New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-10
TIE LATEST GREAT DEBATE,


There was an angry and miSchevOus wran-
gle in the House of Representatives on Tues
day over question which had no sort OF par
tisan OF personal significance, but concerned
only point of parliamentary prerogative. If
the House is capable OF debating any subject
in dignifed and statesmanlike temper we
should think it might so discuss its own PRIV
ileges. Here was simply a dispute whether
the Criminal Court of the District of Column
bia had power to compel the House OF Repre-
sentatives to surrender INTO it's hands the evil
dence which had been collected by one o. the
House Committees in a case of impeachment.
The principle involved was one of the first im-
pOrtance. Suppose the House had been inves-
tigating the Safe Burglary Conspiracy, in which
this same Criminal Court. through its District
Attorney, WAS so disagreeaby implicated; and
suppose, as soon as 1t obtained any damaging
testimony, the District-AttOmey had demanded
that the testimony should he turned over to him
TO be presented in his own way to the Grand
Jury. 1t is easy to see how the ends of JUS
tico might have been defeated and Congress
sOnal investigation turned into farce. In
fact the theory upon which the court appears
to have acted opens the door for the neutrall-
cation of all those checks upon executive
misconduct which the Constitution provides In
the power of impeachment. All the members
of the House who took the trouble to think
about the matter at all must have seen this
bearing of il. Nor with regard to the apph-
cation of the principle to the Belknap case
was there any conflict of political interests.
The charges made by each party that the
other is anxious to screen the guilty Secretary
are sheer nonsense. Both have the strongest
reason to desire his punishment both are UNI
doubtedly anxious that the impeachment and
the indictment should alike be pressed to q
conclusion. If the Republicans, even the worst
of them, had no other motive for Furnishing
Belknap, they would gladly punish him out of
revenge.
But right into the midst of this serious con-
stitutiOnal discussion came Mr.. Blaine, bran
dishing cudgels and roaring hard names. What
had made him mad we should like to know
He beloved insult and defiance in that bold
and violent manner which he has apparently
adopted under the impression that it indicates
vigorous mind. He stood in the center OF
a crowd, and exploded denunciations, and swung
the lash of invective until he had converted the
House of Representatives into bowling mob.
He dared" the Democrats TO withhold the
Committees testimony from the Grand Jury
he hurled at them an accusation, whose asSllr-
ance staggers belief, of combining to block
the wheels of Justice that PcnfnoP rnisht
escape. He bore down remOnstrance by
strength of lungs, until after two hours
of excitement Mr.. Lamar succeeded in beat
ing him and restoring quiet. Now
the country is asking what Mr. Blaine meant;
since it is quite clear that if the Committee
had Obeyed the demand of the Criminal Court
the consequence must have been nothing less
than the escape of Belknap against whom the
evidence was insufficient, and the indictment
of Marsh against whom it was complete.
1t will not be forgotten that in the Amnesty
debate Dir. Blaine's conduct was just like his
behavior on Tuesday. There was no color of
excuse for the rancor with which he tore open
the half healed wounds of war, and held up
the awful skeletons of AndersonviIlc to the
view of country which has been striv-
ing to forget. No one who knows Mr..
Blame will imagine that ne was carried away
by his feelings the one Occa-
sion any moro than on the other. In both
cases lie deliberately set himself afiame,
worked himself into a polite fury, calculated
the precise amount OF rhetorical steam which
it was necessary TO get up in order to accom-
plish his purpose of making the opposition
mad, and irritating them into some ill-cOnsid-
cred language which they would bitterly regret
in their cooler moments. We can imagine the
expression that must have fitted across his
countenance when he watched the effect of his
experiment upon Mr.. Hill but in this second
great debate he failed.
While Mr.. Blaine occupied the Speakers
chair he won great deal of respect for his
ability, and borrowed so much of the dignity
of the Office that people gave him credit for
qualities which he has not been recently ex-
hibiting If he had not the judicial temper
of q statesman he had at least a statesman's
decorum Few suspected that this courteous
and alert presiding officer was really sort
of self-restraincd Ben Butler. But since
he has come down from the desk and taken
his place upon the floor he has distinguished
himself by nothing more than by an imitation
of tho tactics Of the Essex Congressman. There
il a great difference between the two men, for
Butler is blackguard by nature while Blaine
is only a bully through calculation ; but 80 far
Mr.. Blaine has done too much to remind us of
his predecessor. These are times which call for
higher order of craftsmanship than that which
concerns itself in getting up political dog
fights.
----------------
THE RETIREMENT or DOR CARLOS
The manifesto of Don Carlos AZ he went