The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-09-25
Bayard and Blaine.

corruptioniStS support Blaine to man.
Blaine is an outgrowth of the policy
adopted by the Republican party of con-
doning fraud and falsehood, that they may
retain their hold on power.
He described with force and particular
ity the interview between Blaine and Null
ligan, in which Blaine went down upon
his knees to Mulligan in beseeching him
not to expose HIM blaine Mr.. Bayard ex-
claimed that this is not a country in which
one man should go down on his knees to an
other man.
The above sentences are taken from the
Spectators report of Hon. Thos. S. Bay
ards speech in this place last Monday.
With Mr.. Bayard's estimate of Mr.. Blaine
as here given, it is strange that he had
been party to paying him the distin-
guished compliment of voting for his con-
lirmation as Secretary of State, without
having the nomination referred to a COM
mittee. No higher testimony to a mans
integrity. craftsmanship and fitness for
representative duty, under our form of
government, could be given than to con-
| firm him in the exalted position of Secre-
tary of State, and that without question
or bubble or word of objection from
any source. 1t was done unanimously and
Mr.. Bayard was one of the Senators from
the little patch of ground dignified by the
| name of the State of Delaware, who
voted for the resolution of confirmation.
| ThiS was after the malignant Muligan
had held the letters to Fisher over the
| head of Mr.. Blaine with threat of ex-
posture at time when his name was before
the country for the Presidential nomina-
ton at Cincinnati and when the Conven-
tion was about to meet, allowing no oppor-
tunity for the exposure of the conspiracy or
| reaction from what was designed as SEN
| sation for Blaine's injury. Mr.. Bayard knew
| when he repeated Mulligan's charge that
| it had been positively and Indignantly
denied by Mr.. Blaine himself: that the
statement of Mulligan was unnatural and
that all the differences and conclusions that
| could possibly be drawn from the case as it
stood, united to brand the Mulligan story
| as false. He knew that James G.. Blaine.
in a long and eventful life, never covered
before any man and never asked quarter
from political friend or foe-neyer bowed
the knee to any living being in the shape
OF man, and that it is the most improba-
bic story ever coined in the brain of des-
perate adventurer, that Jas. G. Blaine fell
upon his knees and with tears in his eyes
eyes, pleaded with man like Mulligan for
anything. The subsequent history gives the
denial to the whole concoction. There was
nothing in the letters that Mr. Blaine was
either afraid or ashamed of. 1t was only
the momentary effect q sensational pub
LEGATION, contorted by his political foes into
a blazing offense, might have, with no
time for calm judgment to render YER
dict. Mr.. Blaine understood the situa-
tion. and he addressed himself to it with
his usual conciseness and intrepid cour-
age The letters were in the possession
OF Mtlligoia. They were private letters of
his to Fisher on personal business and be-
ing in the hands of party to whom they
were not addressed, and could, under no
conceivable circumstances, have any right
to their possession, Mr.. Blaine demanded
them, for his keen acumen taught him
that there was a conspiracy Matching. The
demand was refused, and asking again to
read them, he arbitrarily told Mulligan
that he wonld not return what could not
possibly belong to him. But did he secrete
them No. He took fifty millions of
people into his confidence, and in the
House of Representatives gave them to
the country in public speech of such
scathing power and crushing effect as to
electrify the Nation, and drive into shame
and disgrace the base conspirators who
plotted for his injury, and if possible, his
political destruction. Mr.. Bayard knew that
last Monday, and for him to resnrrect the
connection of Mulligan and give it to the
country with his sanction makes him equal
" responsible for the foul calumny with
him who originated it.
Mr.. Bayard did not refer to the recent
batch of letters of the same nature. for he
knew that to make fair statement of
them and their relation to the letters pub
lished:in 1876, would be proof conclusive
that Mulligan and Fisher were scheming,
plotting conspirators, who were seeking to
satlate some personal revenge OF accom-
plish some desperate end. 1t was alleged
that in 1876 Mr.. Blaine did not read all the
letters he received from Muligan-that
two were suppressed, and these two were
the damning evidence of his guilt, while
MI. Blaine asserted that he had read eve
ry letter and line that had fallen into his
hands. From that time to this the charge
has been repeated over and over again that
this was the case, and Mulligan has stood
by the falsehood, repeating that all the let
tiers of that batch had not been read Null
ligan knew he was lying, and the whole
country now knows it, for the very letters
he asserted were missing are found in the
batch he recently turned over to Mr..
Blaine's political enemies and which were
last week given to the public, having been
safely in the keeping of Mulligan's attor-
neys, under lock and key, from 1876 until
they were sent broadcast over the country
with wicked and malicious intent, few
days ago.
Senator Bayard knew these things last
Monday. He knew that Democratic
Committee of the House of Representa-
tives, with Proctor Knott as it's Chair
man, after careful examination, found
nothing to crminate Mr.. Blainein any i'm
proper action, and he knew that that Com
mittee was too mean and too cowardly to |
make a report after it had found a YER
dict, for fear simple justice would be done
a political opponent. He knew that the
late Jere S. Black, the most prominent |
Democratic lawyer, and one of the purest |
men of his day, and the late Matt. W. Car
penter, equally distinguished for legal
learning and fearless honesty, after careful
investigation. pronounced the opinion that
there was nothing in the letters of 1876,
that could be legitimately construed to
Mr.. Blaine's injury.
In the face Of all these facts, this
'chivalrier'' Bayard, with full knowledge
OF the wrong and injustice he was doing to
q candidate for the Presidency of q Marty