New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-30
TABLEAU.

Senate Chamber of the United States the other
day. Simon Cameron stood forth III opposition
to the confirmation of the appointment OF
Richard II. Dana as Minister to En-
gland 1t was in Executive session,
and under the seal of secrecy which
covers such proceedings it may be pre-
sumed that the Pennsylvania Senator dellv-
cred his opinions with less than ordinary re-
straint. From such accounts as have been
gathered it appears that he made upon this
occasion q speech of unusual vehemence; that
he attacked the character of the appontee
with such earnestness and yigor as he had
not been used to show, and that he was
supported in his assault by Senator
Morton Of Indiana. 1t was quite
impressive 1t must have been. Simon Cam
eron of Pennsylvania and Oliver L. Morton OF
Indiana standing up in the Senate to arralgn
Richard II. Dana upon charges brought by
BENJAMIN F. Butler. Read these names, on
American Pubhc read them slowly and
carefully. and consider them well. These
three are Richard II. Dana's accusers
Simon Cameion, Oliver p. Morton, and
BENJAMIN L. Butler. How fine tableau this
to become historic Three such statesmen
throwing themselves with such energy into
the breach to defend the country against the
great disgrace of being represented at a
foreign court by Richard II. Dana With what
high regard for the national honor ana the
dignity of the Government did Benjamin
F. Butler rush before the Committee on For
cign Relations to protest against the contirma-
ton. Consider the fiery impulses of unsetiSh
patriotism which guided him; the self-abne-
CATION with which he abandoned the retire
ment and privacy he so much loves, TO en-
counter once more the public gaze from when
he has so habitually shrunk, just for the
sake of his country's honor and the nations
good name. And this is the man who in all
his public career never failed to appear either
rs q paid defender or gratuitous aDologlst
whenever Government thieves have been
brought to the bar, or official corruption has
been uncovered; the man whose lifelong
habit has been to snecr at public virtue,
scout the idea of public morality or
public conscience, and chuckle at the
success of venality, bribery, and official
dishonesty the man of contracts, bargains, and
brides whose low tone and vicious practices
brought defeat to himself and disaster to his
party; against whom for the very reason OF
his personal character the better portion
of his party revolted and nominated
Richard H. Dana as their protest; the man
who in a State Convention where he was
candidate for Governor sat without sign OF re-
sentiment or surprise and heard the audience
applaud the Rev. Freeman Clarke for saying.
81 will not vote for Mr.. Butler even if this
Convention neminates him, because do not
Nj l. tha
the Mephistophcles of his party-the foremost
representative of rotten period out OF which
let us pray God we are passing-who plunges
in TO defend the honor of the nation against
the appointment of Richard ii. Dana as Min
lister to England.
This is the accuser. And who the Court
The Committee on Foreign Affairs, with Simon
Cameron as Chairman. And Simon Cam
cron, too, is keenly sensitive upon the point OF
national honor; more sensitive upon the subject
of Senatorial dignity. After Mr.. -Cameron's
Committee had heard Mr.. Buffers charge of
"litelary piracy" against Mr.. Dana 1t
voted to report against the continuation
Mr.. Dana thercupon wrote letter to
Mr.. Boutwell, III which his objections to
being pronounced q literary pirate" by
the United States Senate, upon the testimony
of Benjamin F. Butler in an CT pdrte hearing,
were distinctly but cOurteously stated. 1t was
because of this letter that Mr.. Cameron made
his vigorous speech. 1t was not sufficiently def
erential to the Senate and to Mr.. CamerOns com
mttee And so that statesman says Mr. Dana
il not fit man for the English mission. Mr.
Dana is not so well known as MIR. Simon
Cameron. He is scholar with a very high
reputation in literature, lawyer of the first
standing at the bar, an author who has been
read and admired On both sides of the At
laltic a gentleman of such irreproachable
character that he was selected as
the best possible representative of the
opposition to Mr. Butler, and such an earnest,
sincere, and upright man that in this country
all honest men rejoiccd at his appointment, and
in England it was hailed rs "a return to the
"ancient practice OF selecting American dipo-
"matists from among the cultivated men
"of the United States" But a great many
persons know Mr.. Cameron who do not
know Mr.. Dana. Mr.. Cameron has been long
in public life. He represents to a great many
thousand American citizens an idea and n
SYSTEM in politics. Occupying for many years
positions that call for craftsmanship, learn
ing. and culture, he has never been
and cannot be anything but schem-
ing, contrivng, bargaining, and corruptng
politician. Never called, except by himself, to
official station, he has pushed and purchased
his way to the highest places. In the thirty
years of his public life he has never held an
Office the way to which was not paved with
intrigue, corruption. and bribery. SO well
known was he in 1860 that President Lincoln,
when told that he had been placed under a sort
of obligation to appoint him to his Cabinet,