The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-24

pal Churcn Will not learn. IL is lOf MI. lying,
as brave and honest man, now to say what
he will do.
Tho Internal Revenue Muddle-Worse and
Worse.
Woolley and the whiskey rings, Thurlow
Weed and all that lot of spectators and ope-
rators in Andy Johnsons impeachment trial
have almost passed out of the public mind.
Buckley, the bold and daring Buckley, who
undertook the upsetting of Rollins and all his
internal revenue cohorts, horse, foot and dra-
goons, came here to New York, heads up,
drums beating and colors flying, raised
fuss, got himself into muss and was COM
PEELED to fall back under the protection Of the
White House. The United States District At
torney Courtney was too much for Buckley,
and the Buckley investigation eliminated in
the arrest and indictment of one or two of his
chief witnesses for perjury. This was tiasco;
but Buckley still sticks to it that where
there is so much smoke there must
be some fire, although as the great
internal revenue fraud Investigator he
has for the present shut up shop and re-
tired in disgust. Next there appears through
his counsel in court Mr.. George A. Fitch,
hauled up for libel by United States District
Attorney Courtney, whereupon PFitch's counsel
says that defendant has prepared an
''afidavy," in which he makes complete
retraction and is ready to settle the damages
on this plea. This is dreadful backdown for
Fitch, but from the facts as set forth by
plaintiffs counsel it was the best thing that
Fitch could do. He had drawn up heavy
bill of accusations against Courtney, under
which, when brought to the test, Fitch couldn't
stand fire. So he makes an affidavit in jail
that all his accusations submitted to the
President against Courtney are "false and
untrue" and he makes this retraction not to
get out of jail, but as matter OF justice to
Courtney. Among these retracted charges is
one that Courtney had accepted bride of ten
thousand dollars from the Kentucky Bourbon
Company, and another that Courtney at the
Astor House had committed violent personal
assault upon Buckley, &c.
In his affidavit of retraction Fitch s'goes
back" on the much buffeted Buckley, and
authoress, at the city Of Washington, at the
time said libel hereunto annexed was made
and drawn, also urged deponent to make said
charges against Courtney, stating among
other things to deponent that she was anxious
to have said charges made against Mr..
Courtney, SO as to have him suspended at
once" and she stated she Courtney must
be removed at once, he must be got out of the
way, that this thing may go through" meaning
the removal of Rollins and the appointment Of
General Burbridge, aid interim, whose appoint
ment Mrs. Stephens was advocating and
urging"
Here at length we have lady and an au-
thoress in the case, and here these questions are
suggested: What interest had Mrs. Stephens
in this businessp Why was she SO very urgent
and jealous in the movement for the removal
Of Rollins? And why did she want General
Burbridge In his place? While writing up the
life of Andrew Johnson, from tailors boy to
Alderman, and from Alderman to President, and
from President to the impeachment trial, and
80 on down to the Tammany Convention, was
Mrs. Stephens also in the whiskey ring? Was
she, too, in the Kentucky Bourbon Company
And was this the reason she wanted General
Burbridge, Of Kentucky in the place of Roll
Inns
When there's q lady In the case,
or course all other things give place.
Fitch has made pretty mess Of it. His re-
traction in reference to Courtney, If there is
any truth in his illusions to Buckley and Mrs.
Stephens, makes the matter worse and worse
touching the wonderful ramfcations and
agents and instruments of these whiskey rings.
Moreover, what was the inducement to Fitch
in making his false charges against Courtney
at the instance of Buckley and Mrs. Stephens
The inference naturally follows that it was
whiskey, and contraband whiskey at that. But
case, how is Fitch to be believed In another?
That's a puzzler; but then, again. why should
he bring Mrs, Stephens into this affair, unless
she had at least her little finger In the pie ?
We know that the ladies have always been all
powerful in the Washington lobby, and we
know that under Mr.. Johnsons administration
they have not lost an inch Of ground, but until
the reading Of this explanatory affidavit Of
Fitch we had no suspicion that they were
among the prime movers in these whiskeY
rings. Assuming now that they have been
and ore, we can only account for the escape OF
Courtney and Rollins upon the theory that in
regard to the ladies they have had the balance OF
power on their side. If so, we want no further