Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-02-17
.IuIlre SincIair'S Speech.

The k!chuund v hi, in notclug The speech
OF JUICE Sinclair, one Of the Senators from
this district. on the X ight.J obnsou conte ted
elect n case, 10 the Virginia Senate, last Mon
day. says:
1T was the first set speech be has made in the
Senate, and he WAS listened TO with marked at
tcntion. After referring TO lis slight acquai.t-
ance with the two parties to the contest not tx
tending in either case beyond the ntsrchsn, e
OF ordinary courtesteS. he said ne WAS not the
advocate OF any person, faction or party in this
election case, nor should he heed the waves of
sn angry public opinion Inst were flashing the
base Of this Capitol His object WAS to get at the
truth and justice OF the case As Martin Luther
said on u memorable occasion, he should do MS
duty AS he understood it, if there we're ss many
devils at orma rs thelt were tiles upon the
houses, So he meant TO do his d.ty in tn case,
| regardless OF outside clamor AID excitement.
He SAID is district r>s not boiling over with
that excitement on this subject WHICH Wss said
to exist in hi, city. lie was responsible ior his
course to his constituency and they expected
MIN 10 act conscieEtious!y. he compilmented
TIE SenatorS who had spoken IN favor OF the
minority report on the abse zee from their re-
marks Of hested partissrship He said this is
moi u mere contest between two indivlduss,
Knight and Johnson 1t is more Knight does
not claim the seat but stands rs relRtor to the
people OF this Senatorial District, asking only n
rem ssion of the election to the people. Senator
rilclalr protested against such an aonegatlon
by the Senate of its high duties sud RESPONSE bill
tiles. To do so 'ulj not only be to 1871 to meet
manfuliy the expectations OF the constituent
body but would again stir up strife in the met
rop, titan strict He referred 10 he protrscted
sessions and arduous labors of the committee,
end snid that its report should be respected and
relied upon. That report recognized the right
Of General Johns n TO the seat. In the pro-
gress of debate the case had been narrowed
down to the questions connected with the hrst
precinct of Jefferson ward. He admitted the
fraud at that precinct, and dl1 not intend 10
mitigate Or extenuatc It. But it was sucn q fraud
rs could b. and had teen measured aud e. MI
mated. Such being the case. and there being
clear majority Tor johnson after the tlmlnatl IN
OF the fraud, /: coul! not be fairly Claimed tnat
the election should be sot aside. He then pro.
ceeded to read Fsidens testimony in the case.
He read and commented upon it in so comic n
manner rs to excite much merrlmcnt. be con.
tended that according 20 the testimony Walden
had no taken more than four drinks-not
enough to toLple over your average Eenator.
He gave his theory Of the turpose o: the search
ing examination u which Walden had been sub
lected Had he been as drunk as the otaer side
claimed, instead of SEEING one ballot box he
would have seen number of them. He asked.
alter reading the testimony, If shy body could
say that there were such disorders and frauds
at the prccnc. would ju THY setting aside the
eleCLlUH Ne saiu Ao jury Wouiu uaus h uoR
upon the testimony used TO discredi. and destroy
the election Ulcers. Of course there WIS fraud,
but who committed it? 1t had not been fxeu
on the election officers He argued hat it m get
have oeen committed by others who were pre-
sent He denied that there was what known
a. ballot box stiff *, and gave humorous de
scrlptlon or that process as prsctlced l. some
States He contender that the election otic rs
should be presumed to be honest until guilt Vas
brought home to them, and referred to their re-
cent trial and acquttal before court ot Justice.
He traced what he designated rs the boundary
of the fraud that had been committed, and Sale
that being thus measured and eliminated, and
there being enough ballots to show Johnson's
election, the Seat should be given 10 him. Who
com n tilted the fraud was one Of those inscrutab
mysteries that cannot be penetrated. He ap-
piled what he called The cruclsi test to the facts
and figures and said thut before it the cxaggc-
rate and rslnitied frauds disappear. He sp K.
in highly eu!Ogistic manner of the ms prlty
report and o! its dstiE yulshed author. Ii; said
the report was like Psr.n marble inad with
polished gold He protested against invoking
that kind Oh &c eral equity which had been re
Case both met You N J drive General john
son from bis sest; you "ay be frightened into
behesding him by the multerlng tnunders, but
he would Lot assist in doing so. He asked if the
best established prncip!,s Of law arc to De sac
rifced to passion and preudice2 If there was
snythlug he sbaored 1t Was persecution and p
preston. He comp. imented General johnson
highly on his inc ustry, courtesy, ability and IN
tegrlty, and said the conservatives would rue
the day wnen they elected him from the Senate.
The Duke Decazes thinks the Republic is
the only possible government tor France.