Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-03-09

/ pers IN the Mexican claims should, after adiudl
cation, be filed in the State Department, aud u
became the duty of Mr.. Davis to perform this pert
| VI the work On proceeding to The ekainina''"h
| Of the Gardiner papers. with n view to ther IN
| dorsement and arrangement. his attention was
arrested by the palpable evidences Of fraud. lie
] at once made more iii trough examination. anu
satisfied himself that they utterly SPURIOUS
| The Menrs claim. moreover, eano under ms on
seryation, and II appeared that he knew him in
/ Mexico as a fugitive from justice, and man al
| bad repute He was also acquainted with the
| mining localities in San Luis Potosi There wa,
! perhaps. no other man in Washington who couid
| have been so appropriately appointed to that SIT
/ uaiion at that Particular time. lie at once, aud
/ almost intuiiiyely, arrived at just estimate of
| the whole fraud. Upon this eonyictios, ne ad-
dressed u letter stating the fact, 10 Mr. lrltten-
den. then Attorney Generals but finding that his
communication was unnoticed, he published u
letter in the National lntelligenecr, boldly avow-
ing his detection of the fraud, over his own name.
This wns on the 10Th May, 1851.
This letter engaged the attention of President
Fillmore and a cabinet council either called for
the purpose or otherwise Immediately occurring,
the subject wns discussed, and Dr. Davis sum
moned TO appear lie was asked what nforma-
ton he had 10 Justify the publication in question,
when he explained the nature of his duties, his
acquaintance with the subject, aud his conviction
that the Gardiner claim was bold and daring
fraud. President Fillmore reproyed him for his
hasty publication of the fact, and asked why he
had not communicated. with the proper officers OF
the government prior 10 such proceeding. lie
answered that he had done s,that he had fully
informed the Attorney General Of the fact. Mr.
Crittenden had no recollection of ever receiving
ANYTHING from Mr. Davis on the subject, and
asked in y hut way he hal made the conmunlca-
ton.
DIR. Davis replied that he wrote to him. The
letter contained an explicit statement OF the fraud
He confided the letter to a messenger who was d-
rccted to insure its delivery into Mr.. Critendcn's
own hand. His messenger on reaching Mr.. C.'s
office. learned TINT he was Mt the supreme Court
arguing case Il ere. He waited until Mr. C.'s
return, when the letter was delivered. The mes
senger saw Mr.. G. break the envelope, com
mence reading the letter, and then withdraw
Upon this statement Mr.. G. taxed his memory
and presently was enabled to recall the fact lie
had received such n letter, and read il either has
ty indiiferently in whole in part, but having
received a number of letters complaining OF frauds
partulity injustice, and forth, with respect to
the awards Of the board, and knowing that there
was no appeal either - him or any where else, he
had regarded the letter of thai character, and
had given it no further attention Its importance
as coming from DR.. Davis had not fixed his at
icntion.
President Fillmore was deeply moved upon
this statement, and expressed himself with much
feeling MIR. Critteuden profoundly regretted
his apparent negligence in momentoua "A mat
ter, and by his subsequent diligence aud zeal,
within the sphere of his official duties. conpcnsa-
ted for the error. Happily the re.olutc spirit Of
DR.. Davis prevented The consummation OF the
fraud, 80 that the Misrepresentation ot the Attor-
ncy General did not in any degree npair the
ease.
The Government was, by ls event, fully APP
prsoG, and Mt the same time convinced of the |
fraudulent character of the whole transaction.-
Before proceeding with the active demonstration
against Gardiner, another circumstance Just sub
sequent to this event must he mentioned. About |
the last of June, 1851, Mr.. Edward Curtis. whom
we named as former counsel of Gardiner, notified |
President Fillmore of his suspicious about the |
validity of the CHIN, and informed the President |
that a certain j. A. Porte, n Frenchman, who |
had resided in Mexico, and was an intimate friend
Of Gardiner had stated to VIM. :. PARROT and
his brother John Pauott WHO had also been claim
nnts for indemnity for tobacco, before the Board
that Gardiner had told him, (porte) on the eve
OF his departure for England Tint ho had nun.
aged 10 impose ON the Government fraudulent
claims, aud that member of the Mexican lcgu-
ton at Washington had assisted him (Gnr1ncr)
by procuring from McIieo the stamped paper
that was necessary for the forgerics.
Soon afterwards, Mr., Curtis again wrote TO Mr.
Fillmore, saying that Pmrott had seen porte,wh
promised to put in writing what he had said to
the PARROTS. In this communication, MIR. Cur
us also stated that lac had boon engaged as coun-
sci IN Gardeners ense by Gen. Wnddy Thompson
/ he latter. when eXamn ID witness before
the House of Representatives denied this Mr.
Curtis shortly afterwards went to Saratoga
where William ). Parrot wrote To him, saying
that though Porte had promised to give tho pa
per, he had not done In July, PARROT wrote
second letter re affirming portes statement, and
adding thnt Porte had declined to put in writing
the language of Gardiner, as he had promised
All OF which Mr.. Curtis communicated to the
President who then directed the district attor-
ney, Mr.. Fendall, to bring the matter before the
grand jury. Porte was then brought hv process
before the grand jury, when he denied positively
that he had ever made any such statements; and
declared that he know nothing about the fraudu-
lent character tthe claim. Other witnesses how
ever, We're found IN Washington who were sufli-
eiently informed upon other matters relating to
the fraud upon whose testimony the indictment
was found upon which Gardiner was convicted on
Friday last. We now return to the process of
development.
Mr.. George w. Slacum was at this time in
Mexico. lie was engaged in Same Investigations
there, and at the instance of Gov. Letcher, L. $,
Minister, at Mexico, with whom our government
had communication on the subject, proceeded to
investigate the matter of the Gardiner claim
lie was prevailed on by Gov. Letchcr to go to
San Luis Potosi and there make local inquiry
upon the subject; He examined the archives,
acquired all possible information TO substmtiate
the fraud, performed his duty with fidelity, and
made most satisfactory report. He brought
witnesses from Mexico, upon whose testimony
the second indictment for forgery was found.
1t may be remembered with what pertinacty