The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-12-22
THE india Ma STATE SENTINEL WEDNESDAY DECEMBER

the laws. Facts came to light piat showed
conclusively that enormous G,4uds had been,
and continued to be p,rpetrated. These
frauds could not nave existed but
by the completely OF federal officials.
The bold facts Stared the whole nation in
the face that the sworn officers of the gov
eminent were violating the law, and reap
ing pecuniary reward for their base viola.
ton of sacred trust. In their acts there was
double crime, and 80 disgrsceful, ifpro-
perly understood, as to arouse the intensest
indignation on the part of the American
people. III there had been but single In
dividua) here and there over the country
who had been detected in malfessance In
Office, the people would simply have heard
the Story and acquiesced In his punishment
as hey do in tina. OF any detected criminal.
But che situation showed more alarming
condition Of things, that OF actual con-
spirscy, beginning, we may say for con-
venience, with the distiller OF whisky, and
reaching up through the sworn inspectors,
revenue agents, gsugers, assessors and col
lectors, and then on through special agents
10 officers high in the government, finally
comprising the confidential friend and secre-
tary OF the president of the United States.
That such scheme, OF such magnitude,
| should 60 on from year to year In
country like our own, is, indeed,
surprising. 1t must be viewed as a
stroke at the very heart OF the body polite.
And yet viewed In this light. while the
| whole country looks on believing that there
was to be an earnest and sincere attempt to
| punish every guilty man, the government
steps in, by the decision of the president, and
impedes the honest and faithful prosecution
of the thieves. And when was this done?
Was 1t when it was suspected that whisky
disiillers were the only culprits to be pun
ished? No. The word then went forth.
''let no guilty man escape" Was it when
Joyce took his departure for Jefferson City,
to be clothed in the convict's earb, sending
back the testimony that no Washington
officials were involved In the frauds? No
| The prosecutions thus far went brsveIy on.
But when, link after link of the evidence
was produced. and the damaging truth
came to light that Avery, and then BabcoCk
were plainly and irretrlevably involved,
and if the prosecutions went on would land,
with the other conspiratOrs to defraud the
government, in the penitentiary, with the
inculpation of the president himself tor at
least trsnscending his official duties and
rights in interfering with Commissioner
Douglas, then came the order that the
faithful prosecutor, who has done more than
all others to break up this nest
of thieves, Mr.. Henderson, must be dis
missed. The trail was becoming too FRESH
The testimony was too damaging to the
personal friends of the president and gave
occasion to make objections to has profess
sionsl propriety, and the result is that a
check has at once been placed upon the
spirit and morals of the proceedings, and
the grave suspicion is at once excited that
the president finds it expedent to screen
his friends lest he himself should be incul-
pated.
In this grave situation, it is lamentable
fact that the presidents personal reputation
is not sufficiently high to screen him, on
grounds of his own integrity and unim-
peachsble character. He has accepted gifts,
and appointed the givers to Office, that strict
morality can not help charsc;erizing as
species of corruption not much above bribe-
taking. His bosom friends and personal in
Inmates have not been above suspicion.
Shepherd, the notorious corruptioDist of
Washington City municipal affairs, was
recognized by him, after being thrust out in
disgrace by his own party friends.
His relatives, Casey. Corbin, Orville
Grant, have a personal reputation be-
| Co. bn 70 10
that lacks much of being enviable.
With these disadvantages surrounding the
case, the action of the president in dis
missing Mr.. Henderson shows very badly
for himself. All the circumstances, the
flank movement of the military commits
sion, so completely thwarted by the action
of that court, all 60 to prove that there is
something yet untold in regard to the whole
ramifcations of this wretched conspiracy.
Even the friends OF Mr.. Grant can not salts
factorily explain any of the dark features of
the case that will obtrude themselves upon
thinking minds. To say the very least,
Mr.. Grant has fatally Numbered. 1t has
been matter of great wonder how Mr..
Grant could have been so intimate with
these conspiring rascals and discovered
nothing wrong, and it is a greater wonder,
now that their guilt is certain why he
impedes the course of justice that should
overtake them.
If the American people, knowing the
slsrmingly enormous frauds that have been
perpetrated, knowing how very near
absolute guilty knowle lge has been traced
to the door of the White House, knowing
that he has interfered with the earnest
effort of honest officials to unesrth the
frauds, and thrusts out of the way the most
efficient man that could compose this de-
sirsble end, and yet sustain him, then the
American people show forth that they care
little whether the government be admins