The Portland daily press., 1876-08-04
PROCTOR KNOTT.
He Makes a C0wardly Attack on
Mr.. Blaine.
AND DISGUSTS HIS OWN
PARTY
A Singing Rebuke from NIessrS,
Frye and Hale.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3

Mr.. Hurd, from the Judiciary committee
submitted the unanimous report of that COM
mittee in regard to the Caldwell telegram, en-
tirely generating Mr.. Knott the chairman,
from any intention or desire to withhold it i'm
properly from the knowledge of the committee
of the House.
Mr.. Knott, the chairman of the committee,
said he had had no intention to speak on the
subject, as he was perfectly satisfied with the
report of the committee generating him from
all suspicion, either of mistake in Judgment
or of having been actuated by an unworthy
motive, but he had seen an article lately pub
lished in the Philadelphia North American
reassertng that the Caldwell despath had been
UNANIMOUSLY suppressed by him (knott) and
holding up to the contempt OF the country
man who should so debase himself by conceal
ing proof of the innocence of a political foe,
and he felt called upon to speak in his own be-
half. 1t was, however, peculiarly painful for
him to speak on the subject in the absence of
the gentleman from Maine (Blaine) who had
found it necessary for the promotion of his
own personal ends to make an unjustiiable
and disiDgenuous imputation on him (Knott.)
Notwithstanding the erroneous impression
with which the popular mind had been filled
by that sublime piece of acting, notwithstand-
ing the flood of vituperation and calumny
which was hurled at him (Knott) by the Re
publican press, and conscious OF the rectitude
Of his intentions, conscious of the correctness of
his judgment, conscious of having done his
duty to his committee, conscious that be had
done nothing more than he ought to have done,
he waited patiently for Mr.. Blaine's appear
ance in the House before opening his lips in
his own vindlcation. He had waited only to
be disappointed by the news of Blaine's resig-
nation 1t was said the hand OF God was upon
him. that he was sick. Whether be was really
affected in body and mind whether he was re-
ally Frustrated by an attack of sickness, or
whether he was only acting part to postpon
the investigation until the popular interest had
subsided he (Knott) did not know.
He only knew that the gentleman from
Maine was not present. He reviewed the ac
ton of the committee in the action of the
Little Rock & Fort Smith bonds, and alluded
to the testimony of some of the witnesses, par
ticularly to than OF r. HI. Rollins, late treas
urer of the Union Pacific Railroad Company,
now the Senator elect from New Hampshire.
He spoke of the very convenient memory of
Mr.. Rollins and said 10 unprejudlced mind
could read the record of his testimony without
arriving at the conclusion that he considered
himself under no legal obligation to remember
any fact which could not be proved by some
other witness, but his testimony taken as a
whole had cOrrOborated the leading statement
of Mr.. Harrison before the committee and had
besides left the impression that there was
something beyond, something ''rotten in the
state of Denmark" something which no fellow
could find ont"
shown that of all men on earth Mr.. Blaine was
the most interested in having Josiah Caldwell
brought before the committee if his testimony
could be procured in any possible manner. If
Caldwell had refused to come that of course,
would be an end OF it, 1t might be that if he
had come his testimony would have
indicated and not convicted Mr.. Blaine.
In any event Mr.Blaine would have occupied
the attitude of challenging all the testimony
that could be procured against him. In the
light of subsequent events he (KnotD thought
it probable that Mr.. Blaine may have had good
reasons for not desiring that Caldwell should be
disturbed in the retiracy of his foreign home.
Caldwelps testimony would have been of vital
importance either for the complete exculpation
of Blaine or to show the nature and extent of
his implication in the transaction. The ques-
ton of sending despatch to Caldwell request
ing him to return to this country and testify
had been brought before the committee on the
26th of May, and the proposition had been sed-
ulously and earnestly opposed on the part of
Mr.. Blaine. He went on to rehearse the story
of the Caldwell telegram, and said that as soon
as he received it he thought it extremely fishy"
and it then occurred to him that it was scheme
concocted on this side of the Atlantic to make
the Judiciary Committee and House itself the
American people. He was convinced of it, he
said, on hearing Mulligan relate the circum-
stances OF his famous interview with Blaine,
wherein the latter grovelled abjectly in the
dust, implorng Mulligan not to destroy him,
and where, in the face of the pledge to return
the letters, Mr.. Blaine coolly put them in his
pocket. He submitted that after that he had
ample grounds for believing that Blaine would
be party to the concocting of the Caldwell
telegram or anything else that would tend to
promote his private or political ends
Passing un to the dispatches sent to Caldwell
under what he called his ''mellifuous pseudo
nym" of "Favo," he said that "Favo'' was
the italian word for honeycomb, and he con.
sidered the name very appropriate in considera-
ton of the honey which Caldwell had gathered
tbrOu oh the InStrumaOtalitv of his rnh h nkar
James G. Blaire, and of his being the gushing
receptacle OF the previous treasures extracted
from him by the active and disinterested
Blaine. Caldwell had adopted the despatch
concocted for him but he would just as readily
adopt despatch requesting him to say that
Blaine TODD by and gave directions when God
Almighty wheeled the dirt of which the world
was made.
Frye of Me-, replied to Knott's speech. He
said he did not know when he was more panied
than he was to-day, or when his feelings had
been SO wounded as they had been to-day.
An attempt by him to review the testimony
under the Tarbox resolution was entirely un-
necessary, and an attempt to review it and pro-
nounce Judgment on it by the gentleman from
Ky, (knott). when that case had been pospon-
ed till next December, was without the slight
est justification in honor or In parliamentary
law. That testimony, when it was reported to
the House, would convince beyond a doubt the
honest seeker after truth that Blaine never had
duRu0 " w Will tuo TIU,UUU VI tu6 lllbbl6 hOCk
and Fort Smith bonds that were purchased by
Mr.. Scott, of Mr.. Caldwell, and sold to the
Union Pacific Railroad Company.
None but mind filled with Jealousy, filled
with malice, filled with wicked purpose would
dare pronounce judgment on peer of his on
the floor of the House on any such testimony
as that. He did not propose to review the tes-
timony in reference to the Caldwell Dispatch
but he asserted that it failed to show anything
whatever of Blaine's inspiring, or sending, or
seeking to have sent any despatch to Caldwell.
he repeated what himself and Blaine had
again and again said to Mr.. Knott, that he
might pursue the investigation to the very bit
ter end, and that at that end be would not fiLd
the Hon James G. Blaine. No mind that was
not made reckless by bitterness, by malice, by
wicked purpose, would ever dare assert that
Mr.. Blaine instigated, stood over or helped on
Mr.. Caldwells clerk (ReedJ to publish these
dispatches. When Mr.. Blaine was on the
floor the gentleman from Kentucky had not at
tempted to make any attack upon him, but be
had undertaken feeble and unworthy defence
against Mr.. Blaine. The friends of Mr. Knott
had asked him to agree to a report that should
exculpate him. They said that he desired ex-
culpation because be had unfriendly looks and
unfriendly criticism from his own side of the
House He had learned gradually to have
confidence in that gentleman, to admire him
and to love him, and he had exculpated him
and said that he had kept back that telegram
in good faith, but the exhibition of malice
which the gentleman from Kentucky had
dared to make in the absence of Mr.. Blaine
had satisfied him he had not learned or known
him.
That gentleman (Knott) in the deep recesses
OF his heart, that gentleman knew that God
had struck down Mr.. Blaine, that for two and
half days he had never uttered one word, had
never recognized his wife or Child, had never
closed his eyes, and yet he stood up in the
House and in the absence of Mr.. Blaine insin-
mated that it was all a part of the play, that
Blame was great and leading character in it,
and that he played 10 his part admirably A
gentleman who would do that showed a malice
filling his heart, driving out discretion, driving
out sjustice, driving out affection, driving out
all that is good and pure and holy, and filing it
with its own debilish wicked form. If it was
there today in full growth, in vigorous life, it
was there then when the telegram from Cald-
well was received originally. If i. was there.
then he would say to the Republican members
of the House that they would be justified in
voting to man that the report of the Judic-