The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-07-07
DANIEL 4. sIcKLEs, MINISTER TO SPAN


ooh i. =, ana Of the hcIsls OF that city, to
r.ce;ve expressions c'their kindly interest
and friendly regpd,' prior to his departure
g.. En,ore Although holding an appoint
or, 70 foreign court, aud Notwithstanding |
,hs legislation of congress prohibiting any |
..hcer of the army OF navy from holding
such position, he sent note accepting
the invitation, aud subscribing himself sd.
Z. Sckles, Major General United States
Army But this is the merest peccadillo OF
this mar, as appears by published sketch
OF his infamous career, from boyhood TO the
present time.
On the morning Of the 30th day Of June
the evening Of that day being the time
appointed for the meeting referred to-the
New York World published the most dam
aging expose of sickles' life that was proba.
bly, ever made in a public journal, of any
public or private person, in order, as the
the World said, that all VINO should attend
the reception, might know precisely the
man whose hand would be extended TO re.
ceiye them. This sketch Of this remarkable
mans career occupies nearly eight full col.
umns of the Horld, and gives traces of
fraud and crime as the Distinguishing fea.
lures of his life, and attributes his success,
which must be admitted to be remarkable,
to the "force of eifrontery and political favor.
tism,' supported in large measure by
all the crimes known to the moral or civil
law.
According to the account, Sickles, while o
mere lad gave signs Of prominence and un'
usual achievements in dishonesty and crime
by appropr:ating to his own use 800 en-,
trusted to him by Peter Cooper whose poet
ede he then was, and for which Mr.. Cooper
sent him of. In 1887 in conjunction with
confederate be was indicted for obtaining
money under false pretenses, but never
tried. Again il 1876 he appears to have
been Indicted for grand larceny, and
acquitted on technically through
which hundreds of criminals escape
viz that the Indictment charged that The
appropriated goods were the property Of on
man while the proof showed that they be
longed to another. Notwithstanding thes
prosecutions be was elected to the Assem-
bly, Of New York in 1897, whittier he wen
accompanied By notorious courtesan OF
New York, whom he introduced into the leg
slative chamber. For this fragrant outrage
on his brother legislators he was, by at en-.
phatc vote of the body, oensured, when he
should have been expelled. Other evidences
of his gross immortality in connection with
this woman are cited.
In 1852, he forcibly took possession of tbs
md seized the mails, and was afterwards in.
dicted for the ofense He was soon after
elected to the State Senate and INDUCED in
the usual vocation of members OF the New
\ DIRK legislature by selling his vote to vRri
GUS lobbyists, and i'll two years enmassed
fortune making laws for the state, In 1875
" oNci"HCllhiuH Po'ltltht ihhuoHNcst nv OF
cured the appointment Of secretary of legs
ton to London. While there he developc
such character as disgustei Mr.. Buchan
an. our Minister at the time, who demand
ed his recall. Here he also took the cour
tesan before alluded to, and had the bare
faced impudence to introduce her to the
Queen as a distinguished American lady
His character was such that Secretary Mar
cey who knew him, positively refused to sign
department was affixed by the assistant sec.
Rotary in Mr.. Ms absence. He also distin
guished his stay in London by frequent
loans for which WORTHLESS checks were given.
His next step preferment, by t-:ckery and
dishonesty, was term in Congress from one
OF the rough" districts of New York city
1t was while serving his second term in that
body that he shot and killed Key, with the
details of which the public are too familiar
One Of the most remarkable features OF tina
remarkable affair was his forgiveness o
his wife and taking her back to his conf
dence. The World accounts for this a
follows
The cause or causes of les "recon
citation with his wife were never publicly
known. One story current in private cir
cles was that certain promissory notes had
been discounted at the Shoe 4 Leather
Bank in favor Of Sickles, bearing the en-.
dorsement of Bsgioli, his father,in law
This Endorsement Bagioli failed to recog-
nze as his, aud to save himself from the
accusation of writing what he should not
write, SickIes submitted to terms he went
back to his wife. The notes were settled
several years afterwards. 1t is also report
ed that the possession by Mrs. Sickles OF
several letters written BY Sckles was pc
tent and prudential argument, which had
its weight after the trial. The woman, il
seemed was not meekly willing to remain {
lifelong martyr to the egotism and the mis-
taken public estimate Of her husband.
The command with which Sickles entere,
the war was raised by the contributions an
energy Of a man named Wiley, of Ne,
York, SicIes never paying cent toward
its equipment; but on arriving at Wast
lngton with his three regiments he parade
them before Lincoln and boosted to n
President that he had done oil this at hi
own private expense. His career in th
army, aud as commander in South Carolinr
~ familiar to the general reader.
This is the man who is to represent ii
nation at one of the pEoudsst and hsutie
courts in the world, and Gen. Grant is alor
responsible for his appointment, his col