The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-10-15


Some Of the mere party journals in this CITY with
greater show Of partisanship than of reason, at
tempting to defend Secretary Corwin's reputation
from any stain which might chance to be affixed there
to by the report Of the Gardiner committee, while
admitting that that celebrated claim, which has so
long attracted public attop ion this continent is
nothing more or less than magnificent frlad hut
these journals, and nj, show themselves little
expert at the office they have assumed They all
admit tho justice Of that portion of the commit.
tees report which declares the Gardiner claim to be-
ab iHitio, fraud, but very logically deny the con-
sequences which must follow that decision. namely
that Secretary Corwip, as che consulting counsel,
and as the stakeholder, 10 that fraudulent specua
tion was cognizens Of It's real character. Now, we
do see the compatibility of swallowing down, At
one monstrous gulp, the belief that the Gardiner
claim was in its inception and throughout all its
ramjfcatons, n magnificent swindle and that the
counsel who prosecuted that claim, and from his
relations with it, both as lawyer and shareh older in
its profits, must have been supposed to know every
thing about il, perfectly innocent of all know
ledge Gifts raudulency. Certain ugglers may evnce
wonderful talent and facility Mt swallowing long
forks and stlettos and lighted fanbeaux; but that
is no reason why all mankind should venture to
initiate them So we cannot, with due respect to
our internal condition, gulp down the absurdity
that ell the evidence and documents necessary
to substantiate this claim were perjuries and
forgeries, and that the lawyer who prosecuted
it-and who has charac er for legal as.ute-
ness and capacity-was verdantly igaor..nt of
the value Of the testimony adduced in its SUP
port. Such stories may do for the Marines aud
- L. A..
tributes Of committee Of the House of Representa-
tives; but old salts will be excused from placing inn
plicit belief in them
1t seems, therefore, that those journals who
manifest fuch IN interest in Mr.. Corwin's reputa-
ton, and who defend him on the grounds Ibid down
in the report, must choose bet xeen the two in
evitable horns Of the dilemma Either Mr. Cor
win was Professionally coguizant of the fraud.
ulency Of the Gardiner claim, or he was de.
fcient in common intelligence. lie must have
been either knowing aad consentpg party
to the juggle, or an iguorumus who did not
show legal acumen or ordinary Intelligence enough
TO IL him to be the solicitor in suit TO the
amount'ofa grocer's bill Which horn do his I'M
wise friends choose TO catch at ! For Mr. Corwin's
reputation it would be better to conoijer him as an
honest ignorant dupe: but if it be 30 admitted then
his character for Intelligence and mental capacity
must suffer.
But, after all, Mr.. Corwns guilt or innocence, or
the fra udulency honesty of the Gardiner claim,
lot the real points which the country expected
that tho attention Of the Special Committee would
have been principally turned to. The point in
which public opinion has peculiarly manifested itself
in connection with the Mexican claims, is, whether
it is consistent with the faithful discharge of their
duties, for members of the House, members of the
Senate, members of the Cabinet to connect them
selves with such claims, either as counsel or as
shareholders 1t to this feature of the trans
action that the committee were expected to Gu
tighten the community; but both they aud the jour-
mails who defend Mr.. Corwin, main.ai an ominous,
suspicious silence in respect to it 1t is not in rea-
ton to Mr. Corwin alone. that light was desirable
nor in relation to Mr. Crawford alone. but as being
equally necessary to illuminate the dark ways Of
great number Of members of both houses and of the
Cabinet 1t ia for their cu pable remssness or rather
perhaps, for their studied avoidance of this branch
of the investigation that have particularly ques-
toned the soundness and impartialty of the report
on the Gardiner claim. rendered by the Special CON-
mittee Of the House of Representatives We there
fore continue to regard it by no means creditable
to that dignifed body.