Ottumwa weekly courier., 1876-05-10
GENERAL BELN 4 s,a DEFENSE.

Otnefs is not FcLutHcu I'D tUclf own.
GRNE1AL BELNAP,s DEFENSE.
Surprise has been manifested in
some quarters that the Ex-Secretary
of War through his eminent coun se
should have asked for delay until De
cember in the impeachment trial, es
pecially since it had been proclaimed
far and wide that he was ready ani
willing to proceed at once and pre-
pared to make satisfactory defense
to the court aud public.
We have the Congressional Record
of the 29th ultimo before us which
contains the official proceedings con
nected with that movement, and sub
NIT herewith extracts from the re
marks of Messrs Carpenter and Blacl
giving their reasons why tho delay
in the interest of justice and fair play
should have been granted.
Mr.. Black said:
Is this a case to be tried before {
political body in the midst of pres
idential election! Why, the stuml
and the newspaper will take the ju
risdiction out of your hands in spite
of all you can do. Conventions ant
caucuscs will make their own DEGREES
in the cause and demand their affirm
ancc here. The tempest of passion
which already frights the nation from
its propriety, is rising higher ani
higher every day, and the thunders O.
popular condemnation which break
over us become louder and louder Al
every burst. The wrath of the coun
try wakes hotter as it burns, and il
threatens not only to consume the &C
cnsed but to scorch and blister every
one who stands up to give him aii
and comfort in his adversely.
Can you give him the fair, impair
tial, and unprecedented trial to which
he is entitled? / answer, yes. 1t il
possible to free yourselves from al
these disturbing influences. You can
disregard all political considerations
and trample the passions of the hour
under your feet.
You can rise to the lOftiest height
of judicial virtue and look down with
contempt upon the stream of preju.
dice as it rushes along below you
You can throw away the chances OF
your friends for that high Office which
makes ambition virtue. You can
dismiss from your hearts the natural
love which all public men have fol
the pride, pOmp, and circumstance Ol
political domination over great
country. You can defy the criticism
of your own constituents and all
their power. YOU can look in the
omnipotent face of the whole people
and tell them that their evil is moi
good, a hardship upon you to require
that you should. There is no man
here, think, who does not intend .t
do all this and more. Every Senator
believes that he, for his own part
will come up to that hcrOical standard
of judicial virtue. But is there maj
among you who believes that tho
others can do it?
Mr.. President and Senator's, if We
had but one party against us, WI
could stand it well enough; if one
were hostile and the other neutral
This is case in which all parties
who agree with one another in moth
ing else, unite In chorus of execra
ton against single individual. Tht
Democracy, as soon as the accusation
was made, remembered its tradition.
al love Of everything that is pure and
good in government and acting upon
its profound hatred for all manner OF
corruption, broke into q loud explO
sion Of anger the moment they heard
the accusation, without stopping tt
consider whether it was exactly trut
or not. The general shout which
they sent up shook the whole country
from sea to sea and completely stam-
peded the party of the Administra.
tion. Everywhere they broke from
their corrals, snapped their halters
and went wild in scattered confusion
Some rather heavy stock that ha(
never raised trot before wen
over the plains OH a firiou
gallop. Laughter.
The PRESIDENT pro tempose
The Chair will here remind those oc
cupying the floor as well as those i,
the galleries that this applause is en-
tirely out of order.
Mr.. BLACK. Mr. President, an.
Senator'S, there is an institution
among US called the Department O
Justice. On its seal is the legend
Qui pro domino .justitia sequiter.
is headed just now by q gentleman
renowned for his legal learning ant
his love for everything that is jus
and right. 1t is his special busines
to hold the executive head level OF
subjects of this kind. lie heard tha
his friend, brother, and colleague wa
accused by committeeman proved
to be guilty, but simply accused
Did he throw the broad ngis of tn
Constitution and the laws over hin
to protect him and shield him apt
save him? No. He resolved on tn,
instant that he would burn with in
dignation as fierce rs the most virtu
Gus of democrats.
/ Without warrant, without process
of any kind, without an oath, withou
proof of probable cause, he. surroun
ded him with body of armed DO
licemen, filled his house with them
put them at the front door, at tn,
back door in hall, parlor and kitchen
You had seen him in that condition
you might have supposed him to b,
the fallen minister of some Turkish
despot surrounded by tho janisarie.
of the Sultan and waiting quietly fol
the bowstring,
When q lawless outrage like thi,
can be perpetrated by the Depart
mcnt Of Justice; when the Attorney
General, the special guardian of The
law, can be lifted from his feet and
carried away by the tide of prejudice
have we not reason to distrust the
fairness of politicians in general?
Mr.. President would make this
same appeal for continuance to any
court Of justice. This ia no unjudi.
cial call upon your discretion. II
does not imply any imputation upon
you.
The following are extracts from
the remarks Of the Hon. Mat Carpen.
ter:
Mr.. CARPENTER. Mr.. President,
what is the danger to the state, what