The daily union., 1852-10-09
The Great Gardiner Fraud.

The Great Gardiner Fraud.
The American voter who has heretofore hesated as
to what he should take in the coming elections
will need further illustration OF the character of the
special leaders of the Scott party than that which is
furnished by the developments laid before the country
by the committee appointed by Congress to investigate
the Gardiner claim II must be borne in mind that the
report establishing this "NAKED FRAUD" the COM
miliee call The Gardiner claim. agreed upon by all
the members of the committee present; that it the
report Of the three members. Hon. Preston
King. Nem.,) Hon. Volney E. Howard, (dem.,) and
Hon. Charles Chapman (whig D and tina, of the two
members absent, Hon. Andrew Johnson (dem) and Hon
John T. Goodrich, (whig.) one at least. if not both
would have cordially concurred in the chief conclusions
OF their colleagues had they been in Washington.
The American people will observe with surprise that
the National Iateigencr, one OF the wing organs IN
this city, apologies for the fraud, and takes the commit
tee to task for having ventured 10 pronounce an opinion
upon the subject! Well may that paper groan in agony
Of spirit the spectacle which the report published yes
terday presents TO the country at large But we had
hoped that before the array OF facts presented by the
committee, and before their unanimous condemnation OF
the board of commissioners which decided in favor of
this claim iha, there would have been some regard
hibed for the perled interests OF the country and the
pundered treasury Of the people The National Inteii
geaeer, conservative is, and cautious il is,
only the party aspect OF the and is silent in regard
the honor OF public and 10 the welfare of the
Countryside OF which has been insued by the sad
dening exhibit Of prohgacy in high officers Of the whig
administration and the other assailed in the OF
monstrous fraud.
We call il fraud. and charge that was
advocated and consumma,ed by in high standing in
the whig party. Before the bar OF public opinion
raign The present whig administration However par
tsans may rail, history will decide that il the counsel
ors OF General Taylor achieved the great Gapbn fraud,
under the rule OF Mr. Fillmore that the Gardiner
claim fraud even wholesale and scandalous,
conducted through its stages TO triumphant conclu-
sion The men who decided in favor OF the lailer-George
Evans OF Maine, r. w. Thompson OF Indiana, and
Robert T. Pane OF North Carolina-were selected
parisans and are now least two OF them, leading
friends OF General Scott II is record that they de-
cided whlle the atmosphere filed with suspicious
in regard to II aud is notorious that the press, for
months before il was arranged spoke Of it extremely
doubtful The secretary of The board says the claim
"wAs REGARDED wrrH SOME Suspicious FROM THE BE-
GISsRG."
in case involving nearly half million OF public money
il not strange that Mr. Corwin, while in the Senate and
for more than year identified with the the
sci Of Gardiner should not have heard whisper OF The
suspicious entertained regard TO the claim, and shared
by the board "rRoM BseIssMer The commission
er. were and doubtless still are, his frends-hey were
his patty assocaes-they necessarily discussed with him
the merits OF his case-and he saw his clients often in
regard to IL; and yet while the board, Mr. Johnson,
the secretary, declares, suspected the claim from the
beginning Ma Cosws KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE
rAcTi
We perceive that the action OF President Fillmore in
gard TO the Gardiner claim is euogzed by Mr. Fendal,
the district attorney OF the United os''o' % r~""'.s
thai these suspicious generally entertained before the
claim decided and shared. told. by the board
did not reach Mr.. Fillmore until the board OF commits.
.oners declared !, to be valid Plain men will shake
heir heads at this and the tardy energy and eleventh
hour vigilance OF the President however il may arouse
the admiration Of the district Attorney will scarcely com
pensate for the Indifference the neglect to call by no
harsher phrase, which marked his course in regard 10
claim SUSPECTED FsoM BrGssIse.
Tha, there good grounds for these suspicious,
the testimony submitted TO the committee OF inyestgatio
abun5antly shows Tha, there was ground for the Sc
vere,t c,ndemnaton OF the commissioners who decided
the Gardiner claim The testimony also proves And that
the people will hold the administration responsible for
not sooner arrestng the work finally consummaed by
the commissioners, there is little doubt there is
that Mr.. Cotwins share in the transaction will be
demned wherever it is subjected TO criticism. The
mtiee OF investigation him, il is true but, doubt
ess because they could not allow "suspicons and cir
eumsances only less potent than facts TO control their
action What are the points decided by the committee
And what do the witnesses establish
THAT THE CLAIM WAS NAKED FRAUD
That THE ALLEGED MINE IN rHr SrATr or SAs LUIS
Porosr, department Of Rio verde) uros WHICH GARpi-
sERs CLAIM was BASED, HAS NO Exrsrrsos. because
there mines Of any SORT in that depar.men and
Slate
That the board Of commissioners suspected The claim
from the beginning; and. upon The explanations Of Dr.
GarSnsr allowed ~
That the board Of commissioners first made private