Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-03-04
THE SECRETARY OF WAR HAS
FALLEN.

THE SECRETARY OF WAX dAs
FALLEN.
seems to mean Scoun-
drelism.
Clymer Climbed Him,and he S4ueei
ed at the First Jump
One after another the shining lum-
insries of the party Of "God ana
morality" are coming to grief, until
1T seems to be clear that the tsnets OF
that organization must be formed
mon the old Athenisn and Chinese
idea that it is not wrong to steal, but
that the sin lies il being found out
The secretary of the Interior Was oat
recently forced to resign on account
of the irregularities in his depart
ment ; on the heels Of that came
whisky ring, in which the bosom
friends of the President. and OF his
too-confiding secretary we're iouno
to be no better than common thieves
and now comes the news that Secre-
tary Belknap has been convicted OF
accepting brides for appointments to
trading posts. We confess tha We
write this with shame that the high
places of our country should be 90
prostituted, even though it DO by .
rival party in politics, in winch We
have never had any confidence. On
last Thursday morning the streets Of
Washington City were alive with sx-
cited groups, discussing the develop
ments before the house committee on
expenditures in the war department.,
in regard to the grave charges against
Secretary Belkuap of having sold tor
a money consideration, the license to
trade at the posts of Fort Sill and
| Camp Supply. Before the meeting OF
congress it was announced that the
secretary had rendered his resigns
ton. and that it had been accepted
nv the President. About 4 o'clock in
the afternoon, Mr.. Clymer. of Penn
sylvania amidst y profound aud quiet
agitation, arose, and offered the fol-
lowing:
Resolved, That VIM. w. Belknsp.
late secretary of war, be lmpeached
of high crimes aud misdemeanors.
Resolved, That the testimony in
the case of VIM. w. Belknsp, late
secretary of war, be referred 10 the
Judiciary committee, with instruc-
lions to prepare and report, with no
unnecessary delay, suitable Articles
of impeachment Of said VIM. W.
Belknap.
Resolved, That a committee OF Y
members of the House be appointed
and instructed to proceed Immediate
ly to the bar of the senate and there
impeach VIM. W. Belknap. late sec
retary of war. in the name of the
people of the United States, Of high
crimes and misdemean0rs when In
Office, and to inform that body that
. formal articles of impeachment will
in due time be presented, and to re
quest tho senate to take such action
in the premises as they deem apPro'
l pirate.
: After a short discussion in which
some republican members urged
the irr%egularity of sn impeach'
ment of a civil officer who NJ
longer held his position. aud il
which some gentlemen severely cen
sured the president for SO hastily &C
cepting a resignation under the cir
cumstances, the resolutions wer'
adopted without q dissenting vote
e In order that our readers may see tn
testimony of the principal witness
who very reluctantly aided IN bring
> ing this affair to light, we publish be
u low the report as sent out by the Al
sociated Press:
u Mr.. Clymer, after submitting tn
report of the committee in the House
g read the testimony of Caleb P. Marsh
h showing that he had paid Secretar
Belknap 500. 900, in consideration q
his appointment as post trader q
Fort Sill, OF which the following j
the substance:
u The question by the chairmsin-
n Were you or not appointed or tender
e ed all appointment as post trader y
n Fort Sill, III Indian Territory, in Il.
fall of 1870, by the secretary Of wal
and, if SO, under what circumstances
e, gives us all the facts i4 the case?
3 Answer-In reply to your question
n I Vould state that III the summer &
:. 1870 myself and wife spent som
weeks at Long Branch, aud IN GU
l. return to New York, Mrs. Belkna
y and Mrs. Bowers, by iuVitati0
came for q visit to our house. Mr.
, Belknap was ill during this visit som
three or four weeks, aud l suppos
" in consequence Of our kindness I
It her, she felt under some obligation
n for she asked. one day, in course
u conversation, why | did ~
y apply for a post leadership O
D. the frontier. l asked Whist the
ct were, and was told that MAJ
of them were very lucrative Office
ID or positions in the gift Of the seer
!" tary of war !; that If 1 wanted Que al
IN would ask the secretary for on
Is Upon my replying that l though
10 that such Offices belonged to disable
soldiers, and besides l was withOl
political influence, she answered tn,
politicians got places, &c, sc. d
not remember saying ii l had q Va
n liable post Of that Kind l you'd r
;. member her, but 1 do remember HI
saying something like this, elf l CT
y prevail upon the secretary of war
to award you a post, YOU must be car
ut full to say nothing to him about pre-
III ents, for a man once offered him y
-. thousand dollars for u leadership
IL this kind, and he told him that if
u did not leave the Office lie you'd kit
,ir him down stairs" Remembering
1 do, this story, I presume the ant
cedent statement to be correct. MI
i'll Belknap and Mrs. Bowers rstprn'
NO to Washington, and a few wse
thereafter Mrs. Belknap sent me wo'
&C. to come over l did 80. She told q
of that the post leadership at Fort S
ar- was vacant; that it vas q valuat
be post, as she understood, and that 3
- had either asked for 1t for NE, or J.
prevailed upon the secretary to agr
lat TO give it to me. AT all events
nd called upon the secretary of war al
as near as | can remember, made a
~plication for this position OIL 8 reg
lar printed form. The secretary 81
he would appoint me if / conld bri
ue, proper letters and recommendatiol
.st and this l said l could do. Eth
Mrs. Belknap or the secretary tt