The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-06-08

the witness Muligan, and which he had re-
ceivcd We're his (Blaine's,) and no other person
had any right to them. Hc said further
The man who held them in his possession
held them WrongfuIly, and the committee which
attempted to take these letters from this man
for use against Inc proceed wrongfully. 1t pro-
ccedcd in the boldest and most defiant violation
OF the ordinary personal and private rights that
belong to every American citizen. am will
ing 10 meet the Judiciary Committee on that
point. | wanted that committee TO introduce il.
| wanted the gentleman from Kentucky (knotD
and the gentleman from Virginia (iIunton) to
Introduce that question on the floor and they
d d not do It.
understand the Judiciary Committee to have
abandoned that issue against me, but there has
gone forth the idea or impression, because l
would not permit that man or any man, (when
| could prevent it, from holding as Il menance
over my head my private correspondence that
there must be something in it most deadly and
destructive to my reputation. | would like any
gentleman on this floor (and all of them are pre-
sumed to be men of affairs whose business has
been varied and whose Intercourse has been
large) to stand up here and say he is willing
and ready to have his private correspondence
for the last 10 or II years handled over and
made public. Does it imply guilt? Does it i'm
ply wrong doing: Does it imply sense of
weakness, that Il man will protect his private
correspondence? No, sir; it is mans first in
terest TO do it, and it is the last outrage on any
man to violate it. l have dcted the power to
take the letters from me. l do it still. l speak
with all respect to this House. / know its
powers and l trust that l respect them; but |
say that this House has no more power to order
what shall be done or shall not be done with
private correspondence than it has to order
what / shall DO with the future teachings and
admonitions OF my children; not one particle
more.
But am about to show the letters, (holding
them up in his hand | thank God Almighty
that ! am not ashamed to show them. There
is the very original package. With some sense
of humiliation; with Il modification which L
do not pretend to conceal; with sense of out
rage which l think any man in my position
would feel, i invite the confidence OF torty-iour
millions OF people, and Will read these letters
of mine.
applause which the Speaker pro tenn en-
deavored to suppress.)
Many OF these letters have not the remotest
bearing on the subject but some of them will
require little explanation Some of them may
possibly involve humiliation; but ! would
good deal rather take that than take the evil
surmses and still more evil differences that
might be drawn if did not act with this frank
ness.
Mr.. Blaine then proceeded TO read and to
make passing comments upon, and explanation
OF various points in the several letters The
first letter was marked private and personal
and dated August n, 1873, and addressed to
Warren Fisher, Jr., claiming that the latter
was irving TO force him to a settlement. and
mentioning 4 $4,000 note on account of "Spen-
cer stock" Mr. Blaine said he wanted to eX
plain this The alluson to the Spencer contract
he explained by saying that in the summer of
1861, two years before he first came to Con-
greSs he had been asked if he could not get an
opportunity for the inventor of the Spencer
Repeating Rifle to bring the new arm to the at
tention of the Secretary of War. lie said he
| thought he could, and he had come on to Wash
ington, and mad an interview with Secretary
Cameron Mr.. Cameron had given orders to
have it tested by the Ordnance Bureau it had
been thoroughly tested, and the experiments
were satisfactory, that preliminary order
for 900 rifles was made and the Company
had Immediately proceeded TO erect an arlnOry
| in Boston. lie had been paid, not an eXtrava-
CANT, but Il moderate fee for his services, which
he had just as much liberty TO take as any law
yer or agent had to take fee. Subsequently
he had taken and paid for $4,000 worth OF
stock in the Company, which had since been
merged in the Massachusetts Rifle Co. That
was the whole story.
The next letter was Aug. 8, 1872, from Au-
| gusta, in answer TO a letter from Fisher asking
| him Tor note OF $4,000 on account. In this
| letter Blaine claimed that Fisher was owing
| him over $1,000 in the Little Rock matter. Says
| the latter is perpetual and never ending EN-
| barrassment, and that he was as a contribution
| box, borrowing to meet his campaign expenses.
| Laughter.l
| The next letter was one Of July Sd, 1872, Civ
| ing further particulars of the dispute.
| The next letter read was dated Washington
| April 26, 1872, and in it Blaine answers Fish
| er's request for letter of credit of $4,000 on
| Jay Cooke Il Co.. saying he would gladly get
it if he We're able but he had not the means.
| He had no power Of getting letter of credit
| from that firm, except by paying the money
for it, and the money he did not have He al
| so alluded to his losses in the Fort Smith trans
| actions as embarrassing him pecuniariy
| The fifth letter referred to a decision made by
| Blaine as Speaker, on the last night of the ses-
| sion in 1869, ruling out an amendment offered
| by Julian to annex the Memphis and I'll Paso
| bill to bill relating to the Little Rock road.
| The additional letters were then read in full,
| Blaine making explanation in regard TO one
| which referred to $4,000 of the U. 2. bonds,
| which Blaine said belonged to Il member of his
| Or Wiil6n' Id 'i@i' ne i31ldtifl"0r letters
made by MuIligan read at the Clerks desk, aud
| Blaine then said this was all.
| Mr.. Blaine then proceeded to charge Proctor
| Knott, of Kentucky, Chairman of the Commit
tee, with having suppressed despatch from
| Josiah Caldwell, in London, three days before,
| in which he eYonerated Blaine. An exciting
| personal debate ensued. during which Mr..
| Blaine offered the following
| Resolved That the Judiciary Committee be
| instructed to report forthwith to the House,
whether i'll acting the resolution of the
| House of May ID, relative 10 the purchase by
| the Union Pacific Railroad Co., OF 10 land
| grant bonds Of the Little Rock and Fort Smith
| Railroad, said committee has sent any telegram
| 10 one Josiah Caldwell i'll Europe aud received
| Il reply thereto, and if So that the Committee
| report said telegram and reply with the date
when said reply was received and the reason
why the same has been suppressed; or whe-
Their the Committee has heard from said Josiah
Caldwell in any other way and what,
This, by party vote was referred to the
Judiciary Committee.
The Canaan Murderer.