Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-07-04

And yet wouldst wrlu-.y win, -
Cannot be applied me. The .'back paw. 90
by no act or c0nnIyance Of mine. was lawfully
my property-was not wrongly won g
and the only way to rid myself
OF IL was Boy using it personally, OF by as
| signing ami giving 1t away. Having a
valid title. assigned it TO the State. Cen
! surable as the original inception Of the
measure may have been, my title was de-
| rived from the virtue Of a common and law
iul exercise of the legislative power Of
] congress, and the assignment cannot be
! lmpeachcd. Mess some faint was com
/ munlcatcd to back pay By some wrong
iul act of mine, how can it bring dishonor
/ upon the State to receive it al my hands
! IL was not assigned as a charity to the
/ State. but a. sam due to the taxpayers.
/ Has any other party even a colorado claim
TO It did not hand it over to any edu-
catlonal 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 TO
( suppose was trying To earn n cheap repu-
J 1atlon Tor generosity when | really thought
myself uo more entitled % credit for what I
wa doing than ! should be if instead | had
I pad. as ! might. an honest debt. 1t
seemed TO me, when | resolved to
ana1ds7 back pay" that the taxpayers
OF Vermont were best entitled to nv favor.
II x quite possible this conclusion was
wrong, DESTROYS a. was and am
TO he right; but, while | have seen
considerable sentimental dissent as TO
my action, | have seen no argument
which uproots my conviction of it, inhe-
rent proprlety. | have sought no gratitude.
but have ielt that my action ought to have
escaped censure and it cannot be expected
that shall admit that any money has been
50 polluted by passing through nv hands
that its acceptance would bring a stain
upon the fair fame Of the State.
lhe position of a Senator relative to
" back pay - Is quite different from that of |
a Representative, though they may both |
agree IN not accepting Of it. 1t is |
wholly mpracticable for representative |
to return 1t directly to the tax payers of |
his district. The only approximation to |
this would be the selection of some public
object or institution, for its application. in
which the people OF the district generally
acknowledge an equal interest. A repre-
sentative, however, could give his " back
pay TO his State with more propriety than
a Senator could give his to the United
States. The relations are yet wholly diie-
rent, ana each one must eXculpate himself
from mercenary imputations in such man
ner as he judges right.
In a service now no longer short, this is
the first time have had occasion to . rise
and explain, and, though it IS rare that
have ever objected to funds from any source
going into the United States Treasury, it
must be considered that the small diversion
made by me to the Treasury of Vermont
was from source which had been fore
closed against the United States Treasury by
Congress, and it cannot properly be imput-
Gu to ne as crime, nor even as an act re-
'ultlns from poverty of judgment. to be
fardoned on plea of imbecility.
Ii Is fortunate for me that nv fault
would appear TO have been too great par
iia!lty for my State, and. while this impu-
-atl9n Is thrust upon me, | do not deny to
he Press the proud position of entire disin-
-ereStedness. II, as Senator, no duty was
omitted, then the Press and the people of
ermont have only to inquire whether or
not, a citizen, honored with high trusts.
have forfeited their respect either by too |
much favor towards them. or by greedily
eizing upon an opportunity to indulge
lnseeInly ayarice
Very sincerely yours,
JUSTIN 5. MORRILL,