New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-14
THE REPUBLICAN, OK AND The DEMO
CRATIC BULL,

THE REPUBLICAN, OK AND The DEMO
/ CRATIC BULL.
| Senator Morrill,, of Vermont, has I'M
fortunately fallen into disfavor with tn,
videttes Of the Democratic party by hi,
epigrammatic truism:
If the Republicans get on the scent Of
official fraud. they follow it out; but if the
| Democrats find the trail lead into thelI
camp, they abandon it.
To which the Bulletin responds:
This kind of bunoombe oratory will d.
very we'll for q backwoods political stump
speech, but is palpably devoid OF truth
and sense.
From which, we infer that our contem-
porary considers a straightforward asser-
ton, which is suppo rted by abundant
evidence, only bun combe, and that one
Of the leading Senators in Congress, ad-
dressing the Senate, is mere backwoods-
man. But as it makes little difference
who utters a truth, or where it is pro-
claimed, we leave the estimate thus placed
upon MI. Morrill, and his speech out of
the controversy, and will briefly examine
the merits.
The difficulty which encounters the
Bulletin, at the outset, comes from its as
sumption that every Republican who has
been accused of being dishonest by the
violent partisans Of the opposition is
necessarily guilty, and that his acquittal
or exemption from punishment, under
any pretense, is an outrage on the Demo-
cratic party. BY an easy transition OF
ideas, this offense against the Democracy
becomes an affront 10 the country, and all
those who have been instrumental in
establishing the innocence of the &C.
cused-judges, jurors, witnesses, journal
lists and all-are accessories. And to
what are they accessory? Generally speak
ing, as in the Babcock case, to an un-
proved offense; one which never had any
existence, anywhere, except in the per-
verted minds Of hostile political schemers.
General Babcock has submitted to the
laws of the country, and been freed by q
jury-that boosted bulwark against the
tyranny Of power. He was acquitted
because it was not shown to the jury
that he ever had anything to do with the
conspiracy to defraud the revenue. It
will be borne in mind that he was not let
off on the technical plea that the counts
in the indictment were defective, or be-
cause Congress had failed to prescribe a
punishment for the crimes imputed to
him. He was acquitted because the jury
did not believe he had ever defrauded the |
public revenue. The government could
not point to hundred evidences Of his |
crime, while the Supreme Court was
gravely telling the district attorney that |
there was no remedy for the grievous |
wrongs which had been charged and
proved against the prisoner. Babcock
was acquitted after fair trial on the
merits, and does not owe his liberty to
mere blunder Of Congress. Were the
President to set aside the verdict in the
case, and rider the prisoner ar
rested on lettre de cachet, the Democrats
would probably approve the high-handed
act. But if he were to serve the Grant
parish prisoners SO, they would howl like
q pack Of Ukraine wolves. They have
demanded that Babcock be
treated as criminal, though he has once
subjected his lib erty to jeopardy and
safely passed the ordeal prescribed by
he constitution.
As for Belknap, he is in the hands of
he Democratic House. He is so far from
,eing self-confessed criminal, that the
members of the Judiciary Committee are
q serious doubt whether they have any
violence on which charge of impeach-
nent will rest. They know they could
ot make out case against him before
ny honest jury in Christendom; but it is
ot SO difficult matter to impeach be-
ore the Senate as to convict before a
curt. And SO far from Republicans in
exposing any obstacles in the way Of the l
ursuit Of Belknap, they voted unani- S
,ously for old Hy. Clymer's start 9
ng resolutions to impeach. The
resident having heard nothing of ,
1e case, though Mr.. Clymer had I
cen brooding over it for two weeks, i
,cepted the resignation Of his unaccused /
ecretary. About this time the trail be- S
In to diverge toward the Democratic K
mp, and actually led into the gorgeous c
mt Of very distinguished chief. As t
r. Morrill, informs US, they abandoned o
instantly, until the Republicans took it d
p and forced the several investigating
'mmittees to proceed
Governor Ames was pursued as GRIM =.
al by the Mis- sissippi Democrats till he y
/ the robes Of Office fall on a Democratic u
pirant, and then, having no further Il
ason to persecute him, and not daring d
publish to the world their frivolous &c
argos, they abandon ed him. Governor "
sllogg was attacked with impeachment. &c
It as success depended upon the corrup .,
N of Republican officials, the siege was a. .,
gloriously raised. And so on through :,
t the whole chapter of party strife. -
1ndreds of accusations against Repub- % >,
an officials have been lodged, but as =
t not single co nviction. All have r
led for want of pr oof, while the Demo- -