New-York tribune., 1876-12-18
WASHINGTON.
GENTLER FEELING PREVALENT.

Gen. Grant states that he does not believe
there Will be a military demonstration by
he Democrats He will meet it if there
4 Many Democrats in the House be-
ain to take the Republican view that the
GOD Joint Rule is not in force. Senator Chand-
Ier does not object to having his dispatches
read. Mr. MOrtons visit to Indiana is thought
70 he to secure the safety of war stores there.
The more moderate men among Democrats in
the House are making earnest efforts to con-
troll matters in the interest of peace.
SECRETARY CHANDLER's DISPATCHES.
THE HIGHT TO SECURE PAPERS AND EFFECTS
CHANDLER NOT AFRAID TO SHOW HIS Dis
PATCHEs.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
WASHINGTON Dec. 1.-THE refusal of the West
ern Union Telegraph Company TO produce before
Mr. MorrisOn's committee in New-Orleans the dis
matches which passed between Louisiana Republican
politicians and Che managers of the party in Wash
ngton again raises the important question of privl-
leges. which always comes up in one house or the
other at every session. The Constitution OF the
United States provides that the right Of the people
TO he secure in their persons, houses, papers,
and effects against unreasonable searches ana
seizures shall not be violated" Both houses OF
Congress have again and again, when purSu-
ing Investigations, acted on the theory that
neither this clause of the Constitution nor any
made under it, could stand in their way. Gen. But
lers seizure of telegraphic dispatches in the i'm
peachment Investigation has been repeatedly con-
demned by people of both parties. and would have
causedmore popular excitement at the time had II not
been for the circumstances which surrounded the
act Last Winter the Democrats of the House went
further than Gen. Butler even, and sent their ser-
peant-at-ar1ns to New-YOrk to take possession Oh q
e4eat mass of dispatches which were found in junk
shop where they had been sold for old paper These
dispatches were brought to this city, and clerks
we're for weeks engaged in searching through
them in the hope of finding something
that in some indirect way might bear on the subject
under investigation. The right of either house OF
Congress to ImprSon person for an indefinite
period for contempt has also been matter that was
not fully settled until the last sesson' when Judge
Cartier Of the Supreme Court Of this District re-
leased KilbOurn OH a writ of habeas corpus.
No better occasion than tie present is likely to
arise for the determination of the rights Of either
house of Congress over private correspondence,
either telegraphic OF otherwise. The subpoena dHoo3
teeIm issued by Mr.. MorriSon's committee is one
which no court in the land would allow to 60 forth
No foundation forit has been laid NOtestimony has
been taken to show that anything in the dispatches
called for has any bearing whatever, direct or re-
mote. ON the subject under investigation. What Is
proposed is simply fishing excursion, in the remote
hope that something may be found. II this is legal
and constitutional now is good time to find 1T
out. If the managers of either party have been
guilty Of dishonesty OF of advising it, every honest
man viii rejoice to have that fact exposed but it
certainly seems proper that some ground for suspi-
cion should be shown before any mans whole prl-
yate correspondence is called for.
Secretary Chandler laughs at tho idea that the
Democrats can make anything ont of his telegrams
as Chairman Of the Republican Committee. he
saws he has not the slightest objection to an exam
ination of every one of them. He has always re-
garled the telegraph as an affair that no pru-
dent man would commit secret to-
dispatch, he says, is 10 more private than
a postal card. Operators may read it Ill
transit and persons not in the employ OF the tele-
graph company may listen to the click OF the instru
meuts, and, knowing the telegraphic language, may
get possession of messages. lie was careful during
the whole Of the campaign to trust nothing to the
wires which he was not willing the Democrats
should see, knowing that they would probably steal
his dispatches and he worried all messages IN such
way that the language could not be distorted to bis
prejudice.