The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-02-27
ATTORNEY GENERAL PIERRE.
PONI'S Letter.

Some weeks ago. il was reported from
Washington that Attorney General Pier
repont had been much annoyed ut the
construction which had been put on his
circular letter to the district attorneys
engaged in the prosecution Of the whisky
trials, and that he had then said that the
idea of the letter did not originate with
him, but with the President. who sent for
him and told him he did not think the
testimony Of informers should be given
such prominence by the prosecution, and
that he wanted letter written giving
specific orders 10 distric; attorneys in re-
gard TO the whole matter.
Upon this. Attorney General Pierre
pont addressed to the editor Of the New
York Herald the following letter:
The president has never expressed any
such dissatisfaction, nor have I made any
excuse nor do | intend to make any ex-
ctise. never did, and never will, excuse
any act OF mine, official or otherwise, by
throwing the responsibility upon another.
no excuse. stand by what wrote, and
when the facts are exposed, as they will
be. which required the letter. the com.
munity will understand it. 1t was
purely official letter, confidential-as all Of
fetal letters are--exposed by gross imprO-
priety. only wish that those who criti-
else II would first read 1t. even without
the light Of the facts which induced II,
and be assured that I take the response
bllity and ask no cover from the Presi-
dent'S maine
Mr.. Charles Nordhoff, the Washington
correspondent of the Herald. who had
first conveyed to tine public the
Information that Mr.. Pierrepont
had thrown the responsibility
of the circular upon the president, has
been at some pains, for personal reasons,
to discover who the person was who com.
United the gross improperly"
of exposing it and OF furnish
ing to the press copy oil the circu-
lar for publication. II Mr.. Nordhof has
not succeeded, he has brought the matter
down to very fine point. The circular
appeared first in the Chicago Times Of
February lst. 1t is dated "DepartmeDt
OF Justice, January ~" and appeared ia
the Times in its Washington dispatches
dated January 3lst, on the very day
probably that it went from the mails into
the hands Of the district attorneys. Mr.
Nordhon has ascertained that the person
who gave copy OF the circular to the
cago Times was Mr.. Emory Storrs, one
Of Babcock's counsel, and that lac at the
same time furnished 10 the Times cor
respondent the information which also
appeared la the Tins that the President
regarded with displeasure anything like
liberation Of the iniormcrs that he lad
determined to push the indicted men to
the wall, and that Attorney General
Pierreponts letter had been written la
obedience TO this desire Of the President.
As tue circular was "a purely official
letter." known only to the President and
Mr. Picrrepont, the question to DC de-
cided IL, who gave a copy OF il 10 Sir.
otorrs' Babcoek's counsel: Mr.. Lord. Of
New York, Republican member Of con-
grcss, last week introduced into the
House resolution directing the attorney
general TO report by what authority and
ior what purpose lac recently gave in
structlons to his subordinates IN contra
vehtion Of long established rule rela-
tins to testimony Of accompIiccs in Grim.
mai actions. The resolution was adopted
anu a Washington dispatch of the 18th
says that on Monday, Mr.. Picrrcpont viii
SEM IN his reply to the House. While 1t
may lx the responsibility of the circu-
lar where it belongs, it is not
likely that will name the person guilty
oiwe"sross impropriety"of exposing 1t.
us'be admitted that the history of the
rierrcpont letter, as tar as known, pre-.
'en,s one OF the most interesting phases
OF INC whisky ring prosecutions.