiry was that Mr.. Trum-
bull had accepted, under the name of a counsel
fee which he never earned, a bride of $1,000
to vote against the impeachment of Andrew
Johnson and Mr. Chandler has run about,
ever since the achievement, vOwing that he
had stopped Trumbulrs mouth"
Mr.. Chandler is great orator, but very
poor shot Aiming at Trumbull he has hit
Grant and Conkling For his question has al
ready been answered, and it appears not only
that the circumstance to which he refers
occurred long before the articles of impeach-
ment were reported and that Mr. Johnson had
nothing to do with il, but that Mr.. Trmbull
was retained to argue the cOnstitutiOnality of
the reconstruction acts i'll case where Mr..
JOhnsOns Acknowledgement refused to appear,
and that he was retained-by whom Why
by none other than u. S. Grant, Secretary of
"War ad Interim" and afterward by Edwin NJ.
Stanton As for the fee, that was fixed by Mr..
Stanton Are we to understand from the Hon.
Il. Chandler that Gen. Grant and Mr.. Stanton
were employed in bribing Senators to vote
against impeachment
But it is not only the President who has
been hit. The head of the Presidents par
ticuar champion. the Hon. Roscoe COnlIing
is also sore. There is no law to forbid a mem
Der of Congress taking a fee as counsel for
the Government before the Supreme Court !;
but there is a law providing that ono per-
" son who holds or shall hold hold Office
under the Government of the United
q" States whose salary or annual compen-
" satiOn shall amount to the sum of
" q, 500 shall receive compensation for dis
"charging the duties of any other office )" and
il is said that Mr.. Roscoe Conkling violated
this law in 1865. Mr.. Conblng at that time
held the Office of Representative in Congress,
with an annual compensation of more than
$4,000, and nevertheless was appointed and
paid to investigate cases Of fraud i'll the Pro-
yost Marsha's Department of the Western
Division of New-York. The question whether
Mr.. Conkling had violated the law was after
ward raised in Congress, and the honorable
gentleman excused himself by saying that his
appointment from the War Department was
not as an officer but az counsel MIR. Blaine
now Speaker denounced this excuse as II
audible showing that the special commission
under which Mr.. COnkling acted contained tho
following words You will from time to time
make report to this Department of the pro-
" gress of your labors, and will apply for any
Especial authority for which you may have
Occasion. The Judge Advocate General will
abe instructed to issue to you an appointment
Gas special Judge advocate" That was Gu
riou5 way of addressing a counsel but Mr..
Conkling answered that he never received any
other commission than that, the Judge AdyO-
cate General never having issued to him any
such appointment as the Secretary promised.
The House seems finally to have accepted Mr..
Conklings position that he was not an officer
of the War Department in this affair, but a
paid counsel of the Government and then he
added the following remark, which it will no
doubt be a great comfort for Mr.. Chandler to
read
should he sorry American to suppose that the
standard OF intelligence anywhere in the country
low that any human being. unless 1t be that distin
guished mathomaiicln and warrior, Provost Marshal
General Fry believe. that there the slightest impro
nrcty in man who il a Member of Congress practcing
his profession as counsel in courts accepting from the
Government OF the United States or from any other
client a retainer for such professional services"
Don't throw stones again, Mr.. Chandler, UNI
less your hand is steady.
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IRRESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM AGAIN.
Another of the witnesses upon whose secret