The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-06-22
Frauds Great Rogues-The Army.


When General GRANT went into Office it
was said that he had declared his determi-
nation to put down the frauds upon the
revenue; that if he could not find faithful
civilians he would put the officers Of the
army in their places, and thus put an end to
fraud and bring criminals to punishment.
General GRANT, we imagine, under-esti-
threatened. Government that ever ex-
listed was assailed by a corruption more
gigantic and more thoroughly fortified.
Thus far the new Administration has made
but 4 slight impression upon it. Every day
there are fresh developments and renewed
announcements touching the measures
taken to detect and punish offenders; but
there are few successful attempts to catch
and convict anybody. The bulk of the con-
vctS thus far have been the small rogueS.
Unlike the business of catching fish, where
the minnows slip through the mc>hes and
the big fish are caught, in this matter of
catching rogues they are the big rog,les that
escape, while the small ones are hung by
the gills in tryingto get through.
General GRANT has learned good deal by
this time on this subject. But with all his
learning he is yet in his horli-bOok. He is
I'm honest and sincere man; and it is too
much the habit Of such men to put faith in
what dishonest men, wearing the garb Of sim
cerity, may say to them. How else could
General GRANT have been taken in by WELLS,
the great defender of the revenue roSues i'll
Virginia, through whose schemes so many
have escaped without being brought to trial'
We see in this instance that among the first
things that happened to General GRANT after
lie came into the Presidency, one OF the
great agents in the matter of screening guilt
wormcd his way to his very bosom, like
worm to the centre of an apple, or crap 10
the heart of an oyster, and there lodged him.
self! What can dislodge him? We should
like to know. Will military official do it !!
If he could it would be well to appoint HIM
at once. For it is a sad situation that Cen
eral GRANT, who came in with virtuous In
dignation against revenue scoundreis I'D gen.
cral. should find himself captured at the very
threshold of his power by. a captain OF the
banditti who had for many months inter-
cepted the revenue on its very route to the
cXchequer. &....:.. -....... Dit .,.s- ....
We do not know how General GRANT may
get along with these people. But one OF the
worst signs is his premature surrender to
the attorney for the whiskey ring Of Virgil
MIA. He may send in his valiant chiefs, who
have stood before the terrible engines OF
war with undaunted courage; but what
right have we to anticipate that they can
withstand the adroit and cunning strategy
| of the disciples when he himself has been
charmed by the pleasing story of the FRA
DIAvoLo" of the Treasury rogues. .,....
| We must confess that we feel solicitude
for the fate Of the army officers should Gene
raj GRANT send them into the jungleS OF
corruption after the rogues who have grown
so fat on the spoils of the Treasury. We
know the education and the dispositions i'm
planted by it in the hearts Of army officers
are not favorable to the tricks and contri-
vances of partisan hacks and pimps. They
are taught that order is the first law of force,
rs it is the first law of Heaven that secu-
rity and safety of property and life are the
grand objects Of the warriors vocation {;
and that he is to devote his arms to these
grand objects. Of course these principles
are Numerically opposed to the irregulari-
ties and covert outrages of rogues Of all
sorts, and it is fair to presume that no we'll
disciplined officer could lend himself to
those practices which are necessary in the
process of fraud and roguery. 1t was upon
- l,t
showed his reliance, as n last resort, upon
his officers, whom he had trusted in hun
dred fields, to ferret out the rogues Of the
Treasury and bring them to copdign pun
| ishment. But this office business is out
of the line of the soldier, and we APP
prehend that General GRANT has counted
without his host. If he could be charmed
by the adroit address of WELLS, what hope
is there that his whole line of subalterns
would not in some way fall before the cum
ming appliances OF the adopts in corrup-
ton? His great sincerity and warm
friendship marked out the easy line Of
approach to one Of the cunningest of
men. 1t would be but just to his
followers to say that they, too, had each a
point of approach which might be reached
through cunning and false pretences. If
they have such points open to the proper
strategy, those whose whole lives have been
devoted to trick and deception will not fail in
striking them effectively. The thieves will
become the allies Of those set to watch
them, they will join in the hue and cry,
hob-nob with the police, rejoice with the
Government officials, and make them Jolly
with the wines and the feast bought with