Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-11-11
Raid to bs Made on Thieves and swindlsrs.

Raid to be Made on Thieves and swindlers.
From the New York Herald, Nov. 81
We have reason to believe that Presi.
dent johnson is about to sigualize the
clese of his administration by coup
d etat that will astonish the country and
create profound sensation from Maine
to California, wherever the name and
fame Of whisky rings and revenue frauds
have reached Some short time since
Solicitor Binckley, with the consent and
approval of the President, commenced o
prosecution before United States Com
missioner in this city, embracing in it's
scope the head of the Internal Revenue
Department. This movement appa-
reutly failed; but there is reason to be-
lieve that it was designed simply as a
preliminary skirmish, and that it fully
answered the desired end. Its object was
to take soundiugs prior to entering the
main channel of investigation, and to
discover exactly what officials were
favorable to q thorough scrutiny of
all the acts of the department, aud by
whom inquiry was evaded and obstructed.
II was, in fact, trap into which more
than one unfortunate victim fell Since
the close of the Buckley prosecution
the President has been employing agents
in the several cities of the United States,
and especially in New York, to secretly
search ipto the alleged frauds and cor
ruptions going on among the revenue
officers and the outside rings with which
they work. These agents, lawyers of
ability, frmness and integrity, have done
their duty quietly, but effectively, and
are now prepared with afidavits and
evidence showing the most startling
frauds throughout the entire Internal
Revenue Bureau, and duplicating large
majority of those holding positions of
trust under the Treasury Department
They are at present in Washington, ar
ranging the preliminaries for the grand
raid soon to be made upon those who
have been engaged in robbing the gov
ernment for the past four or FIVE years.
We understand that President johnson,
satisfied with the cases presented to him |
by his counsel, has determined to make |
a clean sweep of the Treasury Depart
ment from top to bottom. Exercising |
The power still remaining in his hands
1nder the tenure-of office law, be will |
suspend all the prominent officials on the |
ground of incompetency or active par
.icipsncy in the revenue frauds, by which
wo or three hundred million dollars have
been diverted from the national treasury.
Secretary McCulloch, who is at the head
IF the department, and who cannot
,vade the responsibility of these frauds,
will head the list of martyrs, and he will
ind in his company Commissioner Roll
ns, and good list of uperintendents,
collectors, assessors and district attor-
,eys, more, numerous than the ghosts
hat passed before the eyes of King Rich
Ird on the eve of the battle of Bosworth
ield. President johnson will no doubt
tate distinctly the grounds upon which
lie suspends these incompetent or aishon-
'st men from Office, and will set forth in
J practical aud striking manner the
damaging character of the Tenure of
Office law, under cover of which these
normous frauds have been consum-
mated almost without decent preteuse
4 concealment 1t will then be seen
whether Congress will venture to inter-
lose its authority to restsre the aus
'ended officials to their positions
If President johnson will act with
oursge, frmness and honesty in this
important matter, he will receive the sp-
of the whole country and will
realty disembarrass General Grant ad-
by clearing away the cor
uptions Of the Government departments
efore the commencement of the new
residential term. The movement will,
course, spread CONSERVATION through
ie Radical camp and be received
ith howl Of indignation by the
rgsns OF the whisky rings; but let
le President fill the vacant offices with
ure aud capable men, acceptable to his
losen successor, and Congress will not
are to intApose. Andrew johnson is
mself a strictly honest man, aud be
YES it to his own reputation to show
at be has no part or sympathy with the
'ttenness and fraud with which the I
sdical tenureof-offcs bill has sur
unded bis administration. Nov, that
e election is over, his motives cannot
questioned, aud the coup he contem-
ates will redeem many of'sss f5i.ies Of
5 past career, and will crown the last
onfhs Of his official life With q orv