Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-12-11
LONDON, Dec. ia P. II.
GEN. Henderson,s DISMISSAL.

HENDERsoNs REMARKS AT BIT. LOUIS THE OUT
COME OF HIS HOSTILITY TO THE PREs1DKNr-THR
PROSECUTION NOT AFFECTED By HIS DIsAIssAL.
Special Dispatch to the Nsw Yorh 7y,nes.
WAsHINeToN, Dec. 10.-The employment of
Gen. Henderson to assist in the prosecutions of
the whisky ring at st. Louis was referred by the
Attorney General to the President, 4 who
sanctioned and approved it. Judge Pier
repont did not know at that - time
that Henderson WAS bitter 2 per-
sonal enemy Of Gen. Grant, nor did the Presi-
dent then mention it. He had no doubt Of Hen
dersons ability, and as the Attorney General
recommended his employment to be for the in
terest Of the Government the President laid
aside the thought of their personal
relations and agreed that he should
in conversation, the President told Judge
Pierrepont of the hostile personal relations be-
tween Henderson and himself. Perhaps Hen
derson did not know that his appointment in the
first place was due to the Presidents forbear-
ance, and perhaps it would have made no differ
ence to him if he had. The newspaper report
Of Judge Henderson's speech is essentially cor
rect as compared with the sworn copy of the
stenographers notes. He attacked the Presi-
dent for interfering in the administration Of the
Internal Revenue Bureau, and attacked Mr..
Douglass for needing the requests OF demands
Of the President The reference was to
the order changing the Supervisors from
one district to another, which the President
d
under the law, to do. The order Was made BY
Secretary Bristow and not by Mr.. Douglass,
though his recommendation of the change is on
file. 1t is the unanimous opinion of the Cabi-
net, and the almost universal opinion of lawyers
about town, that Hendersons allusion to the
President was outside the evidence, and, in
view OF his employment by the Government,
unprofessional and unjustifable. The tele-
graphic order from Judge Pierrepont for Hem
dersons dismissal is q terse and clear statement
q aEa q funf and for
rect basis Of judgment on the question involved
In the action. 5s.-o : la,s1 iIiA
The occurrence of the difficulty is regretted
on all hands. 1t will be seized upon by those
the harmony Of the Cabinet with the hope of
thereby cripplng the prosecution of the Ring,
which can only be successfully carried forward
by the concordant action of all departments of
the Government. In this connection the state
ment that the Cabinet was unanimous in its
condemnation of the course of Gen. Henderson
is of especial Importance.
The hostility between the President and Hem
derson had its origin in the old controversy be-
tween Gen. Grant and President johnson, when
Henderson espoused the cause OF the latter.
Political events following the impeachment
served to intensity the feeling which has at last
been forced upon the attention of the public.
II has been often stated, and may be re-
1terated with assurance, that during the
whole investigation not scrap OF testimony,
documentary or verbal has been discovered
which reflects in the slightest degree upon the
President. The statements of all the officers
connected with the exposure and punishment
OF the Ring are explicit and emphatic upon this
point and there can be no room to question his
honest purpose to adhere to the order to let no
guilty man escape"
The efficiency of the prosecutions is not to be
impaired by the dismissal of Henderson. The
Attorney Generals instructions are clear on this
point. An able assistant is to be secured with
out regard to political association.
There is a Democratic lawyer Of ability and
emnence in st. Louis by the name of Glover
who will be employed II he is not retained on
the side of the defense, which is not certainly
known here.