The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-08-02
The Confederate InQuisition

OutH buo SCduudlS duu
ISLANDERS which the various Democratic Com
mittees of the House have been spending all
the session in collecting, win be let loose upon
the country in the form of reports. Despite
the fact that the injunction of secrecy
was placed upon the proceedings of the
greater part Of these committees, the great
er part of the so-called testimony has
been made public through the medium of
Democratic newspapers. Nothing new will
appear. Confederate Congressman will dress
up and display their scandals in the most
striking attitudes as it is a part of the pro-
gramme of the Confederate conspiracy as
arranged in December last.
The outrageous course pursued by these
committees is well known to the public. The
sessions of the greater part of them were Sc
cret. Black-mailers, informers, men turned
out of Office because of ineficiency or dis
honesty, and dead-beats of all sorts have
been urged to make charges against Repub-
lican officials who were not permitted to be
present and meet the accusers face to face.
Then that the objects of their malice NAV
be condemned in advance of their reports,
members of these committees have violated
their own enforced rule of secrecy and al
lowed the scandals collected by them to be
published in such manner as would most
surely cast suspicion upon those they had
marked as victims.
1t is not necessary TO notice in detail the
indecent course pursued by each of these
committees. Our readers will recall the dis
graceful proceedings of the Clymer Com
mittee in its attempt not to blacken the char
acters of Republicans but of army officers
whose only offense in the eyes OF the pres.
when assailed by many of its present men,
beIs. We refer 10 the scandalous attacks
upon Gen. Meigs as an instance.
The most Infamous of these investigations
(so called) was that carried on by the Naval
Committee of which Mr.. Whltthorne of Ten
nesee tlate an Adjutant General in the rebel
army is chairman. 1t started out with the
purpose of convicting Mr.. Robson. 1t was
not an investigation; since that implies that
certain charges are made against a man and
he is given an opportunity to meet his accu-
sers face to face. The naval investigation
was simply star-chamber inquiry. A ma
jority of the Committee had decided to break
down Robson for political effect. How did
this Committee proceed? Whom did thew
hear? Wherever they went they first heard
all those who had grievance against Mr..
Robson or the officers charged with the
management of the navy. Neither Mr.. Robe
son nor any of the accused, was permitted to
cross-eXamine his accusers. Indeed, they
were not permitted to be present, and only
knew of the charges and stories told against
them by such reports of that secret testimony
as appeared in the public press. II was with
the utmost difficulty that Secretary Robson
was enabled to make defense and present
fair witnesses before the Committee On the
other hand, such traitors as eX-Constructor
Porter, who deserted the Union to aid the
rebellion, were always welcome, and their
complaints and charges always heard. Por-
ter was good subject for this Committee.
He it was who fitted out the rebel ram Merri.
mac so that in an hour she destroyed millions
of the property of the United States and the
lives of many brave men. Every clerk or
employc who had been turned out of Office
the dead beats which naturally swarm about
the departments-these were the Witnesses
Investigations were conducted at Wasbioo-
ton, Boston, Norfolk, Va, Kttery, PbiIadel-
phia and New York. Month followed month