Party Virtue
The vote in the House of Representativos at Washington, a few weeks ago, by which that body refused tho appoinunent of a coinniittee to prepare articles of impeae'.micnt against the Vice-President of the United States, was one of the most unpleasantly suggestivo votes evr r record - ed in this country. Eitherthe Vico-President was evidently deserving of so high. a proceedias; against hini, or he was not; There was uot a tact of his case which was not as well known to one üiember ás another. ïhere was not a inember of that body, unless he had deliberately ohosen to bc ignorant, who had not coino to an intelligent conclusión eoncerning the Vice-i'resident's guilt or innocence of the charges that had been preferred against him. It was a plain qnestioa of tact, 0:1 which un unbiased jury of ordinary iutelligence could have la 1 no difticulty in coming to a just conclusión ; ytt one of the highest deliberative bodiea in tho land voted upon it almost exclusively according to party prejudioes and affiliations. Half a dozen Kepublicans, whoso motives at least, were optn to suspscion, voted with the Lolid array of Democratio members against the Viee-Presidentj while the Republicana, as an overwhelming and oontrolling majority, declared by their votü that the officer had done nothing to desurve tho disgraco sought to be inllicted. ïhe country is thus loft n doubt as to the real mcrits of the case, and knows nö more concerning them from this vote than it would froni the decisión of a debating club of boys. One of these partios has evidently lied, or borne false witness for or against a man hitherto considered eminent for his personal virtues. It is sad to, conolude that so high a body as tho House of Bepresenttives is entirely untrustworthy in its deaühgs with a question of public morality and personal rectitude. The country may well ask, in view of this vot; : " lf they do these things in the green tree, wbat wili they do in the dry?" If such vital questions as tho iucorruptibleness and veracity of oue of thè heads of tho governinent is to be settled by a party voto in the House of Representativos, what are we to conclüde concerning the wholo ■vestigation 'i Indeed, is it not fair to judge that this investigation was a "put up job," intended exclusivtly for politieal parposes ? A delightfal set of men, these, to pass upon the moral standing' of each other, when the guilt of doiug it in accordance with party interests is blackcr than anything charged against anj one of them ! Ay, a pretty set oí' men, these, who stand self recorded as malignen or defenders of a publio reputation and a private character, according to party prejudicos to pass judgment upon the Hioral standing of their fellows ! We protest that, whether tha men implicated by this investigation aro guilty or not, the men into whoso hands the investigation feil convicted theinsclves of their morai unlitn'ess to settle it jiistiy. We have lost all i'aith in t!ie investigation and its results. Wo do not believo the country knows, after all tho reporta, who the guilty ones are, or that it ever wiH know. Each party, it seems to u?, h:ts pimply tricd to see how muck it could make or save out of it ; and the poor devili who havo come i'rom the Bcrimmage with soiled linen and unpleasant adjectives rttaohed to their minies, will at least have the comfort of knowing that tho country thinks as mueh of themas of tho most of thoso by whose party votes they 1 ;.ded or condemnofl; - Dr. J. O. Holland ; Scribner's for April A Hartford subscriber wrttes that he is just rSeovering froui small-pox, and will bo on in a few days to renew liis subscription. V,'o wun't mimla little thing lik' that. Wa will senil tho paper and wait for the raoney. We will wait cheerfully. ■'t of tbat avaricious kind of peoplo wlio will grab for money is if tbr lite. ■ such thitiga. There's no earthly reason for bis coming on ; we will
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Old News
Michigan Argus