Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-06-27

BACK-SALARY.
Senator Carpenter DeyOtes Il Couple Of
Hours in Defense of the Business.
The Credit MobiIier - Cakes Ames-
Freedom of the Press-W Washington,
jefferson and Madison.

MILWAUKEE, June Ex-senator Matt
H. Carpenter made his speech at James
Vile tonight as announced, in defense
of congress for voting and receiving the
salary including back-pay. The speech
occupied two hours in delivery, and in
cludes an exposition of the credit mo-
biIier affairs. He argued that the entire
transactions of the credit mObilier did
not involve any wrong or corruption,
explaining the relations of that corpora
ton to the Pacific railroad company,
and to the government. He said the
credit mobilieT investigation of last
winter has left q stain over the
nation, and cast a gloom over those
who believe in mans capacity for self
government. The freedom of the press
/ is indispensable to free Institutions, and
vet it seemed as though the freedom of
the press was the only freedom left in
| the country. 1t seemed as though the
| freedom of the press was an absolute des-
potism against everybody but the press.
| The press frightened Colfax and Patter-
son into the idea that to own mObilieT
stock was criminal, and they appear to
have rushed into the effort to dispose of
! their ownership, the proof OF which will
/ convince all men that they were
mistaken, and the uncharitable that
they intended to pTevaricate, and so
these men who had, before the investi-
CATION, done nothing worthy of censure,
and "whistled down the wind,n were
wrecked and ruined forever, and forty
millions of people are stamped with APP
prebensiOn and alarm. Had these men
faced the front and said, "Yes, we had
this stock, and had right to have it, y
! that would have been the end. No man
can say there is any wrong in owning
stock in the credit mObilier COM
! pany more than in owning stock
/ in a national bank, or in owning sheep
] while congress may levy tariff on the
wool. If the stock was given as a bribe,
that was a cT5lne; but no one pretends
! this. The men who were injured by the
! investigation fell victims to their moral
cowardice, and the people were thrown
into panic for absolutely nothing. He
then discussed the baek-pay business.
| He agreed that our government differs
from an aristOcratic government, because
the constitution provides that its officers
] shall receive a compensation, to be liked
by law for their official services. 1t is q
COMPENSATION for their services, and
not a gratuity. 1t is incumbent
on all of the officers to receive then
lawful compensation, because the con-
stitution says they shall do it. He then
argued that seventy-fve hundred dol
lars a year is not too large compensation
for congressional services, if fit men are
elected; and if unfit men are elected
whose services are worthless, the fault
is with the people. In reference to the
retroactive clause, he held that if, as he
had shown, the services of members o.
the forty-secOnd congress, after show
/ ing that Governor Washburn, of this
State, in congress, in 1856, voted for the
J increase of the salary from eighl
; dollars a day to three thousane
a year, including eighteen months bach
| pay. He received his pay, and enumer
: ating others who did the same in lS5t
{ and 1866, he said: 81 am very happy t
) to have my eolleage, Judge Howe's per
: mission to say to you tonight that, al
| though he thought it was not best Il
pass the iDcrease-salary bill At the las
+ session of congress, and therefore voted
t against it, yet that he believes thai
{ seven thousand five hundred dollars Is
) not above a fair compensation for thl
, services; that he has drawn the money
{ and sees no reason for returning it,
4 Inc tOuCluSlOu VI tic nHCCCAA 10 80 AOA
2 lows; "Washington left the impress o
l character upon his own and succeeding
: generations; Jefferson. Madison, Hamil
9 ton and others gave an impulse to pub
: lie thought, and fixed the standard G
= public virtue under which we hav
r grown to be a..great and happy people
{ it was left for Oakes Ames 10 lift tn
/ standard of public virtue clean out @
mortal reach, and clean out Of humal
/ sight, things which, viewed in the ligh
: of our serious teachings, and es
t timated by the standard of chris
S tian morality, are as harmless a
{ the coOings of dove. Are larcenie
r mortal sins in the light Of 1878, and est
g mated by the standard of the ai'rm an
: fright created by Oakes Ames and tn
!, credit mObilief Investigation? Garth
e quakes sometimes come and rm
:, sometimes rage, but the earth VII &c
t always rock nor the rains always
e and we hope the present sort of Sic
t morality viii some time give place to IL
Y manly and healthy virtue taught by th
S master of Nazareth