Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-10-12
Belknap and Infamous Democrats.

Would-be Congressman Orion al
ways tells his audiences about the
corrupt Belknap. First he says that
Belknap confessed his guilt, which is
not true. Next he calls his corrnp-
ton the worst ever known. "You
who have read history" he says, evil
bear witness that it contains no other
such infamous character" Mr. Orion
either has never read hist ny himself
or he thinks his hearers never have I;
the former, judging by the evident
sincerity of bis appeal, being the most
probabls fact. History of all coun-
tries-is lull Of such examples, many
of them as much greater than Bel
knap's in magnitude and baseness as
Tweed's is worse than Rindskopt's.
One of the greatest men ever known
in the political history of England,
when occupying an official place of
greater honor than that OF Belknap,
was charged with and plead guilty to
taking bribes-and he was permitted
to resign too. We refer to no less a
character than that of Lord Chancel-
lor Bacon. But we need not 90 to
other countries nor to other parties !;
we viii bring the matter home to the
Democratic party, Mr.. Orton's own.
Belknap was Secretary of War. The
last Secretary of War, Of an elected
Democratic administration was John
B. Floyd. The charge against Bel
KNAPP is that Democrat named
Marsh gave him $4,000 for post
leadership. Floyd stole guns, anu
milton, arsenals and munitions of war
to the amolnt of millions of dollars
and gave them to the South to use in
war against the Government he was
under oath to serve. If Mr.. Orton
calls this less infamous crime than
that Of Belknap, is it safe to trust Mr..
Orion with similar official oath !?
Jacob Thompson was Buchanan's
Secretary OF the Interior. He allowed
$6,l37, 1906 to be abstrac'ed from the
Government funds and turned over,
through Floyd, for the same purpose.
Is SIX million dollar steal under a
Democratic administration less jnfa-
nous than a twenty thousand dollar
swindle under a Republican Presi-
dent? The infamy of these transac-
tons was moreover long premeditat-
ed. Jeff Davis was Pierce's Secre-
tary of war--neXt preceding Buchan
an, Davis allowed Mason of Virgin.
ia. to confer with him for the ex-
change Of Virginia flint lock for Unit
ed States percussion muskets, to be
used in case of Fremonts election,
and when the election resulted in the
success of Buchanan he received cor
responderce containing this advice:
"We have had temporary triumph Let
us profit by it-make the most of it--so con
stitute Mr. Buchanan's Cabinet that the SIN
eaos of power will be available in the event Of
the election of Black Republican in 1860
available to the South. See to it, you South
ern men about Washington that the depart
ment of the Treasury and Var and even of
the Nary are retained in Southern hands-for
if Black Republican is elected in 1860 the
Government should not be permitted to pass
into their power-a Napoleonic demonstration
would be, in that event, called for--gra6- game
the policy"
The men about Washington did
constitute Buchanan Cabinet under
this advice. Floyd and Thompson
did as above stated. The Secretary
of the Navy gave what he could of
our navy to our enemies and scat
tered the remainder to the uttermost
parts of the earth so it could not de-
tend the Government 10 which it be-
longed if needed If Mr. Orion real
~ thinks Belknap worse than these
what are we to think of Mr. Orion =?
But we never heard of Democrat
proposing to impeach or otherwise
punish any of them. Infamous ?
Why what is BeIknap's infamy com
pared with the Democratic Senators
and Representatives in Congress who
plotted treason while under oath TO
support the Government and its Con-
stitution? What was Beknap's in
fanny compared with the fifties of
generals, colonies, majors and cap
tains who were educated at the Gov
eminent expense in order that the ma.
ton might have competent military
defenders, and then used that
education in attempts to destroy 1t?
Finally we may add, Bclknap was
himself Democrat when selected by
Grant as his Secretary of War. cho-
sen without recommendation or solicit
tation of any Republican, and fur
nishes one of the many illustrations of
the danger in trusting Democrats
with offices.