Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-04-21
THE NATIONAL DISGRACE.

being daily made at Washington ty
the various committees of Congress
without the blush of shame mahtling
his cheeks. From the the highest to
the lowest, it seems that officials have
We'd with each other In defraudlng the
Government. /" Put money in thy
purse has been for years the object OF
those in power, and no set OF men
ever followed purpose with more de-
votion or with more success. Day by
day. men high in authority and III the
confidence of the Preside Mt are f. und
to be guilty of the most helnous
crimes, and the skirts Of that otilclal
are besmeared with the filth winch
his associates and confdants have
spread broadcast through the White
House. befouling even the chosen
sanctum of the President himself.
It gives. us little pleasure as
American citizens to have these I'M
wholesome facts thrust uponus at any
time, but especially so now when the
eyeg of the whole world are turned to
us upon the eve of our Centennial cele-
bratiop, and when the best and purest
of the representatives of monarchlal
Governments are either visitors or are
about to become the guests OF our
country. They come not only to con-
graduate US upon the material pro-
gress which our great republic has
made, but to look into the system Of
government which has brought about
this great Improvement, and to model
their own after the better features of
ours.
What a sickening and disgusting
spectacle must we present to The intel
ligent Representatives of foreign pow
ers who read of the disgraceful scenes
which are daily presented at Washing
ton. The late Secretary of War i'm
peached for high. crimes and misde
meanors, the Presidents chosen secre-
tary and an honored officer of the most
exalted corps of the a., my, just escaped
from a felon's cell for. crimes. which
later evidence shows that he was guilty
of, again indicted for still graver OF
fence, the Secretary of the Navy
| and the Attorney General under
going Investigations which have
| already clouded their regulations,
and may and will probably bring them
| to the criminal dock, the President,
| himself the companion aud patron Of
thieves and burglars and spies and in
formers, if not even now protected
from exposure of more guilty COM
plications il the whirlpool of crime
which has digraced the National Capt.
tai, by the logged refusal of Kilbourn to
implicate him, for which he is now
undergoing imprisonment, are ugly
facts, which no honest man can
look squarely in the face and
feel proud of. American citizenship
can and does cover a multitude OF
sins, but even the power of this potent
title to responsibility and recognition
may be exhausted, and we confess
| that recent events have drawn largely
| upon its resources.
We herewith Gull from one or two OF
our exchanges some facts proven
ard reports current for one day a.
the capital, and submit to any candle
mind what impression these thing:
are calculated to make upon an intel
ligent, disinterested reader"
As matter of defence for the Pres.
ident it has been claimed that he had
been blinded to the corruptions anC
scandals of his administration by those
who Immediately surrounded and con
rolled him, and that when his eyes
were fairly opened he got rid of Bah
cock, Luckey and others, even j
he does not say as much in hi
deposition in the Babcock trial Thi.
defence, however, will not hold good
Evidence has now been produced tina
the President was earnestly warned
nearly five years ago by his most init
mate and trusted friend, the late col
lector Ford, of st. Louis, against Gen
eral Mcdonald, the head and front Of
the whisky frauds of that city, ano
who a day or two ago entered
upon his term of Imprisonment in
the penitentiary. Notwithstanding
Mr.. Ford's warning Mcdonald
was welcome guest at the White
House, and on his last visit
but one to Washington, the President
had him on buggy ride. It may be
said that he literally stepped as a guest
at the White House to the prisoner s
dock. and from thence to the peniten-
tiary. The following is the letter of
Mr.. Ford. We call attention to the
fact of the close personal relations of
President and the writer. the date of
the letter and the sequel of McDon-
AIDS career and end:
ST.. LOUIS, May 80, 1870.
| My DEAR GENERAL: [ wrote YOU a
few days ago about this man McDon-
aid as supervisor in place of Mari. I
inclose you a couple of slips cut from
| the Leathenworth Commercial. I
understand Mcdonald was in the town
of Lenvenworth when these articles
appeared. but offered no remonstrance
or explanation in regard to them. The
Democrat here has been McDonald's
friend, and I think recommended him
for the appointment.
Mckee told me that he had called
McDonald's attention to these articles,
aud asked what they meant. He
answered very coolly that he did not
read TIE newspapers, and they were of
no consequence, and the Democrat has
dropped him. Mckee says he can't
defend man for such charges. They
were unanswerable, and the Democ1 at
has dropped him. Mckee says he
can't defend man from such charges
as these, who has nothing to say for
himself. From all I can learn I am
satisfied Mcdonald is bad egg, and
that SO far as being any credit to your
Administration he is downright dis
praHIt tn II He &c