Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-04-25

"AS-A1-NS1OISy - 1uSlC Was al u
usually full attendance of members of Ii
committee OF foreign affairs, of newspas
correspondents aud of spectators this NOR
ing, caused by the fact that Blaine, ex.secr
tary OF state, was to have an opportunity
testifying regarding the remarkable stat
ments of Jacob R. Shipherd, in so far at les
as related to the interviews with the ex.secr
tary Of state.
Blaine came into the committee-room ,
1880, accompanied by one OF his young sol
twho stood behind his fathers chair through
ont thu SESSION., and having in his hand fou
enormous sized envelopes and volume pul
lished by the stats department, in red bindin:
entitled iWar n South America ard the a
tempt to bring about peace'
At first the chairman said Inc session ,Dns
De very brief, IS it was reported that a cues
ton of privilege (Ro5inson's resolution as +
the imprisonment of raturalized citizsns i
lreland) would come up and the members @
the committee were pressed to take part In tn
proceeding. Blaine suggested that # was no
a question OF privilege, but 8 privileged cues
ton, which ought not to interfere with III
call OF the states for the introduction of bills
Finally 1t was arranged that the COMMITTEE.
would continue IN session till ~ O'Clock, and
Blame vas ihereupon sworn as witness snc
tha examination proceeded.
NJ Blaine-While of course desire to sub
NIT myself 10 such as the committee NAV IN
dicate, still it would probably be The mos
simple method Of proceeding for me to make
general statement and then submit nyseIf II
any questions which the committee NAV pro.
pose 10 put 10 me afterwards.
ChalTman-As going 10 lead up to those
questions we take IL for granted that Won
we're secretary of state under President Gar.
aeld.s administration aud for time under the
administration OF President Arthur. Do You
know jacob R. shlpherd, who testified in this
l1veStigatlon9
Blaiue-I do.
Cnsirman--Have you read the testimony
pnrportlDg TO have been given by him befoI e
This committee?
Blaine-Yes, sir. and have tried to under
stand 1t. [Laughterl.
Chalrmdn-The committee may desire TO
interrogate you in reference TO the CORES pond.
ence OF Shipherd, and touching your alleged
interview which he claims to have had with
you, the committee prefers you should go on
as you nave yourself suggested and make your
own statement IN such way as You please.
taking it.up IN such oder as you desire.
Blame asked for the reading of the resolu.
lion under which the committee was acting
anu Lney were real by Inc Clerk.
kasson-n it be agreeable to Mr.. Blaine, I
should ask him at hrst 10 dispose of his
knowledge touching the missing papers.
Bialne-l was going 10 take it in that order.
TO begin with, Mr.. Chairman, never saw the
alleged papers OF Mr.. Shepherd in the state
department In my life, neither before This In.
Testlgatlon was asked nor sinc,. They were
papers of a character which would not naiur.
ally De brought to the attention of the secre-
tary Of state. L never knew there were auy
such papers in the department, nor addressed
10 II until after Shipherd was introduced to
me by Senator bl4ine, the latter part of july.
de then referred to the fact thas he had ad-
dressed somt papers to the president which
had probably been referred 10 The secretary.
never inquired about them. | shall speak
about that more diI ectly afterwards and never
saw them nor knew nothing Up 10 that time,
OF them being there and prior LEI the introduce
ton by Senator Blair Of eh pherd to NE. had
never heard the mans name. When Senator
Blair came to me Monday, July 2, and said he
desired 10 lnterv ew me iur gentleman named
shipherd, never had heard the name and
SAID TO him "you must mean Shepherd, for ]
never heard OF the name Shlpherds"
NO." he SAID, II mean SnIpherd.''
recollect that incident as liking the fact
IN my mind that never had as much as heard
OF the man before July ID.
III 'Ui IlASA pluudtLOu Will bIdLS Ilab the
correspondence which comes to the state de-
partWenL is first sent TO the Office of the chief
clerk who assorts it. The consular CORES.
pondence goes 10 the office of the third assist
ant secretary; the department correspondence
goes 10 the office OF the second assistant sec
rotary of the first assistant secretary or 10 the
bureau directly. The secretary of |
state wOuld only have his attention called to |
the important dispatcheS-tO dispatches reIat- |
inc Ia nIpsfinpE pf nNlipx- 70
of detail. It would be utterly impossible, and |
q gentleman OF intelligence VIII see how ab.
surd 1t would be TO suppose that the head of !
any OF Inc great departments OF the govern
ment should have personal cognizance or over |
sight OF every Individual paper that comes in. |
to the department, much less the matter of |
such entire freshness as that sent by Shipherd, |
and so far as the investigation Il say it with.
out any dlsrespect 10 the committee,l as to |
what became of this matter, is concerned, it |
was scarcely fitted for the waste basket.
The chief clerk would have been acting in |
strange contrast to bis ordinary prudence had |
he attempted 10 interrupt the attention OF |
the secretary by laying such matter on his |
table. did not know Shepherds haDdwrit-
ing until In autumn, when Hurlbut turned |
over his correspondence and Assistant Score.
tary hill brought 1t to my house one morn
ing and said, "nere Is pretty mess of stuff
from South America" and he exhibited these
letters. said, "are these il Shepherds hand
He said he did not know Ship.
herds handwriting, but that they appeared 10
be original letters, and that there was no evi.
ence Of their being copies. Up to that time
had never Seen Shepherds handwriting. As
to Shipherd's very frequent interviews with
me, one would suppose from certain repre-.
;entations which appear to have been made TO
,he committee, and especially from statements
n the press, we had spent the whole summer
together. .-...
Kssson-Will you state now, whether YOU
know how the papers came to be missing
rom the f es OF the state Department.
Bialne--l never heard word OF their being
missing at all. do not know a word about
?. have as little knowledge of it as an I'm.
corn Child. They had never been addressed TO
he at all. They were matters which in the
course Of routine are referred every Jay in !
arge quantities from the White House to the
different departments.
kasson-Asd, of course, you have no knowl-
'dge as to where they are to be foundY
Blaine-Not the least in tbs world. There
vas an impression that they might possibly
De among various documents which were
necessarily brought to my house, but have
had searched every corner by my private secre-
airy without effect, and ho-who is is a very
,areful, close and attentive business MAN.
lever heard of these papers. Now, in regard
o my frequent interviews with Snipherd. He
vas introduced to me July % by Blair in the
vening, when had very brief
interview with him. Instead OF it
up to II O'Clock IN the evening as
lie stated | should say the whole interview
vas not longer than from ten to fifteen min.
ties. excused my self on account of having
rery important business then, and postponed
be interview until the next morning. From
hen until the middle of October l never saw
;hipherd and never heard of him. / never was
me moment with him at any time in any
,lace when Blair was not present, except for
moment which shall afterwards explain.
from July % to October IS l never heard of
.hipherd nor saw him. Then saw him for
,rlef time on November 8, think he has
.iyen the dates correctly in his statements, so
or IS l have observed but he has erred a great
eal as to the length of the interviews.
AS TO what was SAID bY Shipberd, of course,
& fixing the policy of the government, the