Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-22
GRANTS EXERCISE OF THE PAR.
DOMINO POWER.

Grant is exercising the pardoning power
with free hand where his political friends
are concerned or to be benefited. some OF
the mysteries OF the interior workings OF
the government" says the New York
Tribune, sis the pardon of Brown, the
Philadelphia repeater. he was regularly
aud fairly tried and convicted; but why he
was pardoned out of hand, as it were, no
man CO n find out. The Attorney General
declines 10 say who recommended this ex-
traordinary act of clemency, except that
they were reputable citizens of Pennsyl-
vania. Even Senators Cameron and
Scott deny any responsibility in
the matter. When the defaulting
P4ymsster Hodge was pardoned out of the
penitentiary, it was soothingly said that he
was 10 be used as a witness against the
brokers who helped to get rid Of the public
funds. OF course that was only sham;
District Attorney Bliss was ordered to
pigeonbole the case. Is Brown to be a
witness against anybody" Of course, he
is not to be used as witness against any
body, nor is there any. reason to suspect
that there was any intention to use
Paymaster Hodge as such. The Wash
ington correspondent of the Cincin-
natl Gazette states under date of the
10Th inst, that "at the request of Edwards
Pierrepont, the suits against New York
brokers Of Paymaster Hodge, have been
dismissed" Here are two great rascals
who have been pardoned by Grant through
political Influences, and the same influences
have secured dismissal of the suits against
the brokers who helped Hodge make away
with nearly half million of Government
funds. But there is an instance Of Gr~nt's
exercise of the power to commute SEN
tence, which appears to be IS unjustifable
as his pardon of the two criminals just re-
ferred to. The Washington correspondent
OF the Cincinnati Commercial writes, March
10Th:
eThere is a general feeling of indigna-
ton among the citizens of Washington at
the Communication by the President of the
sentence of the murderer O'Brien, who was
to be hung on the 18th, to Imprisonment
for life. With the influential frienCs
O'Brien has, of course this means but few
months in the Albany Penitentiary. Over
a year ago O'Brien at a picnic insulted the
wife of a man named Cunningham, and
Cunningham resented it, whereupon
O'Brien shot him, having first beaten him
with a policeman's baton. The case was
tried In the regular way, and the jury con-
victed O'Brien. Recently, Ben. Butler,
Mrs. Gen. Sherman, aad Judge d. K. Car
ter for some reason or other became inter
es;ei In O'Brien's case. They succeeded
in getting The President to commute the
sentence. The general opinion is that
O'Brien's crime was more az !ravated than
that of Foster, the New York murderer,
whom Gov. Dix refuses to pardon"
Ben Butler appears to have some claim
upon Grant; be engineered an increase of
his salary through Congress, and be comes
all the way from his home in Massachusetts
to appeal for communication ofthe sentence
of this criminal, and Grant yields. Proba-
by the Bext step, to be taken perhaps in
few months, will be the unconditional par
don of the murderer. Now contrast these
acts of clemency with his doing out now
and then pardon to men convicted under
the infamous Ku-Klux Law, and by court
constituted TO convict. Here are men con-
victed upon testimony that would hardly be
treated with respect in magistrates court,
so weak and so inconsistent was it but
they were convicted because they we're
Southern men and opposed to the Grant
| administration. That was their crime, and
for that they are punished under the SEM
blance of trial and conviction of viola
ton of the infamous Ku-Klux law. These
men lie in prison in scores, and all appeals
in their behalf do not move Grant, but the
cases of Brown, and Hodge, and O'Brien
show that be is quick to be merciful when
his political friends are to be the recipients
of his mercy.