Weekly Trinity journal., 1873-04-05
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsHINGToN, March. 21, 1873.
THE LEADING APPOINTMENTS.


THE LEADING APPOINTMENTS.
At length the suspense is over and the
new National Cabinet is ssimply a reap
pointmest of theold by the substitution OF
Judge Richardson in place of Governor
Boutwell, elected to the U. S. Senate.
The appointment of ex-senator Sawyer
rs Assistant Secretary Of the Treasury,
Uice Judge Richardson promoted, is a
just tribute to a worthy and able man
whose faithfulness to convictions of duty
lost him his seat in the Senate. Your
correspondent has little acquaintance per-
sonally with the new Assistant Secretary
but viii continue to remember him as
a courageous adherent to principle as
against mere policy. Representing a
State large part of whose voters were
colored, he resisted clamor, and dared to
oppose some of the unconstitutional meas
ures Of Charles Sumner which gave spe-
cial privileges to this class Of citizens and
he also took bold stand against corrup-
ton among the officials of his State. De-
voted to the elevation of white and black
alike, one year ago he was called upon
by the faculty of the Howard University
at the Law Department Commencement
and made an eloquent impromptu speech,
near the close Of which he was insultingly
interrupted by one or two disorderly col
ored men who charged him with express
ing sentiments in the Senate adverse to
the colored race. The interruption was
in such gross bad taste that the sympa-
thies of the audience, composed largely of
colored people, was with the speaker,
who quietly concluded his remarks with
out noticing the interruption. AS straws
show the direction of the wind, this is
an index to the subsequent treatment of
Senator Sawyer, who had the written
testimonials of twenty-seven Senators in
favor Of his appointment by the Presi
dent. .
John Goforth, Esq, an able and expe-
rienced lawyer of Philadelphia, has been
confirmed as Assistant U. S. Attorney
General, in place of Colonel William
McMichel who is installed in the office Of
L. S. District Attorney for the Eastern
District of Pennsylvania. From long
personal knowledge your correspondent
can say Of Mr. Goforth that he is an able
and worthy gentleman-the right man
for such place.
CoNKLING ON THE CALDWELL CASE.
Senator Conklng made a model speech
in the Senate on Wednesday and Thurs
day on the subject of the resolution de-
caring the seat of Senator Caldwell va
cant. In power of logic and strength Of
language it was perfectly Websterian.
After laying down the principles by which
the Senate was legally bound and united,
denying the right of the Senate to ques-
ton the motives of State legislators in
giving their votes for U. S. Senators and
contending that therein the State Legis-
lature and State Courts, in the absence of
any act Of Congress comforting the spe-
cific jurisdiction in all questions of bribe
ry of their own members; he averred that
Senator Caldwell possessed every quail
fcation into which the Senate had right
to enquire. He received majority of the
votes cast by the Legislature of Kan
las, and the election was conducted in
the place and manner prescribed by law;
the votes were honestly counted and le
gally returned. He had sat in the SEN
ate and exercised all the functions of a
Senator for the past two years, and now
after this lapse of time, the Senate is
asked to declare that he never was elected
at all, that in law and in fact there had
been no election for Senator, and that
the seat which Mr.. Caldwell has been
filing has been vacant all the time 4! lie
exorted Senators to keep within the law
and not to transcend it on account of SYM
pathies and emotion on the one hand or
sensation and clamor on the other. He
said they were not now making, but only
administering the law. lie drew dis
tncton between fraud and bribery.
Fraud preventing the free assent to what
is done and rendering the act void while
in bribery the intention and the act are
in unison, and whatever may be the
wrongful influence upon the Legislature
the act is his own. lie intends to do it,
and it cannot be set aside. lie said if
the question was one Of expulsion it would
be governed by different principles, and
the jurisdiction would be unquestioned.
g. NJ.