The New York herald., 1876-03-07
GENERAL WASHINGTON DISPATCHES.

WASHINGTON March G. 1876
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ON THE LETTER To
THE WESTERN DISTRICT ATToRNEYs-THn
REASONS FOR 1T AND ITS TRUE INTENT AND
sIGNIFIcATIoN-THE REPORTED coMMUNIcA-
TIoN WITH BABcocK's COUNSEL EMPHATf.
CALLY DENIED.
Attorney General Perrepont has addressed letter ia
the Hon Scott Lord, Chairman Of the subcommittee
the Judiciary saying his fair and considerate letter
of the Sd inst gives him the opportunity to fully
plain certain charges contained in newspaper publica-
tons, copies of which had been enclosed to him.
The Attorney General says that in relation 10 the
whskey cases at ST. Louis Chicago and Milwaukee.
the Secretary of the Treasury and himself were in
frequent consultation and they differed in their
policy in what they deemed the best mode OF
ing out the policy In October last, while the Soil,
tary of the Treasury in St Louis, they agreed
upon and the Secretary despatched communication
the Solicitor in the way of Instructions in which
he said. among other things, that unless
important ends to be gained in
other he would make no terms with
any individual party. The Attorney General
says the policy indicated in this order
municated by him IN any circular letter to the district
attorneys OF these cities but it intended to be
ried out alike IN ST. Louis Chicago and Milwaukee.
Nothing occurred to lead the Attorney General thd
Secretary of the Treasury the Solicitor tho
Attorney General knew or believed, to change this
policy any degree; but about middle Of January
and subsequent thereto various newspaper slips pri
letters and personal Presi-
dent and n lesser degree to the Attorney General,
that bargains being made about TO bt
made with criminals whose testimony not in tha
slightest degree needed, by which large
number OF criminals to be let OF from
any kind of punishment to be relieved Of
persecution in likely to bring
scandal upon the administration OF justice and quite at
with the policy expressed by the Secretary OF
the Treasury and approved by the Attorney General
These statements in large affirmed
the President and subsequently to the Attorney Gen.
era by OF the Oldest and most trusted supervisory
the service, and who claimed to know from personal
knowledge upon the subject and especially In relation
to criminals in Chicago.
II was stated to the Attorney General that bar
gains OF very questionable propriety being made
in Milwaukee by counsel without consultation with
the District Attorney, and without any
munlcation with the Attorney General from
whom they received their appointment, and
for whose jndicous conduct the Attorney
General was responsible. The President was greatly
disturbed By these varied and repeated representations
of a course variance with the policy before ndi-
Gated and he brought to the attention OF the Ator-
ney General and finally suggested that in Wow OF tho
repeated statements 1t would be well for the Attorney
General to let tho attorneys receive
ton upon this subject and therefore letter des
patched by the Attorney General to District Attorney
Hazeton, and Is the copied in the official recordf
of the department. with note that the sent
to the district attorneys at Chicago and St Louis
In this letter the Attorney General said he rcposod
in the officers the good judgment to refrain from every
thing that could by possibility be construed favor
itism toward those who had defrauded the govern
mcnt and remarked, 'lt Is the Presidents reiterated
desire that no guilty man shoui escape" few days
later the President being still further pressed abou
the matter sent for the Attorney General to learn
whether no had taken any action in the
As tho letter was purely Official and all such
letters strictly confidential and intended solely for
the eye of the district attorneys and for the sole pur
pose of advising them OF the complaints which
being made and to caution them against any appear
ancc OF improper management, the Attorney Genera
was greatly surprised at the publication of the letter.
and quito amazed that It should be wrested
from its original purpose and used foi
ends never imagined by tho writer The
Attorney General sot himself work discover how
found its way into print, and finally came to
the conclusion that must have got out through tha
copy TO the President and he received inrorma-
tion which convinced him that It so, and the fact
pcrs led him to believe that had been read and per-
haps, impcrfectly remembered. On speaking to tho
President on tho subject he said he had knowledge
whatever OF the letter Tho Attorney General says
waited for the opportunity and have now ascer-
tanned that General liaDcock. or some one for him
who had access 10 tho Presidents papers obtained
copy of the letter without any knowledge on the part
of the President, and that the same was used in the
manner now known 10 all, but under whose advice the
Attorney General does not know
II Is quite certain, he says, that, II any OF the
defTaudcrs Of the imagined that they
reap advantage from the publication OF tho letter ~
from the very false construction which they tried 70
force upon IT, they had been would bN signally
taken
The Attorney General says since the acqui:tal Of
General Babcock he had It stated In Of tho
Western papers that tho evidence bearing the euIl
OF Babcock communicated TO his counsel by th'
Attorney General He wished to state, in tho mos
emphatic language and without any possible reserve
tion there Is not and there never the slight
est truth in the statement lie never made communt
cation either written verbal to any one or General
Babcock counsel upon tho subject AZ to storrs whs
is the counsel specially mentioned the Attorney Cen
era says he has recollection that he ever saw Dim
In his life He certain he never wrote 70 him. Hs
might have seen him. and have been introduced TO him
at some one Of tho crowded receptions Of the Prcsi
don't This is possible Very many persons intro
duced 10 him at these receptions whose names are
often indistnctly heard, and therefore not re-
mcmbored lie certainly Storrs Al his
house or at the department. or at any Other
house or place where he ever conversed with
him upon the subject Of General Babcocks trial
upon any other subject Judge Porter Is the other
counsel mentioned. lie Is an eminent lawyer OF Now
York. aud old acquaintance OF the Attorney Generals
much valued friend, and. BESIDES he is gentscoc
Of delicacy and He once, and only oncfy
called TO pay his respects and state merely that hsun
here TO prepare himself in the Babcock trial. theFcar
dropped the subject utterly, and resumed 10
alluded to II again During hts call they never, b,h q