The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-06-28

state dcnounce an act apparently defcns'-
bic upon the plancst principles of equity
II has even been more than limited hy
paper of the highest rcpute. that it will We
the duty of the State to return this morey
to me on the ground that the State would
not he made the recipient of stolen proper
IS. How Is this Certainly do not feel
much like thief aud cannot believe any
one thinks ] have acted like thief. nor
that any Legislature will adopt this theory
in order 10 thrust in my face such an insult !
ing proposal. Possibly it may he further /
argued. that, IL not stolen property, it was |
at least n grab" hut even this fOrcihle |
epithct If applied TO me. will not stick. I
The fact Is have NJ no time made grab. /
The words Of Lady Macbeth,
49," woudst not play false,
And yet would~ wrongly wn,"-
cannot he applied 60 ne. The " back pay"
by no act or cOnniyaucc Of mine, was law
fully my property, was moi wrongfully
won and the only way to rid myself Of
il was by using il personally, or by assign
ing and giving it away. Having valid
title, | assigned it to the state Ccnsurablc
as the original inception of the measure
may have been. my title was derived from
the virtue of n common unlawful exercise
of tho legislative power of Congress, and
less some faint was communicated back
pay " by some wrongful act of mine, how
can it bring dsnonor upon the State to re-
ccivc 1t at my hands
II was not assigned as a charity to the
| State, but as sum due to the taxpayers.
Has any other party even colorado claim
to it / did not hand it over TO any edu.
cational or other benevolent object, for the
reason that knew of none in which all Of
the people of the State felt an equal inter
est. and for the additional reason that such
a course might lead the uncharitable tos sup
pose | was trying to earn a cheap reputa-
ton for generosity when | really thought
myself no more entitled to credit for what
was doing than | should be if instead had
paid, as might, an honest debt 1t seemed
to me, when resolved to abandon "back
pay that the taxpayers of Vermont were
best entitled to my favor. 1t is quite pos
siblc this conclusion was wrong, DESTROYS
as | was and am to be right but, while
have seen considerable sentimental dissent
as to my action, have seen no argument
which uproots my conviction of its inhe-
rent propriety. have sought no gratitude,
but have felt that my action ought to have
escaped censure; and it cannot be expected
that shall admit that any money has been
so polluted by passing through my hands
that its acceptance would bring stain up
on the fair fame of the State.
The position of Senator relative to
hack pay is quite different from that of
Representative, though they may both
agree in not accepting of it. 1t is wholly
!, impracticablc for representative TO re-
turn it directly to the taxpayers of his dis
. trict. The only approximation to this
= would be the selection of some public oh
ject or institution. for its application, in
icl Ia & ho ctrip IL,
, acknowledge an equal interest. A repre-
sentative, however, could give his ''bacl
| pay" to his State with more propricty thar
a Senator could give his to the UniteC
p States The relations are yet wholly ditfe
rent, and each one must eXculpate himsel
I from mercenary imputatiOns in such man
. ner as he judges right.
o In service now no longer short, this i
, the first time have had occasion to iris,
and explain" and though it is rare that
!, have ever objected to funds from an,
\ source going into the United States Treas
ury, it must be considered that the small
@ diversion made by me to the Treasury o
| Vermont was froma source which had beer
= foreclosed against the United States Treas
ury by Congress, and it cannot properly b
Y imputed to me as crime, nor even as al
!. act resulting from poverty of judgment t
n be pardoned on plea of imbecility.
f 1t is fortunate for me that my faul
n would appear to have been too great par
TALLY for my State, and, while this impu
!. tation is thrust upon me, l do not deny t
!. the Press the proud position of entire dis
r intcrestedness. If, as Senator, no dut.
h was omitted, then the Press and the peopl
d of Vermont have only to inquire whethe
II trusts, have forfeited fiSfH fesbGetis9' elite
S by too much favor towards them, or b
y grecdliy Selling upon an opportunity to in
l. duige in unseemly avarice.
e Very sincerely yours,
If JUSTIN 5. MORRILL,.