New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-26
THE FORK or TIE GRAND juicy


The bill legalizing the extension Of the term
of the Anti-R Ring Grand Jury was signed by
Gov. Hoffman, on Wednesday, apparently
without moments hesitation, and, 1T is I'M
dcrstood, by precOncerted arrangement His
former confederates of the Ring entertained
hardly q doubt that he wOuld veto 1t, and
thus add to the complications by which Bar
nard, CardOzo, Garvin, and other friends OF
the Tammany rogues had attempted to OBJ
struct the course of justice as against them.
His treason, as they call the Governors
act in signing the bill, caused much
excitement and trepidatiOn among them
Yesterday, and the agents and relatives of
Tweed and his principal followers haunted tho
District-Attorney's and Sheriif7s offices yester-
day in the hope of finding out what new ac-
ton was pending against them. Their cOur-
age was somewhat revived later in the day
when an ingenious lawyer retained in the Ring
interest suggested the plausible defense that
the law thus signed by the Governor was er
post .facto, and therefore imperative. Later
the rogucs became still more confident when
they learned that the Distrct-Attorney, true
to his Ring instincts, would probably send
the bench variants for service to SuDerintend-
Their courage will doubtless OOze out at
their finger-ends to-day, when the policy and
purpose of the Grand Jury in thus long de-
laying, and perhaps in still longer delaying is
revealed in the unexpected action which they
will take in Court. Their time expires to-
morrow, but the Jury will appear in Court
this morning, and their new programme, by
which they hope to defeat the plea of an er
post tacto law, will then be betrayed. The
rogues who hang hope on so frail a reed
will then recognize that, subtle as they are,
they have played with adyersaries sbrewder
than themselves. Those true RefOrmers, who
have looked forward patiently these many
weeks for the completion of the grand work
of this noble Grand Jury, will have occasion
to rejoice that it has been true and faithful
to the end.
And no one need feel great anxiety that tho
fruits of this sowing and patient waiting will
be wasted by trusting the reaping to faithless
officials like those of the police. However
much District Attorney Garyin may DO dis
posed to intrust the rearrest of Tweed and
Connolly, and the search for their tools, Wood
ward, Sweeny and lngcrsOll, and of their
coDfederates of the Printing Company and the
Tax Office, to Superintendent Kelso and
the gang who have remained faithful to
the interests of Tweed and the Tammany
robbers, he burst not so far outrage public
opinion as to give to those whom the people
distrust the important work Of arresting the
men whom the Grand Jury will soon indct
The Attorney General and his associates of the
Bureau of Municipal Core ction will not suffer
the triumph they have achieved to be thus
thrown away, but will insist that the service
of these warrants, perhaps the most i'm
pOrtant as well as the most numerous
ever submitted by any Grand Jury in this
city, shall be intrusted to responsible
officers Superintendent Kclso and his de-
tectives have not the lightcst confidence of
the people. Their affiliations are with the
Ring of which they have been part, and
with which they ought to have been long since
consigned to obscurity and perhaps infamy.
They arc irresponsible, being under no bonds
for faithful performance Of their duties, and
against them for failure to serve tho bench
warrants there can DO no proceeding. The
general confidence in Sheriff Brennan
is possibly no greater; but it must be con-
fessed that in the past actions against Tweed
and Connolly, though he has proceeded with
a courtesy which many thought inappropriate,
he has acted promptly. Sheriff Brennan is an
official under heavy bonds for tho faithful
performance of his duty, and to him and his
deputies the important work ahead should
unquestionably DO intrusted. There must he
no failure in this matter. Many of those who