Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-03-17
FlIIanrsRc. 0F MAR BELKNAP.

pl4llny' pdIlakes u A--S
any that has been brought before the pub
lie. of late. Especially this case show how
powerless principle may be. when the de-
mand for glitter and show are brought TO
hear. The recital Of this recent case is full
of instruction, and is perhaps IS salutsry a
hOmily as could be given to bewar of the
recEs upon which 50 many are making ship
rock Of their good name and with it what
ever is valuable or yirtuous in life. The
editor of the NorvaIk Gazette. denizen Of
Washington. and in the full enjoyment Of
the reeources of information respecting this
and. ether phases of Washington society,
given the following account efthe casein
question: - AZ s,.ss54 81
The utter disgrace and fall OF Sec
retary Belknap threw the Capital
into q frame Of mind scarcely less
depressed than when President LIN
coin was assassinated. 1t came like
crashing thunderboIt, out ola clear
sky. Its very suddenness gave IN
tensity and depth to the universal
distress felt by every. lover of MS
Kind and country. We have had
given us an interior statement of the
sorrowful and sickening transaction,
by one who is undoubtedly well In
formed upon the subject. The wit
ness, Marsh, was IpntsdntOs intimate
and confidential relations with the
former Mrs. Belknap, by a mutual
acquaintance aud an old army asso-
ciate of her husband. Tbeintimaey
/ was sought and cultivated with, and
for, the special purpose of eaptur-
ing, through the too cFedRlous wife,
Ia woman well-known to be eager
for social display and fond of rich
personal adornment-these profta
BILE army sutlerships. The party,
who is still behind the scenes, well
knew their value, for be was an old
army officer native of Iowa and
friend of the Secretary. He earnest
ly charged MfsI b. with the necessi-
ty ef keeping the secret from her
husband, and it is well understood
and believed that she did this even
to the portals of her grave. Her
sister, the present Mrs! Belknsp, had
all her sisters fondness for social
lsplendors. They belonged to an.
old and aristocratic Kentucky family.
with very large love of display and
very little fort1ne.a So it was but
an easy matter to transfer the lucra-
tive proceeds of the dead sisters
contract into the itching palms of
the new wife. It is stated his. pre-
sent wife had received at least two.
dividends before her husband, the
Secretary, was made aware of what
was going on. Her lavish expendi-
lures had been explained to her hus-
band as the proceeds of an estate in
herited by her from her deceased
husband. she having been a widow
and the Secretary twice widowerI
at their last marriage. When at
last, he did get at knowledge of
what had so secretly been going on
for SO long q time, instead of indig-
nantly exposing the crime, he falter-
ed, halted and fell, as many a astrong.
mau might have done if similarly
circumstanced, The beautiful wife
plead aud clung to him to shield
her from disgraceful exposure, and
he could not refuse her entreaties
without tearing open the grave. of
the dead wife and sister as well.
Alas, unhappy man. It is the old,
old story. The woman pIueked the
apple and Adam did eat it at her
hands. Up.tothi point, the Sec
retary is claimed to have been un-
tarnished. Had he not been guilty
of lunpardonable moral cowardice,
he would never have been compro-
missed further. But the family were
in the giddy whirl Of the Capitals
gayest life and season, and believ-
ling his complications would not be
any worse and his pecuniary neces-
sites tempting him on to dishonof,
he received at least two remittances
with full knowledge of their guilty
orlgin. When brought before the
Investigating Committee of the
House, and Y confronted with the
damning testimony against him, he
broke completely down and attempt
ed no defense. The agony of his
situation deeply affected the Com
mittee, for it was 2evident to them
that he was admitting himself re-
-sponsible for more than he was
guilty OF, in ,hischiEslric determine
ton to protect the periled honor of
the living and dead members of his
family With a nobility and man
line; IS worthy better association,
he eagle-likes,s pressed down the
wing, hoping to-, cover the CHASTITY
wound beneath. And here, in the
interest of truth and justice, it should
be remembered that but one side of
the story has yet been told to The
Committee. There has been no cross
organizations, and what has very
suspicious Look, is that the chief In
former who criminated himself as
capable Of a far greater depth of de-
pravity than that Of his BETRAYED
friend, Gin that he led the wife into
the ruin all unbeknown to the hus-
band) this man has been permitted
to escape the cogntEgs g gs.gslaH
lis duethe mass of our political
oppoents here, that we say, there is
no partizan exultation felt by them
over this distressing event, which
has hurled a high public offesr-aad
his family down to the deepest abyss
of misery. Sehat for English told us
that when first he read it, he felt as
if some personal calamity had over
taken him, and he had TO leave. ita-
BILE without partaking of the meal
be had sat down expecting to enjoy.
Representative Barnum says he
never witnessed such a sense of uni
versal sorrow and deep emotion in
the House. .sHad there been rail
road accidcnt," said our Mr.. Land
ara opd lo1f q 1ozan- fol1nur.av.nor,