The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-16

! interesting. No review of his anecedents
| would be complete that omitted to show
how eminently practical he was on non
! partisan que} ions, and how far from a
''dead-head' he was las he expressed it,
| when business required attention.
Then II was, as a California orator once
said OF another, that he rose above priu.
ciple."
In the year 1876, in the House OF Rep
resenta,ives, an investigation was set on
| foot bearing upon certain railroad legisla.
ton. In the course OF that Investigation
James Mulligan was called as q witness.
| lie appeared before the subcommittee, and
| during his examination mention was made
OF certain letters that disturbed Mr.. Blaine,
who was in attendance as a defendant,
and caused him TO request Mr.. Lawrence,
OF Ohio, to move an adjournment of the
| committee, which was had. On the next
! day Mr. Mulligan resumed his testimony,
and in the presence OF Mr.. Blaine related
| 10 the committee the following startling
story OF what had occurred ut his rooms at
the Riggs House the night before. He
said that he came to Washington with Mr..
Warren Fisher, TO whom Mr.. Blaine had
| addressed cetain business letters several
| years before that he learned that the tes-
| timony which truth would compel him TO
| give before the committee would be at
tackled by Mr.. Blaine, and that as the let
tiers from the latter TO Mr.. Fisher would
verify his statements, he had OBJ.
| tanned them from their owner TO
be used II necessary for that pur-
pose. He said that after Mr.. Blaine had
made iruitless efforts to persuade him to
| visit him at his house. he came TO the
| Riggs House TO see the witness on the
evening next preceding the day on which
he was testifying; that he then and there
entreated him to give him the letters, and,
finding him obdurate, he went down
nearly upon his knees, shed tears, told
| him the letters would ruin him aud his
family II published, and threatened that il
they were not given up to him he would
| commit suicide; that being still refused,
| he begged TO be permitted to take them in
his hands for perusal on the spot, on his
| solemn promise 10 return them before lcav-
ing the room, and his request was granted;
that having so returned them, he again re-
| ques,ed 10 be allowed Ia look at them, on
Il like promise that he would at once 70
.urn them rs before, aud this request was
| granted; but that, in violation OF his word,
rs well rs in violation OF the rights OF prop.
erty, Inc refused TO return them. but, in the
face OF Mulligan's protests, committed the
| indiscretion Of taking and carrying them
away. Convey, the wise call il. !"
| such was the desperate strait TO which tho
Greatest Living Statesman had been
brought by his greed, his lack OF scruples.
| and his luckless gift OF lettor-writing.
Mr.. Blaine heard Mr. Mulligan's state
ment through and made no denial OF It's
truth. The hour for the meeting OF the
House having now arrived, the committee
adjourned before any action could be had,
and its members, together with Mr..
Blaine, repaired to their respective seats
in that body.
The seizure Of the Muligan letters by
Mr.. Blaine was OF course gross breach OF
the privileges OF the House, for Mnlligan
was in compulsory attendance a. wit.
ness, and the letters were likely TO be es-
sentidl for tho confederation Of his tcs,i.
mony. The next step would have been a
demand upon Mr.. Blaine for the letters.
and II lac refused, an order holding him in
contempt until lac complied, and probably
his expulsion from the House. Thus
driven into corner, he rcsorted to the
desperate trick OF pretending TO read the
any movement could bc made against him
he arose in his place and with foxy
audacity announced his purpose 10 take
into his confidence J0OO0,OO0 OF people.
His private secretary sat by his side with
the letters in his hands. One by one they
were by him handed 10 Mr.. Blame, who
read from them such portions rs he
pleased, aud returned them 10 the same
II H.E a..
the Clerks desk; never did one OF them
go out OF Mr.. Blaine's possession. What
they contained more than he read the
public never knew. What he did read
from them branded him with disgrace.
In one Of these letters he begged Warren
Fisher 10 impress upon Mr.. Caldwell tho
money value Of his ruling as Speaker Of
the House several years before by which
the Little Rock Railroad Bill was saved
defeat lie explained In detail how lac had
prompted the manager Of the bill 10 have
certain point OF order made, and had
then sustained the same. lie said that
when he made the ruling he did not know
that he should ever have any dealings
with the Company, but now he commended
that IL ought 10 bc considered in fixing the
terms on which he was to be admitted ~
n q
said, with no thought Of being benefited,
but now he wanted compensation. lie
presented his claim. not for goods sold and
delivered, but for goods had aud received.
There were other equally troublesome let
ters. This one will suffice ~ a specimen.
When he had concluded, the Hon Eppa
llunton, Chairman Of the subcommittee,
arose in his place aud stated 10 the House
all that had occurred In IN, Committee
that morning Mr.. Blaine heard IL all. In.
Guiding the statement that he hid knclt,
and cried, and threatened 10 suicide " tho
awful letters wcrr not delivered % him,
and had finally taken them without leave.
Congressional Record, Vol. 4, Part 4, page
3OlD. lie made no explanation or denial,
but only asked what man would like 10
have all his private correspondence pub
lished. Ibid. page 3.G0s. The inycsli.
cation was soon afterwards interrupted by
the illness Of Mr.. Blaine from sunslrokc,
aud was never heard Of afterwards. Dur
ing the recess Of Congress, lac escaped from
the jurisdiction Of the House by tho op.
perfume favor Of Governor Common, Of
Maine who oblgingy appointed him Sen.
alor 10 succeed Lot Morrill,, appointed
Secretary Of the Treasury.
These things werc not done IN corner.
but IN the Congress OF the United States,
In the open session OF the House Of Repre-.
scntaiiyos, held on the 9TH day OF June,
1870. They are all recorded In the Con.
grosiondi Record Of the proceedings Of that
date, above cited, which can be found In
most Of the public libraries. The Young
men Of the land especially should read In
those annals Of Congress the Mulligan
letters, and Of tho proud bearing Of Mr.