The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1876-08-29

condition Of the Democracy Of the
North is somewhat different though
scarcely better. Sympathizing fully
with the South, and entirely subser-
Went, it asks nothing but Office and
leaves IN easures and policies to the
South. Upon economic questions that
pertain alike to all parts OF the country
while opposing whatever ~ and all that
has been done, it has not even sug-
gestion To make, and is utterly bank
rupt in ideas. With individual mem
bers Of talent aud intelligence. as an
organization it has the confusion Of
ideas aud the feebleness Of grasp which
belong to The senility OF age that has
outlived everything but its passions
and the memory Of evil deeds. 1t cam
not escape from the past, and all its
traditions are evil. 1t cannot point to
one of its leading measures in 80 years
that has not been condemned by the
voice Of mankind. The other day in
the Senate asked the question, What
good thing the democratic party had
done, or proposed 10 do, in the last 20
years? and said l wonld yield the floor
To auy Democratic Senator who would
answer. The Senator from Delaware.
Mr.. Salisbury, accepted the challenge,
and named the appointment OF invesh-
ing committees by the present Demo-
cratic House Of Representatives. The
answer was an awful confession, which
present. The distinguished Senator
felt the necessity of saying something.
aud could think Of nothing but the APP
pointment Of smelling committees to
enable the rebels to lind out whether
We could not have put down their re-
bellion more cheaply than we did. The
Fugitive Slave law in 1850; the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise IN 1854;
the border rutfian outrage III 1885 d;
the Lecompton Constitution and the
Dred Scott decision in 1857; Its denial
of power to suppress the Rebellion III
lS60-l; its responsibility for the Rebel
lion by sympathy and encouragement;
its resistance to every war measure; its
efforts in 1864 To bring about the aban-
donment of the war; Its protection to
to treason and conspiracy IN the North
ern States; its opposition to the con-
ment to the people Of the South 10 re-
sist recon struction, and Its defense OF
the Ku Klux, White Leagues. and
every form of organized violence III the
South, present an unbroken series of
infamous measures which will grow
darker and darker by the lapse OF time.
INVESTIGATIONS.
The House of Representatives dur
ing the last session instituted &c inyes-
LEGATIONS into the accounts and conduct
of Government officers. A majority OF
the committees charged with these in
vestigations were ofiicered and manag-
ed by Confederate soldiers, aud the
sole purpose of all seems To have been
the manufacture Of reports to damage
the Republican party IN the approach
ing election. For this purpose the
rules of evidence were ignored, hear
say statements and unsupported ru-
mors received in testimony, the tele-
graph violated, private books and pa
pers seized, the rights OF citizens tram
pied pdder foot, and lunatic asylums
and penitentiaries ransacked for wit
uesses. InformeIs were encouraged
and employed, and the most incredi-
BILE stories received with avidity, al
though contradlcted aud scattered u
the winds the mkt day. Any Titus
Gates, who would by "A Muncnausen
statement implicate the President ia
whisky frauds, or other crimes against
the Government, was welcomed as a
benefactor, and treated with the most
delicate and assiduous attentions.
THE ISoUIsITIoSs.
The most Of these Investigations
were conducted with closed doors, 50
that the victims, whose names were to
be blackened, would know nothing OF
what was going on until they got it
through the newspapers, or other indi-
rect channels; and when some of them
demanded To be heard aud confronted
with their accusers II was refused until
tho ISLANDERS had been sent over the
country, aud then granted in such q
manner as TO make their defense I'm
possible or imperfect. The attempt to
drag down the Secretary Of the Navy
and to cover him with scandal without
his knowledge, the rluctance with
which they yielded TO bis stern de-
mands TO be heard, and their refusal to
consider evidence which was offered IN
his vindication, constitute one OF the
darkest pages Ia parliamentary history
These committees reported them
selves as lawless bodies. recognizing
no public or private rights which they
were bound to respect, and were dis
tinguished from the secret tribunals u
the Inquisition only by the absence o
the thumb-screw, the and the stake.
The single case Of Secretary Belk
nap gave the Democracy more JOY thar
! the birth OF a q Savior, and they man
aged to keep IL before the country con
tinuonsly for nearly ak months. Thi'
man had always been a Democrat, aud
entered the Cabinet by the persona
preference and confidence Of the Presi
dent, without ever having been con
nected with the Republican party.
1t is impossible now to fix the cos
Of all these Investigations. 1 have
heard no estimate putting il at les
than $500, 000 Investigations set oI
/ foot for the purposes Of truth, justic'
and the punishment Of crime are praise
worthy and useful; bnt when they ar
used as methods OF electioneering L
crafty malice, blacken the innocent
and help demagogues, traitors. land
thieves aud railroad robbers into ofiic
they become darker crimes than thos