, 1866-02-02

The question raised by the trial ut Washing
ton of Gen. L. C. Baker, for the arrest OF
Mrs. L. L. Cobb, Is simply whether the busi-
mrs. Of Pardon Brokerage Is legitimate as to
thc PARTIES interested, and one which Is con-
sistent with the dignity OF the Government
and the welfare Of the country. If Il Is, then
Mrs. Cobb is Il prosecuted woman, and Gen.
1saker Is a trcspasscr, though doubtless with
good intentions. If 1t Is not. then Mrs. Cobb
ika quosi public nuisance, and Gen. Baker
dns. well to ''ahate'' her. The facts Of the
casc are uudisputcd. A detective in the cm-
l,iov OF Gen. Baker, assuming the alias Of
Clarence Howell employs Mrs. Cobb to ob'
1ain fron, the President pardon. The fol-
lowing IL copy Of The agreement 10 procure
the pardon:
..WArnrsa1oE, D. C., Not. $, 1866.
.'For md in consideration Of tho snn OF $500.
agree n fellow l. 10 nit: 10 tAke from Capr. Howell
h- s1ate:uent :n rGar to his ca~e, and pso-1re for
r the iai' I'D eomns,e, IS,aon, So. as s pass o.,
dred dolsss q halo, aud .he scna,a.ns xsoo on
tic dcitrts, OF bis lasdon. on Monday cvealn2 It
sncee' Il il r. cs,tc ,be pardon a. a.se:s. III, IT.
'A' y ''-''' @-> Nv '~@> airs l. l. coEr."
Tlr following rcc:ipt appears On the back
0fth" a!o-e:
@WLtH!SGTCS. u T.. NcF. ,. 1H3o.
~.Mrf. l. l. coEH.
III In:rs.,:ncc Of The agrce1uen! which was
s;, rcd I'll Sunday, .lle pardon was obtained
t,y Ngs. Cchh, .ns her testimony shows, on
personal interview s:i,h III: President on the
following Wednesday. Mrs. Cobb, 1"hrn ask
I'd what arc her means ufIu1uencc Tor o1.ain-
tns these la.dons, coolly answered tha. e.. the
rr.,slts cf llcr labor show her means OF inslu~
cncr.''
Sow. either Mrs. Cobb has no means Of
nII,lc.ce with tho President and his subordi.
mites, laris 1nerc messenger, charging scsct
nj l..ndrcd dvllars tor carrying papers TO and
fro, which any PAGE Of the masculine gen.
der would carry for fifty cents. In which
event she Is m impoeter, obtaining money
undcr :alsc psutences; or else she las some
spccil 1:,ca.:s Of influence, tie uature Of which
il is due IL the dignity Of the Administration
end the country thnt the people should know
We are ruablc to conceive Of any such means
O, influence which would be pure or
h,olthv,. but this r,ay be the fault Of
our impcs:oc; conceptions. Slin less arc We
able to conceive that any such Influences
would fail 10 excite the prcfoundest indisna'
tfou the bosom Of that President who os'
ttntAftou5l3 rtbuheo Ine 4o"et uo1A oLano
ard Of all Ills predecessors from Washington
to Lincoln by returning with flourish O
trumpets class Of presents which they had
quietly md politely accepted Il must *
therefore that the President Is wholly una
ware Of the seducirg witchcrS which Mrs
Cobbtas wrought upon his secretaries ant
lacquegs, or Of the extent to which 1t has II
cilAtated her somewhat questionable trade II
Lis signature. But now that this matter Il
made public, now that the people sec tha,
Gen Baker Is less on trial than is his fail
prosecutrix, and that behind her there rise
by inevitable inference the august form Of An
drew johnson, no result which the trial ca,
have wil1 be flattez 10 the aast and most lin
rortant party 10 the Transaction, unlez
Is be proof that the pardon WAS
forgery. To the general theory Of Baker, ths
tie pardon brokerage business Is nuisane
and ought to te hrokip up, all the world wi
Ray,.Ameul Ills 11ial mag be conducted L
thc court In such manner by the suppressio
ri all testimony as TO Mrs. Cobb moral eaa
actcr, except upon The single point of her We
ac,ty, as to send il to the jury In sarbls
Condition, and secure Bakers conviclio
The decision OF petit jury has he
suid 10 be something not with