The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-13
GRANT AND THE GOLD RING.

frnordinary series OF btatements Whlcn we
transferred to our columns the other DAY.
I'VE assume them to be true because, first,
tbev are not in conflict with any of the known
focis of the transaction to which they refer
aecond they are quite consistent with what
I've know of the characters of the peDsons of
whom they treat; and, third, they are corro-
borated by the statement officially promul-
GATED by President Grant, 80 far rs that state
ment goes.
If tRey are true, and if Mr.. Corbin was as
he has publicly denied being the real organ
izer of the recent corner in gold and in the
intimate confidence of the persons who admit
themselves to have been concerned in that
movement, what follows? Mr.. Corbin is not
known in Wall street 50 well, nor has he
any such financial reputation, as would
lend astute operators to give full confidence
to his financial IDEAS or to defer their own
practised Judgments in their own spe-
cialty. to his crude theories Neither is
he n capitalist, so far as we know, of such
NTH and moment that his money was needed
by men who had control of any number
of millions without him. What was it, then,
that induced Messrs. Fisk and Gould and the
rest to follow the lead of a man in whose
Judgment it does not appear that they had
any particular reason for contding and of
whose money it does not appear that they
stood in need. Simply this:-Slr. COrbin is
the brother-in-law of the President of the
Tinted States As such he was supposed to
possess the confidence of that officer and TO
have knowledge of his intentions. The sole
value of Mr.. Corbin to the bulls lay in their
belief, first, that he knew the Executive mind
next, that he was willing to sell that know
ledge for share in the profits of a CONNER
cial speculation and third, that the President
was willing to have him.
This last is the shameful part of the story.
The facts which have come out about Mr..
Corbin's letter to President Grant, which
BIessrs. Fisk and Gould were so anxious to
have that officer receive that they sent it to
him by a special emissary, bring afresh upon
Mr. Grant anew the dark suspicion, which the
World at first expressed it's utter disbelief in,
of his completely in the designs of the gold
gamblers. 1t behooves him to explain what
that letter was, and what his answer to it.
But, in any case, what scandal and shame it
is that the contrivers of the corner should
have, as it is undeniabe that they did have,
grounds for believing that he might be in
duced to join their ring
Since the beginning of President Grants
administration he has been bestowing the
patronage of his Office with an utter disre-
gard of any considerations of fitness, or of
anything else except that the appointees
were either his relations or his benefactors.
1t is not proved that he has ever refused any
thing to one who had given him anything,
tionship to him, except in one instance. That
was the case wherein he was applied
to by Mr.. Fisk, Jr., for little official
and private information in return, il
would seem, for free ride on q Sound
steamer. Put upon anybody else, this
would have been q gross insult. But, really
is Mr.. Fisk to be considered culpable for no
knowing exactly the point at which the Spar
tan virtue of Grant began? AS a brown
stone front is to seat in the Cabinet, So
Mr. Fisk, Jr., might not unreasonably have
worked out his problem in proportion-is
free ride on o steamboat to q little bit of in
formation, to impart which not impoverished
Grant and made Fisk, Jr., rich indeed. Bu
the gratitude of Grant in this instance alone
failed to overcome his sense of what is fair.
He did not suggest, so far as appears, that
the price was too small, though it may fairly
be Supposed that he thought so. He only
tried to convince Mr.. Fisk, Jr., and sue
ceeded in convincing him, that what he
proposed was mot quite fair. He die
not treat the proposition as an insult. L
would have been absurd if he had. 1t is NJ
more a dereliction of duty to give MAJ
information which you have no right to inn
part in return for fayors than it is, in return
for favors, to put man In place which ht
is unfit to fill. General Grant could not re
sent such propositions, and he did not resen
this one, because his whole official course ha
laid him open to such propositions. When
President accepts prOmiscuous pecuniar,
favors he must know, unless he is q fool, tina
the giver expects reciprocation. New Yorl
newspaper forbids its reporters to accept fre
rides on the railways or to eat gratuitou
Yiands at hotels because it knows that re
turn may be expected from carriers and from
publicans. General Grant takes such thing
although he must know that such returns ma,
be expected. The difference is that differen
sense of dignity and decency obtains in tn
conduct of New York newspapers and in tn
conduct of General Grant.
When Mr.. Grants gratitude thus unex
pectedly and unprecedentedly failed, wha
was left but to assail his other weallness-hi
love of his kin? By engaging the co-opera
tion of Mr.. Corbin, the ring seem to hav
thought that they could work upon it. b,
promising profit to Mr.. Corbin they appealed
to both the consanguineous and the pecuniar,
affections of Mr. Grant. 1t is due to Mr.
Grants character to say that in this instanc
both appeals failed. But it is due to tn
Judgment of the managers of the combination
to say that neither ever failed before.
Grants fate has indeed been melanchol
and monitory. He has been scarcely si
months in Office. Yet during that time h
has managed to fill the public service with
horde of fragrant incompetents and to inst
tute the vastest and most scandalous svster
of nepotism that was ever known except in
decayed dynasty. And he has returned MOI
meant for bribes than all our previous Pres
dents put together. He has made his nam
q byword by deserting his duty and roamin
~. fo1~, 90 IL,