The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-10-10
A New Greeley villiany.

ed to the Presidency we predicted that,
before the end Of the campaign, his
mask. Of political honesty would be
stripped from him and reveal him to
the American people in his true char
acter Of a des' gning hypocrite, ready /
and anxious to'sacrifice every princi-1
pie of his life to q devouring greed for
office. We did not predict that he
would he proved; nor did we believe
him, guilty OF all attempt to plunder
the Treasury for his private gain. We |
believed him, politically, utterly UNI
scrupulous. We believed him, SO far
as mere money was concerned, person.
ally honest. But we print elsewhere
an erpose Of one of the most gigantic
and nefarious schemes for fraudulent
legislation ever attempted to be perpe-
trated In this country, and Horace
Greeley and the New York Tribune
were the head and front of the con-
spiracy. The scheme originated with
Mr.. Greeley in 1869, under the name
of the g Mediterranean and Oriental
Steamship Company" which had been
chartered in New York, and for which
aid was sought from Congress, The
bill. provided:
F1RsT-For the guaranty Of the Cow
ernmcnt of $20,O0O000 Of bonds of the
company, to be secured by deprecated
Southern Stale bonds worth about if
ty cents on the dollar.
SECoND--For subsidy Of several.
million acres of public lands.
TMRD-Its object was of a humane
tartan nature, namely: !" The rehabili-
tation of southern domestic labor by
the importation of foreign element
to take the place of the emancipated
negro slaves" and the bill bound the
Government to pay $25 per head for
each coolic, fellah or refugee placed by
the company on Southern soil.
The bogus character of the enterprise
was shown by provision requiring
the Secretary of the Navy to sell to the
company, worn out vessels belonging
to the Government.
The New York Tribune supported
the scheme both by kilograms from its
Washington correspondent and in edi-
torials. Hiram WaIbridge, Greeley's
most intimate personal friend, was
President of the Company. Bills were
introduced into the Legislatures Of nu-
merous Southern States to give an APP
pearance of genuineness to the enter
prise. Commercial Conventions were
convened at the South, and Mr.. Wal
bridge attended them, accompanied by
Mr.. Greeley. The Board Of Commits
sioners of the Company represented all
parts of the Union, particularly the
South, but the Directors all hailed from,
Wall Street.
The Chicago Tribune, not being in
the ring at that time, attacked the bill
pending in Congress, whereupon Mr..
Whitelaw Reid wrote the following
letter to Mr.. Greeley:
"DEAR Mr.. GREELEY: The above
Quoting the Tribune of Chicago), from
the Chicago Tribune, is sample Of
a good many digs we have been getting
lately on account Ofthis Mediterranean
and Oriental Steamship Company.
W.R."
Henry L. Stewart. an intimate friend
of Greeley, was the primo manager OF
the scheme in Congress. In a letter to
the Secretary of the company, under
date of April %, 1870, he said:
"Mr. Brooks and Mr.. Greeley both
think 1t would do hurt f6f them to pefs
sonally be in Washington during the
kpending Of the measure in the Senate.
III 1t passes there, and their help is
needed to get it through the House,
they might be induced to act in per-
son; they both say the bill will pass I;
and they both know many things that
they don't tell out of school,"
But the bill didn't pass. Garrett
Nae 81 \ IL q
ter, Indignantly denounced it, and It
was squelched Mr.. Greeley worked
for it behind the scenes; he held no
stock in his own name, but his family
was represented as follows:
Marie L. Stewart, certificates Nos.
8, 4 and 5, not paid for.
NJ. Y. Greeley, wife Of Horse Gree
ley, certificate No. Z, not paid for.
s. Z. Sinclair, certificate No. 8, not
| paid for.
E. G. Cleveland, wife off. F. Clere-
leaa vrqAher-in,t lag y, aa6 ct Il aYo'ffo ff:ran-
The value of the land subsidy and of
the profit to be derived by the COM
pany from the difference between thu
worth of the deprecated Southern
State bonds and the bonds to be guar-
N-NS~Ne ~ viz Was GS1l.
mated to be 100000. 1t was one of
the most baretaced attempts to swindle
the Government ever undertaken. It
was frand in its inception. prosecu
ted with the intent Of plundering the
United States Treasury, and to be done
hypocritically in the name of human
ltarlan purpose. Horace Greeley was
at the bottom of the swindle, his family
had shares in the company, his Tribune
supported the steal, and he persisted in
defending and advocating it against the
circumstances of Mr.. Whitelaw Reid.
NOW that Mr.. Greeley stands thus re-
vealed before the country as guilty of a
bold attempt to defraud the National
Treasury of millions of dollars, what is
there left of a reputation already nined
politically? 1t is sickening picture
OF hypocrite unmasked, ola politician
disgraced, and of man who abandon
ed honor and honesty in the pursuit of
gain.-Inter- Ocean.