The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-02-28
iaeDort Of tie PoE,es,a Committee.

Of course, De anticipated. therefore the
report Of the Poland Comm. ltee recon-
mcrding the expulsion of Dgessrs. Ames and
Brooks, and virtually exculpating all the
ether CongressiU,n implicated in the bri-
berry and corrc ption Of the Credit Mobilier
business, warrants the inference that the
men VINO investigated the case are but lit
tie, if amy, less guilty OF completely III that
matter than those whose conduct they were
appointed to examine. Their report seem'
to have excited considerable opposition in
f Congress. as it has most certainly snrplised
and iucenscd the public mind, and it is
dcvoutly to be wished that the action of
the committee viii be seve lely denounced
and utterly rejected by Doth branches of
the National Legislature. That tribunal
owes it to its own honor and dignity, rs
we'll rs to The credit Of the country, to mark
its diroppobation Of the offending mem
hers III a manner so emphatic as to vind;-
cate its own integrity and remove the blcm-
ish that has been cast upon the national
character.
AS to the guilt Of all the persons accused,
there can be no reasonable and honest
doubt. Tie evidence adduccd against them
il the course Of the protracted inquiry, Is
quite sufficient to carry conviction to every
candid mind, if not TO force il even upon
. every uucaEdid and dishonest one. Hence
the effort of the committee, in its dsingen-
uous and impotent report, to excuse Ger
+ tain leading Congressman, clearly convict
/ ed of having bsen bribed with Credit No
/ biLter stock, on the pretence that they were
ignorant of the criminal nature Of the
transaction, is so obviously absurd as to be
ridiculous. Those members not only knew
I that they were being bYibcd, but they tho't
they had ef1ectually secured themselves
against exposure, and the odium of their
case las only been aggravated by the de
tCstable prevarcation and perjury by which
they have tried to deceive their judges and
the people, and to escape the just cOnse-
quences of their crime. Nor does it help
them at all to have their gross prostitution
Of a highly honorable and important trust
attributed to their stupidity rather than
their want of virtue. II they have not
sense enough to distinguish so palpabie an
instance of bribery ~ that TO which they
Iectually and morally incompetent to SIT in
Congress and legislate upon the great con
Germs Of this nation. As for Mr.. Colfax
there can. we think, be no question that he
WAS entirely pTivy and consenting to the
foul scheme which has covered him with
everlasting infamy. And he, above any
other companion III his guiIs, has made
l. lie.
wrctchod, whining, imbecile manner in
which ho has sought TO avoid his doom by
the feebleSt sort OF lying, aud attempts to
defeat truth by confusing dates, facts and
ngures that would disgrace the most bung-
ling witness suOorncd to cheat Quarter
Sessions jury. Evou the confession forced
from him by the dire exigencies of his sit
uation, that ne accepted gifts of three, if
not four thousand dollars, from Mr. Mes
bitt, of New York, who was Government
contractor at the time and whom Colfax
declares he scarcely knew, shows the Vice
President to he deplgr;,bly destitute of =
nentle,naplv sense of bonorard seIf-re.nect
No man Of the RIGHT sort of snirit and
due apureciation of the dignity and resnon-
sibilitv of the exalted Office held Inv Mr.
Colfax would accept naked Gifts of large
snms of money from = STRANGER Tor cIec-
tio7,ea,rc, q, ,,,,,,nosce ~. any. otI,o. ,,so ,,d
tberebv nIace him.alr ,u6e, . 1,e,sor,I a,,d
,oliticoI oblioat;o,, ,l,a+ whit ,,oss;ll,- -
any time i,nrair bis irde,ondo,,oo ond
fso 1,;s i,,t,c,.;+,, -. ,,,,,r,,,. r
Coprross R,t Colf,x tolls tho ,vorl,I tr,o+
he did this three ,,,. f,,,,. several +ir,.s ood
we are Of the opiniop that his conduct i,
that resnect was - near to voluntary seIf
aal,,,o1,e,. I,,, ,,,,,.,,.e ,,F ,,,o,,,;.,,,. E,
~, r.,,,, ;,,,iier,,o,, ,,e,,,- ,;tI,,. 49,
...,,,'-.-
,t',,-, - ,'' w. ~
vet not the same.
o., i, >.