The Portland daily press., 1870-06-16

bargains or efforts are the handiHork of Span.
ish insurgents, or of those who can reach the
ear of Mr.. Fish. The same interest shows
almost equal adroitness in the manufacture
of ISLANDERS about the San Domingo treaty.
PROBABLE BASIS OF TRUTH AS TO CUBAN
BONDS.
Ihese promises to pay have without doubt
been in circulation here to some extent, and
in two ways. 1t will be found, on invest:ga-
ton, believe, that Mr.. Lemus, Cuban envoy
here. has paid rather notorious newspaper
man some certain sum in this paper-it is re-
ported $4,000. e. p. Brooks, the reporter in
| question, was from the beginning supporter
of Cuba Long before the bonds he was ac-
tive in sending items and writing letters on
the subject. Hewrote two or three pamphlets,
and it is supposed obtained the bonds as pay
ment for such work as this, performed by him
self and others.
Outside of this amount it is charged that
he and physician resident here obtained
conditionally a large amount of bonds, for
some work not yet made public. Friends to
the Cubans say these bonds were for matters
connected with the equipment of the Hornet,
as also OF the defence of its officers. Besides
this, it is charged that the rebel Gen. Pickett,
now practising law here, was to have two mill
lions in bonds. The affidavit of N. B. Taylor,
which was telegraphed from here, says this is
the corruption fund. Cubans, and prominent
ly Mr.. Ruiz, says that the negotiations with
Pickett relate to the purchase of arms and
the obtaining OF other material aid for the
revolution, which, though they might be con-
sidered violations of our neutrality laws, are
certainly notcorrupting members of Congress
nor offering so to do.
THE AFFIDAvIT-wHo is THE AFFrANT?
The affidavit on which the telegr aphic cal
jimmy against Messrs. Fitch 6 Mccormick,
and Gov. Morton was founded, is understood
to have been made before Justice of the
Peace here named Smith, and sets forth in de-
tail the story already familiar to the public.
The funniest part of the matter is that the
Justice whose name Is attached declares that
he never saw it; that no such affidavit was
ever made before him. Another curious thing
is that stated by the correspondent, when be-
fore the bar of the House, that his information
was gathered from official documents laid be-
fore the grand jury. Your correspondent
knows nothing of Napoleon Bonaparte Taylor,
never having seen him, only what public ru-
NOR says. That makes him out regular black
leg 1t is charged openly that he fed from
here to save himself from a trial for perjury.
Others, and this is the general belief, suppose
him to have been paid to get up this thing in
Spanish interests. At any rate he has fed to
Montreal, from which city he telegraphs that he
never approached Fitch or anybody else nam
ed in the Euening Post dispatch. This aft Ia
Wit found its way from the Spanish minister
to the State Department and thence to Gener-
al Butler, about the time he begun to investi.
gate the Mr.. Brooks before mentioned. MIR
Fish had been the recipient of rather an in
sulting letter sometime before from Brooks
and as Butler was after him on other matters
doubtless thought it good time TO clear up
old scores.
THE BUTLER INQUIRY.
| Benjamin F. begun his investigation with
an immense amount of mystery and air of inn
| portance. Every effort was made to keep pro-
ceedings secret from the ubiquous reporters
which of course only made them more active
and there was mysterious givings out of the
rods the General had in pickle for all our
backs. Some of us wondered at his new born
zeal against the Cubans, he having been an
early adviser of theirs and being retained as
counsel, it is said, in the Hornet case One
imaginative reporter suggested that Butler.
"leetle game" is getting Fish out ofthe Cabinet
it being understood that that venerable fossil
| wished first to prove he was right on Cuba by
| showing that all those who favored the Gu
bans were only blackmailers, and swindlers
The investigation was begun. Considerable
excitement ensucd. One side, that which made
against the Cubans was heard, and when it
was found, lin all probability that it was a
"put-up job" Butler closed shop and proceed
ed no further. The Secretary of State, it is
supposed, was not content with this, hence the
Scott Smith dispatch and subsequent excite.
ment. We have got, through Speaker Blaine
a Committee, Judge. Poland being at the head
which will play no star chamber FRANKS. !
don't know, but believe, that when its pro
eeedings close, Minister Roberts, Secretary
Fish and Investigator Butler will be found
like engineers hoist ON their own petards."
l SPECTATOR.