The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-02

no said with good many "by Gods' that be was going
TO hold those letters for his protection aud ms yindca
ton
Isaid:-ewhen you get through with TIE examina-
ton, VIII you give them 10 me lheny''
He sad:-"No: II any body rmpuns' my motives, the
pronounced Il In tina: way) or ia any way questions
terSn
papers? There is nothing 10 mako mo attack you IN
the papers. =
He said:-''wen, If anybody did, he should publish
them"
I had been running over the letters for some time
The FIRST timc when he handed them 10 me. he had
shown reluctance. und. As have stated, remarked,
''You are not afraid OF my keeping thcm ~ and he
answered. ''0h no, and handed them 70 me without
any assurance all, or without anything being said
about H. and had no idea OF doug Thing else but
handing them back. until he announced his purpose
and determination tnat no matter who should question
his testimony or impcach or 'lmpun' his vcracty, hc
would publish the letters. -
said :"rhesc private letters these arc letters
that relate to matters that have connection or
relationship with the examination going be ore
tho judiciary Committee than the man In the moon,
and Il would be grossly unfair that you should treat
my private correspondence in that way" then said
10 him: -
VIII you ring the bell for servant and tell him to
send Mr. Fisher up from the lower rooms''
He did 90, and very Mr. Fisher camc up, and
we had little conversation. IN which repeated be-
fore Mr.. Fisher what Mulgan had said-hiE decara-
ton. or rather his menace ! said
This is very grossly unfair. Mr. Fisher
sS x
his possession or rlgntiully In mine. but not
u any third PERSONS Mulllgan repeated again
IN Mr. Fishers presence his declaration that he would
ee himself at liberty TO publish these letters ut any
time he saw NJ Il anybody should provoke hm unto
wrath by any comment on his testimony, and owing
10 tho somewhat enlarged facilities OF the American
press for making criticisms upon everybody found
OF his taking offence at any OF tho thousand aud ono
paragraphs that might DC set noat IN the papers, andl
'.Under these circumstances win not give these
letters up" and in order that he might not
DO mistaken as 70 the ground Of my action, !
wanted to tell him the ground which stood
said 81 will not return these letters because you
climate, which Is Unfair, which n' Is entirely un
Just, and have no idea that any shall take my
private correspondence and hold IL as a menace over
my head 10 be used ut his beck option for his own
purposes or under somebody's Erection" We went
down stairs and he repeated and reaiIrmed hts state
good will retain the letters When l went home
sent for two friends, one member Of the House OF
and LAID every ono Of these letters before them
these letters which "would disgrace for lie" and
send my children Borrowing 70 the grave and de
and read every OF tnem the order In which
they were msrkedand numbered by Muil'gan himself
then said TO these gentleman aitor consultation
~ am going 70 submit these letters 10 two Of the
wisest and best counsel that can find In the city
Of Washington, Qhat is today ana viii
DO guided entirely by them in the action shall take
before the Judiciary Committee. II they say any OF
those letters should be In duty bound 70 deliver; n
the subec. Of those interviews those letters shall be
delivered, but shall wait and BIZ guided by their
opinion a. to what ought to do in the premises
As 10 the bulk OF those letters you might just as we'll
send 70 my nonse and take package from my ss
s,on Many Of them relate 70 business srsns-
and which do not want revived not that there Is
anything in them which 10 in any degree embarrass-
ing have read them over freely to those two
friends, and, rs say, will read them over freely
those two counsel There Is nothing IN these letters
which shall have occasion to blush over The result
Is that postponed my action until could have this
conference IN regard 10 Il.
There was another which made II peculiarly
exasperatng me; that Is that In the month OF Sep
tem6er 1874 Mr. Fisher and l. after very long and IN
the main very pleasant business relations, extending
Sna settlement in which we exchanged receipts in
full think tho precise date was September Fl, 1872
1t was then said that all letters on either side and al
written careessy, business letters often got
Sac mr. Hussn claims that Mr. Fisher gave snsss
letters 70 him, that he has right 10 them and that
which ,s' ali or il, private. when said % bin thai
Il was all private correspondence he said
.sTne letter Of public man Is public. y
That was tho ground he took In conversation, and
especially " letter was not marked private
Some OF these letters however, marked Private"
.sConndentinL" insisted that II was the grossest
possible outrage sad:-
t0ese OolOro
out the committee designing me any wrong They 60
TO the world and thcn whom II IL seen they have
possible relevancy all that there Objectionable In
the publication has been achieved and accomplished,
and will be 100 late for me 10 ncrpose any objection
then"
In other words the very test OF their admissiblIty
involves what myself protest against, which IL the
oil entirely private letters which have no relevancy
whatever % the case ron n han0 stand took 'hai
justify myself for not returning the letters
II was he that wus In unlawful possession OF those
H. c~ ~S.~he shnoA l~tsn tuko sh~k
ground most distinctly that there but two
that possess rightfu interest In private cor
and on that right stand Now shall produce The
letter with great freedom on which Mr. Mullaan has
based his testimony that acknowledged having re-
ccivcd the $64 600 and shall show you II has
lation 10 that subject
BY Mr. FRYE-Q-Do not some OF those letters
late to matters TRANSPORTING long before you became
member Of C0ngrcssy Ayes, long before became
member OF Congress for tho first time
Tho CuAiRMAx--As understand you, and as I espc-
cially understand from Mr. Mulgan, you had pos
session Of those letters on Two occasionsg
Mr. BLANE-Yes
The CmAinaAs-On the FIRST occasion you promised to
return themy
Mr. BLAiSE-lt did not assume formal q shape rs
promise. thought lie exhibited little hcsitancy In
handing them TO me, and saId TO HIM. "You don't
think would keep them, do your" twas rather an
interjectiona remark. ! do not know whether Mr..
Fisher Mr. Atkins was In the room when irst got
them, but both Of them came in wLilc was rcading
and looking over tho ietters ! handed them back TO
The CnAIRxAx-why did you have the second inter-
view In Mr.. Mullgans room in the absence OF these
two gentlemeny
Mr. BLAiSE+-It was Mr.. Mulligan who had LEFT tho
room, not wanted to satisfy myself with respect to
specific letter; fifteen letters mako rather vo,umin-
correspondence to remember al about; went and
told him wanted 70 see specific letter and ho handed
me the package.
The CHArRxAx--whcn you rot tho Iettors the second
time your intention to return them TO Mr. Null
ligans
Mr. BLAfxE-Ycs.
Tho CmAInasAs-You changed your intention upon his
declaration that u his veracy were assailed he would
publish the lettersy
Mr. BLAixE-ycs; that no should attack me II any
body else attacked him.
Tho CHAIRNAx-I ask at your hands the production
Of those letters for the pcrusa OF the committee
for publication, TINT the committee may for them
selves whether they bear upon the question:?
Mr.. BLAISE-ln privatey
The CHAIRNAx-No, Fir, with no privacy; but GER
tainly Will not make them public unless they bear
the question
MIR. BIASR-I will take occasion TO consult my
sci IN regard to II
The CfAiRxAS-You decline, then, to produce thems
Mr. BLAIxE-For the present decline