New-York tribune., 1874-11-20
A SELECT ENTERTAINMENT.

1t is not our business to criticise the Presi-
dents taste in the selection of his associates.
If it pleases him to invite Mr.. Shepherd to
the White House on occasions OF special
festvity, that is no affair of ours. 1t concerns
only Gen. Grant himself and the guests into
whose company the ex-chief of the District
Ring is thus tremendously intruded. And if
the President cherishes particular friendship
for the persons who have got themselves into
difficulties by their irregular and excessive
zeal in protecting the District Ring from ex-
posures, we certainly have no disposition to
find fault with him so long as he INDUCES
his sentiment with some measure of decorum.
But there is a point of indecency to which
even Gen. Grant ought not to venture without
provoking remonstrance, and he reached that
point when he took prisoner out of the dock
of the Criminal Court where he was on trial for
a felony, and invited him to a ceremOniOus
reception at the White House. Just at the
time when the President was doing this as
tOnishing action, Judge Humphreys was ar
raigning for contempt the Clerk of the Police
Court who had made out papers for the arrest
of Hayes as q perjurer, the Judge characteriz-
ing the proceeding as an outrageous attempt
pose Judge Humphreys will hardly venture to
call up the President for contempt of court;
but what are the jury to think when they see
the prisoner taken from under their eyes IN
the midst of the trial and seated with osten-
tatiOus honor at the Presidents tablef AS the
Chief Executive of the nation, it is the duty
of Gen. Grant to do everything in his power
to promote the strict enforcement OF the laws
and the free course of justice. The sympa-
thies which a private person ls at liberty 10
manifest for prisoner under Indictment he
is bound by his official position to suppress
while the accused is on trial. The attempt OF
Whitley to discredit the testimony OF Hayes
by swearing out an information against him
for perjury was far less monstrous interfer-
ence with the Court than the Presidents en-
deavor to secure the very same result by pub
lcly showing favor to Harrington.
Gen. Grant never allows public duty to in
terfere with personal friendship. But in this
instance there were strong reasons why ne
ought to have been cautious for his own sake.
He and his intimate associates have been
charged over and over again with desire to
suppress inquiry into the practices of the late
District Government Politicians high in his
confidence are known to have Obstructed the
prosecution in making up its case for the Safe
Burglary trial, and some of the present officers
of the District have taken a shameless part in
acting witnesses out of the way as well as In
the recent contempt Of court. We may as
well talk plain English there is widespread
belief that the President has had pecuniary
relations with the Ring which is now on trial
in the person of a subordinate agent-not
necessarily corrupt relations, but secret and
therefore suspicious ones. An Executive with
any regard for his honor would have taken
particular pains, under such circumstances,
not to stand between the prisoner and the
law. But Gen. Grant, it seems, is not that
kind of man.