The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-09
Babcock's Dismissal in Disgrace frou
the White House.
Special despatch to the ". 7, World

WASHINGTON, March 6.-President
Grants transparent effort to prevent
Belknap's impeachment is still the theme
of almost universal condemnation. and its
disgracefulness becomes daily and hourly |
more apparent, Said prominent western
member to-day in discussion on the
subject: 1T is the most atrocious outrage
on law and the greatest insult to the people
that has ever been prepetrated. Daily
and hourly also the signs of official quak-
ing and tumbling thicker and the unload
ing process Is going Oil with more haste
than decency, The storm of indignation
which has followed the publication of the
| Pierrepont letter has thoroughly alarmed
not only Grant but the whole cabinet and
all the Republican leaders Dispatches
are pouring in from all over the country
! beseeching congressman to do something
to stem the terrible ebb tide of political
allegiance to the Republican party. Pierre
pont is especially alarmed, and is said to be
the most distressed man in Washington.
| Robson, who has always heretofore
snapped his fingers in the faces Of assailants
of his administration and declared that he
did not care picaynne what was said, has
suddenly become nervous and sensitive,
and within forty-eight hours besought a
member of the committee on war claims to
De very careful what charges were made
public, as everything chat was charged was
now believed to be true. Said the whilOm
jovial autocrat CT the navy, Il didn't used
to care fig what people said, but it Is diff
ferent now"
Under this terrible pressure something
had to be done. Some scapegoat had to
/ be found, and that scapegoat has been
found in Babcock, who has been ostentati-
ously dismissed from the White House in
disgrace. His return from ST. Louis was
an ovation. AS in the state of public feeling
: it would not have done to have charged
the expenses of his defense out of the con-
tingeut fund Of the White House sub
scription was made in his favor He was
restored to his old confidential position,
, and was still congratulating and being con-
E graduated on his escape. But suddenly
Grant has remembered what, strange t.
say, he hadn't thought of in all the days
since the Pierrepont-Dyer letter was pub
lished-that a copy of that letter was given
to him and placed among his executive
papers, to which none but Babcock could
, POSSIBLY gain access. Hence of an instant
it becomes perfectly evident that Babcock
: may have surreptitiously copied that letter
: and forwarded it to Storrs, and in the
twinkling of an eye off goes Babcock S
head, for has not the president said, Let
r no guilty man escape?'' But people will
talk, and tonight this vague but terrible
e thing the people are saying: Yes, Bah
cock has gone, but how much has he been
paid for going; for what consideration has
e he consented to play the role of scape.
: goat?" Unfortunately also for the Grant
ring the meshes are still a-weaving and
unless the presidents order shall entirely
: block all the enginery of investigation
: proof will soon be in hand TO show that no.
e Babcock, but the president himself, or thu
attorney general by his orders, forwarded
the famous Pierrepont-Dyer letter ant
with the instructions which made it such q
$ potent pleader for the cause of Babcock.