The New York herald., 1872-07-24

the loyal citizens Of New York, who have so
important stake in the honor and welfare Of
the nation. But the small politicians and
selfish advisers by whom he is surrounded are
mistrusted by the country and must be repu-
dated by the President if he would strengthen
his cause and remove all doubt Of his success.
There may be good reasons why Senator Conk-
ling chose to ignore these facts but they must
be boldly met; and it is to be hoped that the
next speakers who address a New York
audience on the republican side will be pre-
pared to let our citizens know whether the re-
election Of General Grant is to be the retention
in power of his present advisers and the per-
petuation of policy of oppression and
tyranny towards the white citizens of the
Southern States.
Tho Confederate Archives-A Response
to Colonel Pickett.
We gave our readers last week, in Wash
ington despatch, the substance of letter
from Colonel John T. Pickett, late of the Con-
federate service. In it he states some par
ticulars of the late sale by him to the federal
entire archives of the jeff Davis government,
which have, since the collapse of the rebellion,
been safely hidden in Canada. Colonel Pickett
does not explain how these papers became his
property in such sense that he would be en-
titled to appropriate the seventy-five thousand
dollars he has been paid for them. 1t must
be accepted that their intrinsic value to the
United States is very large. Mr.. Boutwell,
would never have thought it good specula-
ton to pay that price for waste paper. We
might suppose the purchase money would be
divided between the successful negotia-
tor and Messrs Davis, Benjamin and
Jake Thompson, but Pickett's letter discloses
his antagonism to these his late confederates
and superior officers, and leads to the infer
ence that some of the papers so compromised
them that he would be highly gratifed, if not
wholly repaid for his labor, by their being
brought to light He tells us distinctly that
Thompson report to Benjamin shows that the
secret agent of the Confederacy i'll Canada was
a party to the plot to burn our city, and he
evidently rejoices over the publication of this
charge, which he expects to rouse our in
dignation against his foe. Since the appear
ance of Pickett's letter there have been pub
lished statements intimating that these archives
are simple forgeries the plan OF which was
suggested last winter by Sanford Conover with
the intention of " firing the Northern heart"
in the interest of Grants reelection. An
alleged negotiation is stated in which Senators
well and the President are mentioned; and it
is charged that this Pickett correspondence and
the contents of the four trunks are the result
Of Conovers proposition
To-day we give communication from a
late subordinate of Secret Service Agent
Thompson denying his completely in the in
famous plots with which his name has been
coupled--the st. Alban raid, the attempt to
destroy New York by setting fire to its princi-
pal hotels and public buildings, and the cow
ardly murder of President Lincoln. In the
interest of truth the HERALD publishes these
contradictory allegations, confident that
though falsehood may befog and mystify
transactions connected with the late war,
still truth will ultimately appear and the his
toric award of credit and blame be Justly
meted to the actors in the bloody drama. Our
correspondent makes but lame array of
proof in defence of his superior. The letter of
instructions from Benjamin, dated when the
Richmond government was crumbling, may
show that Thompson had authority and
money entrusted to him. but it in no
way averts from him the criminality with
which he stands charged; nor does his subse-
quent letter from Naples. Neither is his case
helped by the writers casuistry, in which he
justifes the attempt to burn stores IN our city
in which warlike provisions. were deposited
for use against the South No fine spun logic
will reconcile New Workers to the idea that the
agents of the confederacy were blameless i'll
attempting to wrap this metropolis in flames
Nothing in the letters our correspondent copies
sheds any light on the question OF Thompson's s
connection with the Lincoln assassination or
the stupid Confederate raid on st. Adams.
But these questions have now only subOrdi-
nate interest. They are among the things of
the past mainly valuable to the historian and
biographer 1t is believed the purchased
archives have a substantial value to our gov
ernment in the proof they may contain touch
ing the validity of dishonest claims for dam
ages by the operations of the war; and in this
view it is hoped that Mr.. BoutwelI's expendi-
ture will save to the Treasury a much larger
sum.
The International Prison Congress In
London.