Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-03-11
Our Washington Letter.

WASHINGTON, d. c., March 4th, 1876.
Secretary Bclknap, if he is a reading or
theatre going man, must have reflected in
the past few days very seriously upon the
lines in Hamlet's soliloquy, which reads,
Whether it's better to bear the ills we
wot of, or fly to others that we know not
Of" Surely no maH has ever had great
or fall. A week ago-yes, three days ago
he stood "proudly pre-cminent" as a
model cabinet officer; man of integrity
and honor. To-day the only pre-cminence
he holds is that he is the only proven and
confessing thief that ever held so high a
position. 'Erue, lac did not actually put
his hand into some mans strong box, or
pocket and abstract money therefrom, but
his crime is even worse than that,
Elevated by the act of friend to q posi-
ton higher than he could ever have reas-
onably hoped to obtain, he deliberately
and for years prostituted that position for
money. Tn: base ingratitude of the man
should condemn him in the eyes of every
honest man, even if he had committed no
himself but brought diScrcdit upon the ma
ton whose uniform he wore, and dishon-
ored the friend who trusted him. No
mere words can express the indignation
that should be felt at his conduct, and the
severest punishment should be melted out
to the man who is too great coward to
finish the life of confessed villain when
powder and lead were so cheap. Since
the days when Cardinal Wolsey was
handed by King Henry the eighth a list of
the property he had stOleE,, can conceive
of no scene of such dramatic interest as
Secretary Belknap before the Committee
Of Congress, reading the checks drawn by
Marsh in favor of Mr.. Belknap and in
dorsed by w. w. Belknap. The writer
of the centennial drama will have at least
one strong situation. l have never heard
so much Indignation expressed against
any man as is felt here against Belknap.
1t may be that some of those who are
loudest in their denunciationS are guilty
of similar crimes. Who can tell? A
short time ago the man who would have
told the tale that to-day every one knows
to be true, would have been scoffed at as a
liar, yet day or two ago Saxon said
there were mutterings in the air, and the
lightning would strike among the highest.
Yet he confesses that this revelation
strikes him with as much astonishment
as it can any one else, for he never dream
ed that it would fall where it did. A man
ran into the presence of king and an
nounc cd that one of his subjects, house
painter, had fallen from a scafiold, when
lie was painting the wall of house, and
had been killed. The wise prince at once
asked "where is the woman" He was
assured that there was no woman in the
case; but upon inquiry, it proved that
the painter had turned round to look at q
woman that was passing on the street, and
missing his footing because his eyes fol-
lowed her, had fallen and killed himself.
So it is with Bclknap. He came here and,
by virtue of his high official position,
went at once into ''the best society" To
compete VITA them-to dress hiS wife il.
robes manufactured by Worth-to give
receptions and attend levees, he must
have money and thus ''the best society"
has another life to answer for. For
whether Belknap lives or dies, the light
of his life has gone out forever.
Had he been a man of true courage, he
would have written letter to the Com
mittee telling them that he had selected
his wife to make the trade with Mass,
and would then have gone "to banquet
with the Gods" But he failed TO do this
and will probably and properly sink to a
felon's cell, leaving his own aud his wifes
name smirched with crime. lie deserves
no sympathy. He fell through woman.
But as Hezekiah Bedott says, "we're all
poor creatures" which of us knows what
lie would have done In tbs same situaticn2