American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-06-22
The Case Of Leet.

| THERE was once boy who worked in
a telegraph office in Pittsburgh, and
showed. no signs of future greatness. In
| 1861, when the Rebellion broke out, he
entered vigorously into the task of sup
pressing it. He is still engaged in that
high and holy work. Up to the inau-
guration of his beloved chief as President
in 1862 he was unknown, as far as the
general public was concerned. Since
that time he has emerged from his obscur-
| rity. Shortly after General Grant was
elected, this nice young man cOnversed
with him about the General-Order bust
ness of New York City, and expressed a
| strong desire to get it. He was at this
| time, and for many months thereafter, in
| a mess with Generals Porter and Bah
cock, both of whom knew that he hoped
| to get this particular place. After Grant
| was inaugurated, he gave Leet letter to
Grinnell, whom he had decidedto appoint
Collector of New York, and who would
therefore have the General Order business
in his gift. The Fidus Achates was on
such intimate terms with his patron
Ulysses that he knew of the selection of
Grinnell before any one else, and, in fact,
was the first to tell Grinnell himself of it.
He then demanded the General Order bust
ness, claiming that Grants letter was
an order for it. The new Collector
| offered Achates $4,000 year to
give up his claim. Achates de
clined, and soon after sold the infiu-
ence of the letter to one Lindsay, who
gave him an annual pension of So, 600
therefor, and obtained from Grinnell
enough of the coveted business to amply
| remunerate himself. Leet's appetite for
loot grew with what it fed upon. He de-
manded the whole business for himself,
threatening Grinnell with removal if he
refused. The rash Collector refused, and
I,,lx- IN, V,,Ix
Murphy succeeded him. Up to this time
that is, from April, 1868, to July, 1870
Grant, Porter and Babcock claim to
have been in utter ignorance of the fact
that their friend had anything whatever
to do with the New York House,
Notwithstanding his conversations on the
subject with all three of them, and his
constant cOmpanionship with the two lat
ter. When Murphy gave to him and to
Stocking the whole General Order bust
ness on the North River, making it, for
the first time a monopoly, Generals Grant,
Porter and Babcock became aware of the
fact that their friend George was in
Government office. Almost Immediately
after, they became aware, by the bitter
complaints of New York merchants,
backed up by the Secretary of the Treas
ury, that their friend George was black
mailing American commerce in a very thor
ough and systematic manner. To all this
Ulysses turned deaf ear. A. II. Stewart
complained personally to the President
more than once, and said of Leet that he
(StewarD would not trust him in his store
without n detective to watch him and pre-
vent his stealing anything. Since Grant
still refused to interfere with the swindle
of his pet, Congress, after bitter strug
gle with Grants friends. ordered an in
vestigation. The published testimony
before the committee was so damh1ng
that it was straightway authoritatively
announced from the military headquar
tiers In the White House that Leet was to
be removed. Various portcntous orders
were issued to blind the public, which
finally, however, perceived that Leet and
Stocking had been violently despoiled OF
exactly one-tcnth Of their tributaries,
which involved IL loss of about one-fiftieth
of their tribute. This is the sum total of
punishment for over three years of gain.
The rebellion in New York has been
thoroughly suppressed, and the rebels,
bound hand and foot, delivered over to
the tender mercies of IL crasping, corrupt
monopoly. Fidus Achates has now taken
II little vacation from the cares of plum
der, and has sailed for the Holy Land.
He will, doubtless, return to new oppor-
tunitics for robbery, unless the American
people shall give, also, his chief a little
vacation.-C Hicago Iiibunc
Connecticut has 131, 7iS children at
tending school