National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-16

lOf tue cOtnmlLJee 10 uetermine. Inc Wh0lt
matter, indeed, is with the committee, because
we are hero only by the sufferance Of the com
mitteo. The investigation is In their hands
and they are charged with all the RESPONSE
bility.
Mr.. Mattingiy. I submit To the committee
whether that gentleman ought TO be lampooned
by statements made IN letters, where the party
says he will not swear TO the same thing.
Mr.. Merrick. do not propose, If the com
mittee please, to lampoon anybody. 1t Is moi
my purpose to make unjust imputations upor
anybody But when am here making inyesti
cations touching subject-mstters which are
colored all around by fraud and suspicion,
do not shrink from the face of any one, nc
matter how high his position may be, officially
or otherwise, from calling upon him or calling
upon all men, for the purpose Of making full
purgation with reference to the subject-mattei
under consideration. Human respect is one oil
those things, if it please the committee, which
is too much deferred to when we are making
inquiries touching official conduct and official
corruption. There is too much danger of over
tenderness, rather than danger on the other
side, of being aggressive in slsndering people
unnecessarily IN the investigation of matters
before judicial tribunals or quasi judicial tribu
nails. Men should ascertain the whole truth,
let It fall where It NAV. ~
Mr.. Mattingly. So far as any legal PROPOSE
every lawyer that such testimony as this is
clearly inadmissible.
Mr.. Jewett. 1t would undoubtedly be clearly
uadmissible in q court in trial of an issue but
the duty ofthis committee is somewhat different
It is not called to convict anybody of crime, OF
anybody of improperly, or anybody of o failure
todischarge their duty in Office. No member Of
this committee is here for.the purpose of con.
viction, for the purpose of finding that the law
has mr. fail 70 ahar
duty. We are here simply to inquire whether
these outrages upon the public have been CON-
mitted, and secondly, whether or not there is
surrounding this whole government or organ.
ization itself, those things which would indicate
to Congress the necessity of changing the whole
organization, relieving 1t from those influences
which are calculated to destroy its usefulness.
With that view-not to hear what is merely
technically legal evidence-it seems to me It is
the duty Of this committee to go into the whole
question. At the same time the private char
acter, and names, and reputation of gentlemen
should not be unnecessarily brought before the
public in an offensive manner. And while /, as
one member of the committee, will go as far as
any one can 60 to protect individual reputation
from unnecessary imputation, yet / think the
widest door should be open that all the facts,
all the considerations and influences by which a
government of this kind can be Influenced or
controlled, should be presented to the CON-
mittee.
Mr.. Mattingly. coincide in that view per-
fectly. had supposed from the start that this
committee was here for the purpose of ascer-
tanning the truth, and that 1t was not DESTROYS
to unnecessarily cast any imputation by any
improper testimony on the reputation of any
individual, whether he be high or low. But
here is testimony called for when the witness
himself states that, In a conversation with the
vvri nf ha ef ad hof ha
not swear to them; that the statements were
false when made at the time. The writer Of
the letters Is summoned to appear before this
committee; and understand fromits chairman
he is to be here.
The Chairman. Mr.. Chittenden will be here
tomorrow morning. ...
Mr.. Wilson. will suggest, Mr.. Mattingly,
that that view of the case is one that Il seems
to me cannot reasonably be entertained. This
Mr. Chittenden told Mr.. Jenkins. The fact has
como to light here that S97 900 was paid in GER
tainly O very peculiar manner, and for some
very strange purposes. There is no sort of
question about this. There will be no differ
ence, If any, upon that subject. The man
through whom that thing was done has written
divers letters in regard to it, and those letters
fell into the possession of this witness, and
quite recently he has destroyed them for rea-
Now, IL Mr.. 5enkins, instead of destroying
those letters, had brought them here in his
pocket this morning there would not be any
question at all about the right and the duty of
the committee to ask him to produce those
letters. We cannot do it, simply for the rea-
son that he has destroyed them. They being
destroyed, then the next best thing the COM
mittee can do, and the only thing the commit
tee can do, is to get at their contents. Those
Ho,,o kaa,, Nf
vice to the committee in the examination OF
Mr.. Chittenden, with a view OF getting at the
truth. We are all seeking that here, trust.
It would have been of great service probably
to the committee for that purpose, and might
have furnished the key TO unlock the mystery
that surrounds this $4,000.
Mr.. jenkins. Not at all.
Mr. Wilson. Well, that is your Judgment,
but we cannot take your judgment shout
these things That is our mission and We are
for this investigation. Now, mas
much as VIC have not got the letters, the only
thing we can do Is to take the next best thing
we can get, and that Is the. contents of the let
ters as we would derive it from the recollec-
ton of the witness, or the recollection of those
persons to whom he has shown them. Now,
there is nobody that will go further than will
10 protect persons from undue aspersion. We
can all, however, readily conceive how justice
might be done to men by reason of letters that
are written under certain circumstances, and
for one am willing, and think it would be the
better course to pursue, not to press this mat
Ter until we have looked further into 1t in other
directions. But as one of the committee, /
should not feel that / had done my duty In
his investigation If we were to drop this mat
.er simply because Mr.. jenkins has destroyed
he letters, and because he says that 1t does
not implicate anybody, or may do Justice to
somebody who is entirely innocent.
Mr.. Mattingly. 1 did not ask the committee,
Tor did suggest 10 the committee that they
irop this matter. take it that If these letters
we're here in Mr.. jenkins possession 1t would
,e exceedingly improper in the committee to
Ipread them on the record, imputating any gen.
iemen's names In them when Mr.. Chittenden
5 to be here and can testify under oath as to
he statements made in those letters. If he
7eriies them under oath, let them be made
public. r..
Mr.. Wilson. 1t is very difficult for us to
Examine Mr.. Chittenden in regard to the state
nents that he made in those letters, when we
would have neither the letters nor the con-
ents.
Mr.. Mattinsly. Then the suggestion that
make to the committee is that they examine
Ar. jenkins privately.
Mr.. Merrick. We have no objection to that
curse.
Mr.. Hubbell. suggest inst we are entitled
o know all that this witness knows about
hese letters, and / suggest further tina. in
Iiew of the facts which he has stated. that It is
he duty of this committee to take Mr.. Jen-
rims into our room and ascertain all that he
lnows. When we get the information we can
ell just precisely what we want to do with
lin.
Mr.. Wilson. That would be entirely salts
factory to me, but apprehend that there is no
member of this committee who could examine
Mr.. Chittenden properly.
Mr.. Hubbell. Let the counsel be there.
Mr.. Wilson. do not know how they could
examine Mr.. Chittenden properly without
knowing what he had written.
Mr.. Hubbell. No; claim that we have
light to know.
The Witness. (Mr. Jenkins.) Now, I am
perfectly willing to state to the &C mmittee; but
do not wish the reporters present. / am will
ing to state anything I recollect of the contents
IF those letters.
Mr.. Christy. We should be very happy, in
Iced, If the committee would adopt that
course.
Mr.. Stewart. It seems to me that would be
,he proper course.
Mr.. Merrick. l am quite willing for the COM
nittee to examine him without the presence of
Mr.. Stewart. We prefer counsel to be pres
mt.
By the Chairman, Ito the witness3 O. Il
think you stated you exhibited some of those
etters in the cityi A. There was q pile Of
hem. -..- f
Q. Did you exhibit alli A. No, sir; think
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