National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-04-20

Departments had performed their ofacial
duties with ability and integrity. In your
speech you denied this. You charged them
with manifold corruptions sad abuses of
trust, as you had done in former speeches
to which you referred, and you demanded
an Investigation through the medium Of
committee. Certain other members Of
Congress, as appears by the published de-
bates, united with you in these accusations.
and for the purpose of sscertaining their
truth or falsehood the committee You de-
mauded was ordered to be raised. and you
were placed at its head. $3.50. =
The first proceeding Of the investigating
committee is to pass series of resolutions,
which, though amended in their passage,
were, as understood, introduced by you,
calling on the President and the heads Of
the Departments-not to answer any spe-
cifc charge; not to explain any alleged
abuse not to give information as to any
particular transaction but, assuming that
they have been guilty Of the charges al
legged, calls upon them to furnish evidence
against themselves.
After the reiterated charges you have
made it would have been expected that you
would have been prepared to reduce them
to specifications, and that the committee
would then proceed to investigate the MAJ.
tiers alleged. But instead of this you resort
TO generalities even more vague than your
original accusations, and in open violation
of the Constitution and of that well-estab-
lished and wise maxim, "that all men are
presumed to be innocent until proven
equity according to the established rules
"of, law" you request myself and the
heads of the Departments to become our
own accusers, and to furnish the evidence
to convict ourselves. And this call pur-
ports to be founded on the authority of that
body In which alone, by the Constitution,
the power Of imreaching US is vested
The heads of Departments may answer
such requests as they please, provided
they do not withhold their own time and
that of the officers under their direction
from the public business to the injury
thereof To that business shall direct
them to devote themselves in preference
to any illegal and unconstitutional calls for
information, no matter from what source
it may come, or however anxious they
may be to meet it. For myself, shall re-
pei all such attempts as an invasion Of the
principles of justice as well as OF the Con-
stitution; and 1 shall esteem it my sacred
duty to the people Of the United States to
resist them..as would the establishment Of
a Spanish inquisltion. .-r ...
II, after all the severe accusations coz
tanned in the various speeches of yourself
and your associates you are unwilling, Of
your own accord, to bring specific charges,
then request your committee 10 call your
self and your associates, and every other
member of Congress who has made the gen.
eral charge of corruption. to testify before
God and the country whether you or they
know of any specific corruption or abuse
Of trust in the Executive Departments,
and if so, what it is. Ifyou are able to
point to any case where there Is the
slightest reason to suspect corruption or
abuse of trust, no obstacle which 1 can re-
move shall be interposed to prevent the
fullest scrutiny by all legal means. The
offices of all the Departments will be
opened TO you, and every, facility furnished
for this purpose. .. ..-.
hope, sir, we shall at last have your
charges, and that you will proceed to in
vestigate them, not like an inquisition, but
in the accustomed mode. II You either will
not make specific accusations, or if when
made. you attempt to establish them by
making freemen their own accusers, you
will not expect me to countenance your
proceedings. 1t the short period which
remains of my official duty, I shall en-
deavor, as I have heretofore endeavored,to
fulfill the obligations of that oath of office
by which am engaged TO the best of my
ability to preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution of tho United States, and for
this and other reasons Of the most solemn
character, shall, on the one hand, cause
!. every possible facility, consistent with law
and justice. to be given to the Investigation
of specific, tangible charges; and, on the
other, shall repudiste all attempts oinyade
the just rights of the executive depart
ments, and of the individuals composing
the same. II, after all your clamor, you
will make no specific charges, or bring no
proof Of such as shall be made, you and
your associates must be regarded by the
goed people of the United States as the
authors of unfounded calumnies, and the
public servants you have. assaulted will, In
the estimation of all honorable men, stand
fully acquitted. In the meantime cannot
but express my establishment that members
of Congress should call for information as
to the names of persons to whom contin-
gent moneys are paid, and the object of
those payments, when there are six stand
ing committees under the seventy. seventh
rule of the House of Representatives whose
special duties are to examine annually into
all the details of those expenditures in each
Of the executive departments. The like
remark is spplicable to some other branches
Of the information sought by you, ample
details in respect to which are to be found
in the reports laid before Congress, and
now on your files, and to which I recon-
mend you to have recourse.
am, respectfully, &C.,
ANDREW JACKSON.
To the Hon. Henry A. Hsse, Chairman of the In
redigcfing Comzlitfee Of the Abuses and Cor
ruptions Charged Against the Executive Depart
ments. ..I .--..-....-.. .lIE