Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-03-17
A Sample Confederate.

The House Committee on Expenditures
of the War Department has been brought
very prominently before the public
through the impeachment proceedings
against the late Secretary of War. One
William Nj. Robbins, of North Carolina,
is member of that committee. We find
by reference to the Congressional Direct
ory that he is " Conservative Democrat
whatever that may imply; that he was
born in Randolph County, n. c., about
forty-five years ago; that he was educated
at Trinity College, in that State, and Ran
dolph- Macon College, Virginia; that he
graduated at the latter institution in 1851,
"tOiM the first distinctions" that he is a
lawyer by profession; that he was "an
officer in the Confederate army during the
whole war, participating in nearly all the
battles in Virginia, Maryland ana Penn
sylvania, from Bull Run to AppomatoX;"
that he was a Presidential electoT on the
Seymour and Blair ticket in 1868, and
that he was elected to tie Senate IF North
Carolina an 1868 and reelected IN 1870"
BY some unacc0untable blunder a very
important part of Mr. Robbins record as
member of the State Senate was wholly
omitted from his biography.
We print this missing link in our Wash
ington dispatches this morning. II shows
that Mr.. Il. is peculiarly fitted to act in
cases of bribery. The National Republi-
can of yesterday declares that Mr. Rob
bins was convicted of bribery and public
ly censured by the Legislature of North
ber in 1869. The Republican goes
into details, declaring that he (Robblns)
received bribe of tloenty dollars
for voting for the allowance Of a claim
before the Legislature. But the Republican
shows also that Robbins even then pos
sessed redeeming features of character;
for it says land publishes what Robbins
said) that he frankly admitted that he had
received the money, but that he lndig-
naAtly denied that it was paid to him to
influence hts vote on the claim question.
Far from it! On the contrary, he de-
clared that the large sum of money--to wit:
t,oelsty dOHdrs-was paid to him "tO secure
his Serptces as an attorney IN procuring
other UOtesr The Senate saw this fine
distinction, and refused TO adopt resolu-
tions for the expulsion of the attorney by
a vote of eighteen to fifteen. But design
ing to discourage Mr.. Robbins from his
peculiar line Of practice before the Legis-
lature, the Senate adopted resolutions OF
censuie by a vote of twenty-eight to three |!
The resolutions of censure were, accord
ing to the Republican, so explicit and
definite as to convey the impression TO the
general reader that Robbins had been
6ribed for twenty dollars. The preamble
is brief, and we give 1t verbatim, with the
remark that it might have been inserted
in the Congressional Directory without
transcendng the limits of that exceeding
ly interesting historical work. II is as
follows:
Whereas, II appears by the report OF the Com
mittee on Bribery and COrTuptiOn that w. M.
Robbins, senator from the Thirty-second Sena-
torial District did, the 22d day Of last August,
receive from John W. Stevens the sum OF twenty
dollars for his services in securing the passage OF
a resolution through the Senate in favor OF said
stevens; and whereas, Senator cannot right
fully receive any fee reward for his services as
a Senator beyond the per diem allowed by laws
and whereas, the receiving Oi any fee or reward II
high breach OF the privileges OF the SENATE, aud
tends to the destruction OF legislative Integrity;
therefore, be II resolved, etc.
1t is difficult to treat this really very
serious matter grayely. That man who
fought from 1861 TO 1866 to destroy his
Government in the interest of the accursed
institution of slavery, and who was bribed
for twenty dollars while State Senator in
1869, should have seat in Congress, and
place ON committee whose duty it is to
inquire into cases of bribery in 1876, is a
humiliating fact. 1t may account for the
ease with which Marsh was permitted to
slip through the fingers of the Demo-
cratic committee OF Investigation and es-
CAPE from the country.-I Inter OcedR.