Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-06-06

! thing 10 Il mnSi deadly and destructive 10 NY
rcpu' atioD. would like any gentleman on
this floor land I'll them are presumed to br men
of affairs, who's, business has been varied and
whose intercourse has been lcrge,) to stand up
here and say that he is willing and ready to
have his private correspondence for the last
ten or twelve years handed over and made
public
D"rs it Imply guilt? Does it imply wrong
doing DYES il imply sense OF weakness that
q mau will protect his private correspC ndencc
No sir, it is mans first instinct to do IT. and
it is the last outrage on any man tcvlolatc 1t. L
have icfyd the power to take these letters troui
ur. | do it still. | speak with I'll respect Tor
this H.use. | know its powers, ard trust
that | respect them. But say that this House
has IN more power to order what shall be done
or not done with 10y private correspondence
than ii as to order what shall do wiki the
uui urc and admonilion of my cnlldreu-uOt one
PARTICLE more But an not ashamed to show
the tiers (holding them up ia his haud.l /
thai k God Almighty that am not ashamed to
shuw them. Fhcrc they are; there is the very
original package. With some sense OF hunIla-
ton, with 4 mnrliti:a.ion which do Got pre-
tend to conceal, win sense OF outrage which
thiuk any uaa 10 my position would feel, |
iorite the cootiicn OF forty mlihous Of pco-
ole, and will read these letters. Applause
which the Speaker pro tenn. cnde:.Vorcd to
suppress Many of these letters have NOT the
remotcst bearing on the subject, but some OF
them will require little exp lanatlon: Some OF
lhcm may possibly involve humiliation, but 1
would good deal rather take that than take
evil SURPRISES, and, still more, evil differences
that might be drawn if did not act with this
irauknrsS.
Mr.. Blaine thCreupoo proceeded to read and
| 70 IN ke uassslng comments upon and tXpana-
tious of various poinIs III the several Letters.
The ausion to toe Spencer contract he OK
paned by sayiDk that in the summer Of 1861,
TWO years before he first came TO Congress, be
had been asked il he could not get an oppor-
tu1ity tor the inventor of the Spencer repeat
ing riff! to bring that Gew arm TO the attention
OF the Secretary OF War He said he thought
ne ud, aud he had come on to Washington
ard had an interview with Secretary Cameron.
Mr. Cameron bud given orders Ii have 1t test
ed by the ordinance bureau. 1t had been
thoroughly tested and the experiments were
so satisfactory that 4 preliminary order icI
20 600 ,if"s was made. The company bad
immcuiaicly proceeded to erect an armQry lu
Boston.
H. had been paid not an extravagant, but a
noIeratc fee, Tor his Services, which be had
;jus as muci, liberty to take as any lawyer or
agent ned to take fec. Subsequently he had
taken and paid Tor 600 worth OF stock in ths
company, which had snec been merged toto
the Winchester Rife Company. That was tic
whole story. There are the five letters. There
are the whole 81 them, and here Is Muil!gan' :
mcmoranGum. kc"p 1t as prOtccton iOI
myself to show the Identity Of letters 10 every
respect.
The correspondence, fifteen letters in all,
covering il period from 1862 10 1873 was read
by Mr. Blaine and comu.cnlci On aud cx-
planned by him as he welt along. He took
the letters as they happend 10 come to hi.
hand without regard TO order of date or subject.
: Several OF them wcr, IN reference 10 prop ;scd
ttements Of the acc un,s between him and
Fisher, so;Dc we're III refusal OF Fishers ap.
piicaiJu FOR money, stating Blaine's Inability
to comply with the request, tut expressing
readiness to have full and complete settle
m@nt.
: Olc was a relation by Mr. Blaine of how
during the frs; five weeks .! his Spcakcrshir
he had dec.cd point Of order which seemed
; to be in the interest If the Liula Rock and
Fort Smith Raj road Company without hi:
Knowledge, however, that Fisher or any friend
of his wa. likely to be benefited thereby In
regard to this i.tter hi exploration went into
full particulars. INC u'.i,g quotations. FROM the
: Congressional Globe. Another had reference
to h. CONTRACT ar Spencer rifles. This matter
he explained fully.
Mr.. Gover, Of Mis-. uti Will you have
that memorandum read?
Mr.. Blaine. will do so
Mr.. Hale, Of Maine does this exhibit cover
the very paper thar came from Michigan?
Mr.. Blaine.-Evcry solitary scrap.
| Nj. Glover Let that memorandum be read
at the cln.k desk.
Mr. Bauc (scadips it to The clerks desk J.
Yes viii be glad to have it read.
The memorandum Was read.
Nr. Ba,n;.-Now | would be obliged for
any gentleman when he reads these letters to
see ib, obvious lntcnI in which that mGmoran.
dun was made up. desire also 10 call atcn-
ton to the fact that these wcr9 the letters tor
which | WAS ready to commit suicide and SUI.
dry aud diverse othcr desperate thirgS IN order
TO a. quirc them. | have one or wo more OBJ
servailous to MAX. The specific charge wHich
went to the c)mm ttte was whether | was a
party iu interest 10 that $64 900 transaction,
and submit tha up to thus time there has not
been o&c parIcl" Of proof to connect me with
it, These letter, were picked cut OF CORES.
pondruca extending over fifteen yeors The
man Alulligan did his worst, his very worst
They were pick ID ont Of lhI most intimate BUS
in,ss correspondence Of my lite. ask you
gentlemen, and | ask il with some feeling If
any of yyu cpuld stand a closer scru'iay-a
more ri2ld inves,i1ation Of your correspond
cnce /? Now there is but ole piece Of testimony
wauting-therc is but one thing TO cosc the
mrletc circle 0! testlmouy-,h is Que wit
ness whom | cannot have, bat to whom the
judiciary committee voted TO scnd cable dis
palch- JOSIAH Caldwell. ask the gentleman
from Kentucky if that cable dispatch was
scn!2
Mr. koot.-The gentleman from Virginia
Mr. Iun;oG aud have both cndeavorcd to
.ei Mr., CaIdwcs address, and have not yet
got it.
Mr. BIane-fias the gentleman from Ken
lucky received cable dispatch from Mr.. Csld-
we'll?
Mr. Kuott.-I will explain lhlt directly
! Mr.. B ane.-l W ut categorical answer.
| Mr.. kDot.-I hav ccived dispatch pur-
porting to be from Mr.. Caldwell. How did you
know GOT it2
| Mr.. Balm, advancing down the aisl" II
When did you get THAT dispatch?
Mr. Knott. Il want you to answer my ques