Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-01-05
uR. GREELEY AND ruE ADMINISTRATION.

During the last twelve months, since Mr..
Greeley began writing letters to Democratic
editors aud politicians, advising them how
they could succeed 10 defeating the regular
Republican organization In the coming Pres
ldential election, he hes continued IN Dis pa
pct daily to denOunce the administration OF
President Grant, and TO prlut the most afro
uious charges against the gentlemen az
pointed by the President to conduct the fede-
raj business In New York city. The Tribune,
for the last six months, has been screaming
for investigation, telling It's readers that the
friends of the Admluf tration shrank from an
investigation into their stewardship; that
the civil service Of the country was rotten TO
the core. and that millions Of the public
moneys were used for corrupt party purposes.
The honest masses Of the Republican party,
who have believed in Mr. Greclcy's honesty
and integrity, heard these charges with
amAzemcnt, and to a certain extent perhaps,
rcpOsed some faith in what he said. The
opposition press has found In the Tribune the
textbook for their attacks on President
Grant, and the Tribune, In State campaigns,
has been circulated Us one Of tue most efIec-
tive OF documents against the Republican
party.
Well DECENTRALIZATION has been begun. Dur
Ing tho last two or three days a committee Of
the Senate has been in session In New York
city, examining into what the Tribune calls
the plague epOt Of the Government service,
the New York custOm.housO. The lnvestiga-
ton Ia no star-chambor arrangement. The
committee sit with open doors. They have
In ~ a., l.tF,r., NA.s "A
testify to what they know. They seek light
from all quarters, and daily give what they
hear and ascertain to the world.
Mr.. Greeley has been put upon the stand,
aud In another column this morning We print
full synopsis Of bis testimony, We invite
attention 10 what he has sworn 10, and ask
our readers 10 compare II with what they
have from time 10 time seen printed 10 bis
paper. In his Journal he has again and again
charged open aud barcfRced corruption In
every department Of the public service. In
bis sworn evidence he says the only abuses
he knew Of related to the control Of tho Gus
toms officers by the dominant party" but
he has lamcntnbly failed TO prove a single
case Of corruption. lie says that federal
oilicc.holJcrs went into the state lately, on
the eve Of Clcctions-that leading federal
officers were III Albany few days ago to
"coerce" the organization Of the Legislature.
This Is absolutely all the fraud and corrup-
tiOu that Mr.. Greeley, the editor Of the Tri-
bMIe, who, from bis position In the party and
before the public, must know all that Is worth
knowing, Is actually cognlzant Of, so far
as fraud aud corruption, which he has so
loudly aud boldly charged ON the Admlnistra-
ton, Is concerned. lie has failed, most Ia.
mcntably to establish single fact calculated
10 damage the President In tue opinion Of
any honest or air.mindud man. lie has con-
yicted himself Of absolute dishonesty, and Of
what he himself, In his more iorciblu than
| elegant language, sometimes called lying"
in printing aud publishing changes against
the Administration that he knows Ia he false
aud uutOundcd.
lie says that he was told this thing, and
that he heard" that. lie swore that all he
knew was secondhand" and one Charles
LaMontc informed him that Generals Porter
aud Babcock shared the proceeds Of the gen.
eral order business" In legal point Of
view, Mr.. Greeloy's evidence Is no evidence
at all. 1t would be ruled out as inadmissIblo
In the peltiCst police court In the country.
lie has established nothing, proved nothing.
Nothing eau 10 o.iCiled from him except a
rehash Of pot politicians low aud basUless
| spcculatiOus. The editor OF the Tribune was
unable to lay his finger on single case Of
corruption or fraud. The TriJmts charges
during the last year, sltted aud weighed and
brought down to the test OF an oath, amounts
TO Just nothing
The result is, Of course, u magnificent vim
dlcatiOn OF the Administration aud most
humiliating defeat for Mr.. Greeley. The
failure on his part to establish ON oath q sin-
gle fact showing corruption or maladminis-
tratiOn, which he has been 20 venemously
proclalming US being susceptible OF proof by
a cloud Of witnesses, mustOf course seriously
damage the reputation he has hitherto pos
sessed for truth and veracliy, and injure the
influence Of his journal. Mr.. Greeley should
In future hold his peace.