Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-03-17

HOuse-HOn. Hester CIYmer, of |
Pennsylvania.
from Our Reg liar Co re.eondenc.J
WASHINGTON, March IL.
The air in Washington is so thick
with the Belknap and kindred scam
dals that even such important legis-
latiOn as the conclusion of the long
Pincbback serial is passed by almost
without notice, and yet its Importance
as precedent and principle, in this
final settlement adversely to the
claimant, can hardly be overesti-
mated, For three long years this now
historic bronze adventurer, with his
bogus credentials, has been hang
ing on the tlcklish verge of the
highest Legislative body on the planet,
and he was prevented from effectipg
an entrance only through coalition
of handful of Republican Senators
with the Democratic Minority. most
prominent among whom was Zach.
Chandeliers worthy successor, Senator
Christiancy of Michigan. This State,
by the way, seems anything but friend
ly to the notorious claimant. His fate
had 10 sooner been decided by adverse
vote than Senator Ferry Of Michi-
gan, the Vice President, gave orders
to door-keepers that he should no
longer be admitted upon the floor.
In taking final leave of Pinchback
we see depart perhaps the snartest
mulatto that has ever appeared in
American politics, Fred Douglass not
excepted. He left making threats to
appear again with lew papers and q
more powerful backing; but, it is too
late, he will have to confine his ambi-
ton to local State politics, or retire
upon his fortune which is at least a
quarter of million.
Apropos of Senator CHI istiancy, you
will remember that he very recently
married a yonpg wife, a countess,
(money counter) as the punsters said,
IN the Treasury Department Vel, our
austere alabaster society composed of
| u nucleus Of Cabinet ladies and whose
lineage can be traced to obscurity or
chaos by memory, and without the aid
of book, were in long and doubtful
| delibelation as to whether they would
| recognize her in their charmed circle.
The ugly and moralesque feature of
the deilberatlOn Was the urgent de-
nand of the fellen Mrs. Belknap for an
| edlct OF exclusion against the auda-
dncious little parvesu But the young
wife of the rugged old Michigander
has been called upon by Mrs. Fish and
the other Cabinet ladies, and now she,
| since her social exaltation, has cut her
| former acqual ntances. Are we after
| all as the cyn1c said a vase of writing
shrpents each striving to lift his head
| above the other?
RumOr Is loud in reference to ex-
| p0sures OF fraud aud corruption in the
| Il u 81 .1rkE -.
respondent has the best of authority
for saying that the Investigations, now
pending, sre every day bringing to
the light theft. peculation and every
species of official maIfeasance; these
will all be bulletin q that the world
| may know them in good time. The
Democrats feel that their policy of
| secret investigation has been triu nph-
| antly indicated in the success of MIR.
| Ciymers committee. The criminals
they are after have not committed
! their dark deeds III daylight or on hill!
| tops. and there could be no more alb
surd farce than to Investigate them
with banners and tom toms. It is not
probable that any future discovery
will possess the unique enormity, and
be followed by the tragic tsenouenaent
that made the Belknap horror so con-
spicuous. 1t is TO be regretted that
the incessant waste and petty larceny
throughout all the government de-
partments, amou ting to concrete
millions yearly and patent to every
man who brings his eyes to Washing
ton, but unrebuked because of its in
tangibiiity or pettiness of detail can
not by some process of chemistry or
Legislation be massed and made to ap-
"a
cape goat to bear away this habitual
daily theft of the present adninistra-
ton, would re- quire shoulders much
broader than those even of the colos-
sal Belknap.
effort is made to distract attention
from the real tail. The same tactics
of Intimidation that were employed by
| the whisky ring are now employed
here by what was supposed to be the
more respectable portion of the press
and statesmen of the party of "moral
Ideas" In their frantic desperation
they catch at such straws as the de -,
parture of the witness Marsh, and
invent baseless lies about gentlemen
of the Investigating conr"i.t.. and
csp, clally about the chairman, Mr..
c ymer. who has been the consp .cuous
aud able leader OF this investig ton.
There has been powerful effort by
the press aud party to intimidate him
into silence or lax pursuit, with no
other result than to eliot his latent
str -n9th, courage and determination,
as we'll as sterling ability as speaker
and debater, WHICH a contempt for
average notoriety has prevented him
from displaying. Never was man
placed in more trying and delicate
situation than Hon. Hester Clymer.
OF Reading, Pennsylvania, charm an
of the Committee of War Claims,
and the gentleman to whom the
country is indebted for the Bel
KNAPP expose. He was not only
college mate but a room mate at
Princeton, of the fallen Secretary of
War. They then, and have ever since,
maintained the most friendly rela-
tons and the conflicting bitter emo
tons of the man, when he was called
upon in this double ordeal of states
man and friend. may neither be i'm
aglned nor desar. bed. They GOULD be
felt only by him. How manfully he
did his whole duty, ignoring individ-
ual ties and recognizing only his moral
responsibility to the millions, was an
| VI IOO rare
these evil days to be overlooked.
The numerous bills (nea-ly three
thousand) awaiting the action
of Congress-, or the committees,
will necessarily, by the events
of the past week, be deferred. Much
time will be consumed in the 1mpeach-
ment of the ex-Secretary of War. I'm
portant petitions signed by merchants
opposing the repeal of the Bank ruptcy
Act have been presented; and resolu-
ton has been passed requesting infor-
nation from MIR. Jewell, of the Post
Office Department, in,relation to ''straw
Bids" another reaolutiop has been
passed requiring the judiciary commit
tee to inquire into the facts relative to
the famous safe-burglary trial; impor-
tant evidence is believed to have been
discovered proving the long 7spected
pomplieity of high official. Two other
resolutions OF importn' G" create spe
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