The sun., 1873-03-11
A Chapter OF Recent History.

ut'u toi'cHllul'u upon puIl' HNtsllsl-
tons caused by important nows published
in TuE SUN.
Tho first of these Investigations was that
into the great gold conspiracy, eliminating
In what il commonly known as Black
Friday, and into the connection with il ur
President GRANT and his family. This
Investigation was carried on by Il COM
mittec of the House of Representative;
and il is an interesting fact that Gen. GAW-
FIELD, who has just been found guilty
before the country OF falschood ana cor
ruption in the Credit Mobilier affair, was
Chairman of this committee. 1t was
proved in the testimony that the con-
spiracy to raise the price of goll was
organized by JAY GOULD and JAMES FISK,
Jr.; that President GRANT had for some
time previous been conspicuously in-
Innate with both of those persons, and
bad adopted their idea that high price
Of gold would facilitate the movement of
the crops; that GRANTS brother-n-aw,
Mr.. A. II. CoRDIS, was also partner
In the scheme; and that CoRufN at
one time drew $4,000 out of the pool
md sent il TO Mrs. GRANT in Washington
~ ar,sult OF her interest in the speculation.
The fact was likewise established that
Che turning point in this conspiracy was a
personal assurance given by the President
20 Mr.. GOULD that there should be no
snlcs of gold from the Treasury during the
progress of the affair, and that Secretary
DoCTw ELL had given IN order TO sell gold,
but the President couutcrmandCd this
order. II further appeared that just pre-
vious to the development of the scheme u
dinner was given to Mr.. boutwell, in New
York by certain persons described as
"bulls in gold" and that the President
wrote TO Mr. boutwell, letter apparently
Intended 10 obyiIte the effect of any arg'i-
mcnt that these bulls might employ with
him.
As Chairman Of The committee Gen. GAR
rIELD actively cxerted himself 10 avoid re-
cciving testimony. Although
the evidence actually elected went FAR TO
criminatc the President, he refused to cx-
anime that official IN his own defence; anl
Eo have been informed lv The Hon. (. =.
Cox, u member OF the "1umittcc, that
much of the testimony tal;.n. and some Of
tlis of very serious nature, was suppress
go AMI never published. AZ any rate the
majority Of the committee, with the im-
maculdtc GARFIELD at their head, armed
with supply of thick whitcwash, report
ell that ull was right, and that President
GnANT had no share in the conspiracy.
Such, however, was not the conclusion Of
the public mind; and TO this day there is
no intelligent ana impartial man con-
vcrsant with the facts, who can possibly
regard Gen. GRANT as free from all COM
niifitN i'm tho pr Rtt n Il
election was approaching, and all Rcpub-
hcans thought il was necessary that their
candidate should bo thoroughly white
washed and the truth was made 70 suffer
accordingly.
Another remarkable investigation in
duced by disclosures made in THE SUN was
that into the pluudcTiug transactions Of
8ECoR RoBEsoN, Secretary of the Navy in
the session of ls,1-12. In this case the ma
ioriiy of the committee, led by the noto-
rious Emgy SARGENT of California, initiated
the example of GARFIELD and his assuci-
ntes. The Sun had stated that RoBEsoN
had plundered the Treasury ont of the
sum Of sg3,000 paid to the SEcoRs in direct
violation OF n statute OF Congress, and
after they had already been pad in full.
IL had also alleged that toBEsoS had vio-
lated the law in privately buying iron for
two torpedo boats from favortes NJ price
higher thnn the market rates. instead "
buying il, rs the law required, on adver-
tiscm, mt, and from the lowest bidder. We
had also alleged that he had violated the
law by privately contracting with JoHN
Roach for new engines for the man-of-war
Tennessee, and giving in part payment
md almost fornothing, the engines already
In that ship which had cost half million,
md were new and in good working order
nil being done without advertisement aud
with motives apparently corrupt \ cont
mittce of inyC- tigation was ordered. These
facts aud others of similar nature woTo
publicly and fully proved before the
committee, and were characterized by
Gov. BLAIR, the Chairman, in his re-
port, as violations Of law implying cor
ruption; but the majority of the commit
tee, led by the notorious SARGENT, cndcav-
ored to whitewash them out of sight. The
people, however, have not been deceived
by this endeavor; nor have those Republic
can leaders who attempted, though in
vain, to induce President GRANT to dis
pense ith the services of such n Cabinet
Minister
The third investigation into charges first
produced in this journal has just been con-
cludcd in the ease Of the Credit Mobilier
and in this case, rs the Presidential elec-
tion was OVER the demonstration of the
fraud was less dificult. Continual at.
tcmpts were made 10 conceal and
whiten over the truth; nevertheless,
they failed. Though all the facts have
not yet been brought ont, enough was
proved to cause the unwilling committee
to recommend the expulsion Of two men,
bers OF Congress, and enough to render il
certain that, besides these two, several
Others, all leaders of the Republican party,
Including the present Vice-Prcsident as
well us his predecessor and several chair
men Of committees in the House, had al
been deep in the corruption.
In regard to these Investigations and
disclosures and the varied proofs they
have afforded of the immortality of po
ntical Rfe and the dishonesty of tlI'
most radical ana high-soundiug politicians
HI