The national Republican., 1866-10-15
THE LEDGER SWINDLE.
"Druid" (FlinO The Csrrsspsudsnt Of
he N. Y. Nsws thS Aa,hOr.
lie prtends that /" some pcrson In sfilse' gave
him tho iniormatisa, but ssknswlsdga that
he wrote The infamous lie himself. d.

During the small hours this morning We received
q dispatch covering fifteen pages Of manuscript,
being the Philadelphia Ledgsrs explanation Of the
gold speculating swindlo which appeared in that
paper some days since. Much Of the Ledgers
article would be trash at any time, but to send us
such details about the mannsr In which they got
honIod is neither profitable to interesting to
our readers. Destroying about six pages, We come
at once to the main facts The Ledger says:
1--WE now come to tho origin Of the question:.
Our correspondent says that the original manuscript
was given to him by Mr. II. M. Flint, Of Washing
ton, who Is one Of three or four persons who aid
him In procuring Washington news Mr.. Flint con.
firms this and the substance Of his statement 10
follows: He says that person In Office told him
that . paper dated at the Executive Mansion was
seen on the table Of the Attorney General contain.
ing inquiries the subject Of the duties and pow.
ers Of the President In his relations TO the present
Congress- and relating to It's legality whom 80 many
States excluded from representation, and
questing the Attorney Generals opinion In writing,
and that the questions sent to the Ledger are the
same, In substance, as those seen on the Attorney
Generals table
"Hs further says that another person in Office
told him that the President had been oonvsrsing
with an intimate friend In the Executive mansion
about the same time on the same questions or
the same subject. This statement Of Mr.. Flint
was subjected TO long and searching examination
yesterday In Washington BY person authorised to
speak for this paper and the interview resulted In
several material notifications Of bis original state
ment. Mr.. Flint now says that the person In
office told him that another person had told the
person In Office that he the other person, said that
he had seen the paper and that his informant about
the alleged conversation in the White House be.
tween the President and an intimate friend said
that the intimate friend had told another friend
who had told still another person, and that this
fourth person had related the conversation to him,
Mr. Flint.
"It will thus be seen that the character Of these
informants 81 Mr.. Flint Is Of but little consequence
as they were not narrating what came under their
official notice, but merely what they had heard
other people say. II Is but fair to Mr.. Flint to
say that he claims to have had firm conviction Of
informants. and that he still olsims 10 hold the
same conviction.
THUS far We have spoken Of those alleged in.
formants in Office as though they have real OK.
istenco and as If Mr. Flint had acted In good faith,
but We now come to feature Of the Transaction
that shakes that theory to the foundation.
"Mr. Flint admits that having no more precise
information than the general and roundabout re.
ports. and that not having q single note Of the
alleged questions In writing that he deliberately
sat down at his table and framed in his opn
t1ords what he ,nppo'sd to be the questions-pro-
Tossing to give the text literally with accompany.
ing references TO articles and sections Of the Con-
stitution-and sent this OF for publication - the
| specific language Of inquiries submitted to the
| Attorney General by the President on one Of the
most serious topics that it Is just possible to
| raise It is difficult to find proper language by
which to charssteriss and condemn 80 unsorupu-
lous transaction, and We leave 1t to all those who
read II to apply terms suoh a. they deem most
| fitting to such . subject.
"In view Of these admissions by the man TO
whom the story Of the question is thus ultimately
traced, we confess to having serious doubts as to
how far his statements about having any inform.
| ants at all be credited, and as to whether he
must not be considered as having manufactured the
whole story, from beginning to end. He has been
Informed, indeed, that this will probably be the
verdict Of the public unless he gives the names Of
the mysterious persons In ofhce, which he has thus
| far concealed.
"In finally disposing Of M. Flint, We have to
say, that II We had known the dispatch containing
| the questions came from him, they would never
have appeared in the Ledger. but coming through
a correspondent who has been connected with the
paper for upwards Of twenty years. We gave 1t that
credit we thought 1t entitled to from his general
| accuracy"