New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-09-02
Mr.. Carpenters IudiscretiOns.
I From the Milwaukee Journal Of Commerce, A
gust p.

| ne DuDlc Is Just uoW tuSdScu III udldAC
| ing the probabilit III the case OF Matthew
| H. Carpenter VS.. the New York Tribune e'
| ais. 1t is understood that this case will
| never come into court and will never be
| subjected to the ordinary rules OF evidence
| Mr.. Carpenter may have excellent reasons
for this course 1t is not, at all events, in
| consistent with the theory of his substantial!
| innocence OF the giOss misconduct imputed
to him.
| Ia the first place, probably no court Of
| justice could SO pass upon question OF
| this peculiar nature as to leave its ultimate
| answer in the minds of men any thing but
| a matter of either hostile prejudice, blind
| PARTISAN hip, or fair and reasonable bal.
| ancing u probabilities.
In the second place, there are such a
| number of personal interests besides his
| own involved that Mr.. Carpenter, however
| eager on his own behalf to brave the scru-
| tiny and the publicity of the courts, may
| be readily conceived to be restrained by
| generous and creditable motives. 1t Is
| sometimes, perhaps always, preferable to
| oppose slander with silence, and TO remain
| the innocent object of persecution rather
| than become the hero OF nOlsOme trial
| and vindicatiOn.
In the third place, Mr.. Carpenters life
| has been full OF indiscretions, such as We
| NAV proceed to designate. He has done
and said many foolish things, calculated to
| give color to the worst constructions and to
| afford his enemies the advantage in legal
| contest. Although he may be, like Hamlet,
| Indifferent honest, he has doubtless more
| otfenses at their beck and call than lie
| would care to urge them to disclose. 1t !s
| easy to see why Mr.. Carpenter may ques-
| ton whether it is not wiser to endure the
| ills he has than hy to others that he knows
not OF.
The questions before the public may be
stated in this fashion: Is it likely that any
man, of even Matthew H. Carpenters reck-
less dispostion-with his years and his
knowledge of the world, with his expe-
rience and his opinion of the press, occupy
ing the defensive position before the people
lately assumed-wouid have "gone on a
tear in Long Branch, by daylig hit. in the
face of his enemies and friends T! Or is 1T
more likely that his characteristic want OF
consideration may have placed him IN such
a position as to expose him to the malicious
misconstruction of unscrupulous foes and
TO the not unnatural misconstruction OF
other people9 We think that the balance OF
probability is with the latter hypothesis.
We incline to this conclusion from no
liking for this Over-estimated, boisterons,
daredevil, unsenatorial character. We do
not admire the animal courage, instanced
in his Janesyille speech, which has been
getting him into scrapes all his life. Our
opinion of the standard OF public morality
which Mr.. Carpenter displayed upon that
occasion is sufficiently familiar to our read
ers. We have never entertained the cur
rent exaggerated estimate of Mr.. Carpen-
ter's rhetorical gifts and legal attainments.
There are as good speakers, better lawyers,
statesmen of higher grade, finer gentle
men, and better models for youth, than
Matthew H. Carpenter in this State OF Wis
consin, whose representative men, ike ITS
primitive forests, seem to be col0ssai
growth. But We wish to give the devil his
due.
Mr.. Carpenter's faults, like his abilities.
have been usually exaggerated He has
almost invariably shown his worst side to
the world, and the world, with discrim-
mating kindness, has reciprocated his con
tidence by thinking him worse than he is.
About the Credit Mobiiier and the back
grab legislation, it is probable that he held
no more disreputable opinions than hun
dred public men who will now trail their
garments away from him. He was the man
who dared-and, truly, he had no business
to dare. 1t was an act of indiscretiOn. Mr..
Carpenter ought to be remembered and
punished by the people for holding
vitiated view of very sacred trust, and
for acting upon it-not for announcing 1t.
Every one OF his silent partners in this busl-
ness should be punished with him.
He has been avOwedly a good liver.
Other public men, whom we might desig
nate very near at home, drink four times as
much whisky as Senator Carpenter, and
are far more habitual about it. His frank
ness here has proved an lndlscretlon. lie
never, We believe, pretended to be tenn
perance man, excepting once when lntoxl-
Gated with political victory-and that was
a ridiculous indiscretion. The doctors of
1ad ,v, nd oil fad him
Senator. over a gentleman of irrepr0acha-
Bile technical virtue, on the ground that
Carpenter was a ''pietist and temperance
man" were the hypocrites. He had never
discretion enough to be hypOcrite. Mr..
Carpenters manner OF living has been SO
free and undisguised that he can not, like
Rev Henry Ward Beecher, in an emergency
oppose to the spear Of calumny the shield
OF an immaculate reputation. That is no
reason whatever why he should be painted
backer than he is.
Mr. Carpenter is betrayed by his personal
appearance as often as by his manner We
are almost justified in imputing his personal
appearance to him as an lndiscretion. He
has never been able to learn how to dress or
carry himself. His slouching hat and gait
and conversation, are not becoming an ideal
Senator of the United States with national
reputation. II is pity that there IS SO lit
tie of the togo ririIis about him. His disre
gard of the small proprieties makes
strangers think he has just dined, when his
associates know that he has just come from
work or is just ready for it. 1t helped Dom
Piatt to christen him educated rowdy."
1t made Ramsdell, one of the most innocent
men in the newspaper profession, when he
saw Senator Carpenter enter a hotel from
the heat of travel with lady in his charge,
really believe that he was on roaring
spree. Mr. Ramsdell is by no means the
first man who has been deceived by the in
discretion of Senator Carpenters personal
appearance.
In his utterapces. as We believe, the indis
cretion of Mr.. Carpenter is the most glaring-
ly apparent. He prepared the public
mind to entertain any story against his prl-
vate life and sense of decency, by the views
of public morality and Of public dencency
he announced in his GAINESVILLE speech. His
profane likening of himself to Socrates and
the Master of Narazeth was not calculated
to bespeak for him the charity of the de
vout. His rhetoric was eXtravagantly in
discreet. His remarkable utterance, mem
bers of Congress must nave families. 1t is
best they should have their own" was not
calculated to warrant him in escortlDg
another mans wife from Washington TO
Long Branch. Into that very act, which
has given occasion to the abuse that has
been heaped upon him, it is possible to per
ceive no ~ he was entrapped by his unthink-
ing courtesy. The prudent man foresesth
the evil and hideth himself" Mr.. Carpen
ter being the reverse OF prudent exposed
himself.
Concerning the authority for the scandal
GUS charges against Senator Carpenter
there is this to say. Its strength is rather
apparent than real. Either both reporter
and editor of the New York Tribune may
have been very gravely warped in their
judgment by lasting resentment for in
iurias receirad-Uhich w are ouite unuilt-