The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-10

which over hundred million dollars have
been diverted from the national Treasury into
the pockets of individuals directly or indirectly
interested in the whiskey business. This is a
well established fact. 1t is equally certain
that none Of the principal parties engaged in
these nefarious transactions have been brought
to justice, and that whenever q prosecution
has been attempted it has been obstructed by
the very persons who ought to be tho fore
most to protect the interests of the govern
ment. Buckley commenced an investigation
in this city some weeks ago. and at the outset
he was met by opposition from government
officials. His authority was called in question,
and it was soon discovered that he had the
whole Revenue Department to fight as well as
the suspected criminals against whom his pro-
ceedings were directed. A similar case has
recently occurred in Richmond, Virginia,
where John A. Gilmer undertook to act as
special agent of the government to investigate
the fraudulent transactions of the whiskey
rings and their allies. From lengthy corre-
spondence in our possession we learn that Gil
mer met all manner Of opposition from the
government officials, high and low, and that
eventually the Treasury Department virtually
repudiated his action and ignored all the
evidence of fraud that he had accumulated.
Judge Fullerton, an able lawyer, an honest
man and good republican, is the party
through whom the affdavits to which we have
referred have been laid before the
President, and further evidence which he
has collected will, we believe, be submitted
to-day. We understand that the substance of
Judge Fullerton's developments has been
already brought to the attention of the Cabi-
net, but that he is there met by the oppo-
sition of McCulloch, Seward and Evarts, who
unite in preventing any action from being
taken upon his report. Thus we find at
every step distractions to the investi CATION Of
the frauds that SO VIGOROUSLY exist in the
Revenue Department. They meet us at every
turn-in the Cabinet in the departments and in
the courts. Now it is q. Cabinet officer, now
the head of department, now the head of q
bureau and now district attorney, judge
or marshal, who rises up as barrier
between the criminals and the law. 1t is q
significant fact, too, that at the very moment
disclosure Of rascality is threatened the
Seward organs open their batteries against
the parties supposed to be instrumental in the
movement, and the Congressional COM
mittee, which has been for months lying
dormant, reappears upon the scene and be-
comes suddenly active in the business of in
vestigation. But while everything is thus
muddled and confused the people bear in mind
these leading facts First, that enormous
frauds actually exist in the Revenue Depart
ment; secondly, that honest officials would
cheerfully avail themselves of any means,
regular or irregular, authorized or unauthor-
lied, to discover the offenders; and, thirdly,
that there is an evident Inconsistency in allow
ing the parties accused Of completely in these
frauds to have anything whatever to do with the
prosecution Of an Investigation into the fact
whether such frauds really exist.
President Johnson is the only man who now
has it in his power to cut the Gordian knot and
set all these matters right. It Is useless for
him to appeal to his Cabinet while three Of its
members are resolved to prevent any recognition
Of Judge Fullerton's charges. While in somg
movements he is bound to consult his Cabinet
he can in others act independently Of their
cooperation or advice. The Tenure Of Office
law gives him the power to suspend, If not to
remove, certain officers of the government.
Enough has been brought to his knowledge to
:,,.x In Nvo II ~
leading officials implicated in Judge Fuller
toms charges Indeed, IL he suffers them to
remain in Office he defeats the investigation
at once; for it Is directed against them, and
they are the parties oficially empowered to
conduct it. If he will remove them out Of the
way . fair and thorough investigation can be
made, but not otherwise. We call upon Presi-
dent johnson, therefore, to throw himself back
upon his honest impulses and to rid his admin
istration in its last hours Of the stigma that rests
upon It through the corruption with which it is
surrounded. The world, which gives him
credit for sufficient courage, will be disposed
to question his inclination to purify the
government unless he forces q thorough In
tinctly to his notice. If he should falter OF
refuse to suspend all suspected officials, high
and low, until the charges against them have
been fully tried and disposed Of, he will seri-
ously damage his own reputation, but will
afford little protection to the parties he screens
from justice. The work he hesitates to under
take his successor will thoroughly perform.
General Grant viii beyond doubt make COM
plete cleaning out Of the Revenue Department
from top to bottom as soon as he succeeds to
ONCE. The new administration will rise In the
light Of purity and honor, If the present one
should set in the darkness Of corruption and
disgrace. 1t is for Andrew Johnson to say
whether such contrast shall live on the page
Of history, or whether he will yet do an nc.