Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-08-09
JUDGE BLACK ON GIFTS

Belknap was that be had only followed
the example Of his supsriors in return
ing official favor for gifts. The fol
lowing extract ranks with Charles
Summers great arraignment Of Grant
for giittaking a
lido not myself believe that presents
arc proper when taken by public
officer from a person who may by any
possibility in the future have IN inter
est in the officers performance OF his
duties, ] think so because, in the first
place, "a gin blindcth the eye and
perverteth the Judgment Of the right
eous;n and also because, in the next
place, these gifts may bc used to cover
essential bribery. l do not believe
that the institutions of this country are
perfectly safe in the hands Of men who
habitually receive presents from their
friends and constituents, or from any
body. But say now that there is no
law which makes it a crime or misde-
meanor; and that is not all, there is
no code Of morals known to the public
men OF this age, or to the men who
now hold Office, which condemns it,
II our fathers could have foreseen the
fatal degeneracy of their sons, perhaps
they might have made some provision
to prevent Il; but they inserted moth
ing TO prohibit II either in their con
stitution or their statutes, and you can
not in your judicial capacity supply
the casus omissus.
81 give you an Office and you give
me another Office 81 give you Office
and you give me money" what Of
that2 If the exchange was preceded
by a contract which made one the con
sideration of the other, that is bribery
and corruption, but If there was nc
contract of that kind the case is other
wise and so IL has been held in the
case of the greatest apd wisest and best
men we have ever had in this country
There was a time in 1926 when Mr.
Clay held in his hand the Presidency
OF the United States and could give i
to whom he pleased. He handed i
over to John Quincy Adams, agains'
whom there was a large majority o
the States and the people. He did /
in opposition to instructions almos
unanimous from his constituents, ant
in the face of his own recorded opinion
that Mr.. Adams was not a proper per
son to be chief magistrate of the coun
try. The first thing that Mr.. Adami
did after he went into Office was to ap
point Mr.. Clay Secretary of State
Did these two men bribe one another
They charged with making mer
chandise OF the highest Offices under tn,
government. The defense which botl
of them made against the charge o
bribery was precisely the same tina
we made here, namely, that no proc
could be produced to show the previ
GUS existence Of corrupt contract
and the general public acquitted then
on that ground alone.
Remember l do not hold up thi
transaction as an example of publi
virtue. | admire much more the high
toned behavior OF Mr.. Bayard twenty
five years earlier. He did not vot
for Mr.. Jefferson, but he had it in hi
power to protract the election in tn
House of Representatives 50 that M
Jefferson and Col, Burr would both Q
them have been defeated. For goo
and sufficient public reasons he deter
mined that he would not use that pow
er, but would retire from the contes
and allow Mr.. Jefferson's friends :
elect him. After a few days Mr., At
ans, the then incumbent Of the Pres
dental chair, offered him the missio
TO France. He said "No; / canno
get to my post OF duty until Mr.. JEFF
erson shall be inauguratcd, and the
he will have the power TO recall m,
| will not hold any office under him, q
/ would virtually be holding this offic,
lest It might DO inferred that / hav
received reward for my action in th
4 Presidential election" fn
The most distinguished man pei
haps that this country ever produce
certainly the greatest orator-on
who was gifted with the most exquit
itely organized intellect that ever wa
bestowed upon any of the children {
men--was appointed Secretary ofStat
by General Taylor. He said that h
could not live upon the salary in a wa
that would accord with his taste an
habits, and he invited his friends I
make present TO him, and they di
contribute among them 100000, whic
they invested, and gave him the intei
est Of it for the remainder of his lif
Was that bribery? 1t was given B.
merchants who were pleased with hi
advocacy of the bank, by manufactul
ers whose interests he had promotes
by supporting protective tariff, pei
haps also by lovers of the Constitution
who admired him for the noble defens
he had made Of its principles. Blu
there was no evidence and no reasol
to believe, and nobody ever did believe
that it was given as n consideration
for the previous services or in pursu
ance Of a contract for future services
Therefore, and therefore alone, he wa
held TO be innocent.
The manager from Massachusetts
[Mr. Hoar] said, speaking Of the UnioI
Pacific railroad, that every foot OF tha
road had been founded in corruption
and built with the wages OF iniquity
That is true; and it is equally wei
known that the managers of that cor
rupt concern gave large amounts o
their stock and bonds TO the wife of ,
Senator who was aiterward elected