, 1874-03-01
EX~MAYoR E3EDfIL.
Extracts from Private Letter in IN.
swer to the Charge thet He Was
>: Cognizant Of the Gage
Defalcation.

In private letter received from ex-lIa7o,
Medill by gentleman Of this city, the following
reference ia made to tho absurd allegations Of
the Staats~Zeitung, that Ir. Medill was copni-
zant Of tho condition of Treasurer Gass's au.lrs
at an early day, and went to Europe to escspa
moral responsibility and public censuce This
publication is not deemed NECESSARY for the vim
dication OF Mr.. Mea, for that is already COM
plete in the mind Of every Intelligent citizen Of
Chicago. In fact, tho Siaats- Zeitung has already
made tho an1cnte by confessiog that Mr.. No
dill's letter on Mayor CoIyin's message proved
that he knew nothing Of the defalcation
EoMz, Feb :, 1874.
note what you say in regard 10 the dc:lcst,oa ot
thelsts City Treasurer D. A. Gags and the charitable
opinion expressed by the HquoryocdeEs' organ that
dny axss Of The Of aage g a1aa
hves WAS to escape from my responsibility in the
premises, cTen il it be only moral not legal, oEe"
speech mud Of opinion IA inslenable right OF every
American citizen and woe unto him who would ab-
brc1iat4 1t. Those who permitted to enjoy
liberty OF expression in the country they coma from
ars apt to abuse the privilege inhe country Of ther
adoption, Intstatng license for Nhcrty.
its venom It would hava perceived that ~ "1noral
responsibility" could possibly be escaped BY going
on ,5e u m
zee that the faintest suspicion Of tho - unsourd-
ness" Of Cages accounts had crossed my mind policy,
interest, and duty required me 70 act promptly aud
decisiyey in having the money replaced and Tho air.
regularity corrected. 1t would have been veil for Mr.
Gage had been endowed with the ''taens Of peep
ing into occ,l: matters" and hsd obtained nking
Of the actul Btate Of hs accounts, BECAUSE up to the
time came away, and for month Afterwards, tho
at high prtces the banks discounted freey
aho security, and commercial and 0nanc5al adaiEa
ful. % Il aoald have ~ given H. a1go eonparatiTeiy
little trouble, Last suumer u. ANY time befora the
panic, to hive sold property and borrowed
money enough to have replaced the amount he had
perverted to his own use. And to suppoze that
would not have urged and forced him quickly to re-
pass the a the T. time Thsn h.
face. Indeed, he would not hare required much
urging my par, after he had known That yas IN
farthiug His greatest apprehension would not ha7o
b bsR pa to shs mise aasa s os On sa1
xith ali aa aan.gins eonscsuenes.: It
is also certain that II Gags hsd, even for no,
Of his term when it might bo needed " tho city,
be would not have touched dollar Of it. Tho disgrace
and ruin that must inevitably follow eznosure would
WAS lued into absolute confidence III him, based On
personal acquaintance Of twenty yssra, aud by reaeon
wealth, and the strength and responsibility Of his bond
to the city and also the srnsenc5 OF tEo law against
u,ado to the Comptroller under oath.
do not believe there was human being II chiea~
co. until after tho panic, who ever suspected CT dea-
ed that the cy money In the slightest danCer It
say Il told you 80 aud &c" when in TRUTH they never
told anythin6 Of the hind, nor imagined it, much
lesa knew It, God alone looketh On the heart. man
only Judge By sets and appearances, and ET these
tests al believed Mr. Gags faithful to his official
trusts Has it really to that pass in America that
no ctv officer bs intrusted with the safekoeping
Of public money that all must be suspected OF being
rascsla and There's! Must hereafter reoso faith
in nobody7 Is there soundneEs LEFT in tho body
polttc7 Is everybody and everything rotten II So,
then Heaven help the Republic, for It is beyond
mortal redemption and Its daya ore.an1nhered.
But to those mean aapersions to which you refe1
Tbs puzz1o to me is, how SO asrute denagoYue aa
Hestng could be stupid to give them neTaHaper-
publicity as their ahsurdty "a perfectly transparent.
dirty work" at his hands; and nothing that ever oc-
Cured between him and would. tie score OF TO-
venge, justify him in making himself 30 ridiculous to
crafty personal resentment.
When commenced this letter, 1t waa without tho
tutsntIon Of referring to the Gaga aEairno bscuss
Of indifference thereto, for the defacaton sstounded
ahocked and mortified me bc;und expression; but ths
fdea that abroad to escape the moral resronsi-
by Of the exposure Of poor Cages weakness struck
have been betrayed into tho foregoing rera1is con-
corning tho matter. However, hare not been abused
moro than might be expected. The rnan who
ventures to accept m otlice Of great re-
sRonHbhh h. f9E tho as,epg ngfpose sed 9.bfnv
assumes it WITH tie certainty OF being repaid in sn-
der and detraction. Tho bitter must 60 with th.
sweet. You may remember tho words Of tho poet.
Els fate is
70 be suspected, thw.rted. and wtthstcod,
Even when be labors for the puhlio good;
To win no praisc when well-wreught plans prevail,
And to be 1ndeIy ceosuEed Il they fail
. Yours truly, J. HEDnb.