The New York herald., 1876-03-07
Is BeIknap Worse than Grants


By law of Congress it was made Mr.. Bel
knap's duty to designate certain persons to
be post traders at large number of mill
tary stations. 1t was presumed that he
was the authority most fit to fill such places
that he would be less under local or corrupt
influences, and that he would appoint
strictly from a view to the good of the SER
vice that in such function he would be
absolutely out of the reach OF personal infu-
ences But it is shown that in at least one
instance he appointed person who made
presents" to his wife; who gave that lady
at one time ten thousand dollars in hand,
and transmitted to her at regular periods
various important sums. Some people call
this q sale. No well bred person. no
person of delicacy or refinement, would
apply such a coarse and vulgar name to
transaction in which there is clearly mere
interchange of courtesies and kindnesses.
Mr. Belknap gave to Mr.. Marsh post trader
ship for hundred good reasons, because
Mr. Belknap thought it a lucrative place,
and wanted to do Marsh favor. Can any
act be more innocent than this On the
other hand, Marsh gave Mrs. Belknap ten
thousand dollars because it was her birth.
day, or would be her birthday at some time
or another. This also is as innocent as pos
sible. There is only one fact here that the
censorious seize upon-the fact that he gave
money. If he had given a diamond, it
would have looked better, but would it
have been different? In order to see
that this transaction was not sale
of posts-not bribery, but fair and
proper interchange of good Offices
let us suppose that Marsh had not given
money. Let us suppose that he had kept
his ten thousand dollars and five successive
payments of six thousand dollars each and
that with the forty thousand dollars thus lefi
in his hands he had purchased at Long
Branch cottage and grounds and given
these to Mrs. Belknap, or even Mr.. Belknap,
then it would have been evident that it was
o mere offering of friendship and not bribe
Some gentlemen gave Grant o cottage in that
way, and though one of them was Secretary
of the Navy and another Collector of this
port nobody eaid that Grant had sold those
offices, and he has not been impeached and
is not likely to be. But if they had given
him forty thousand dollars, the price of the
cottage, it might have been otherwise. Or if
Mr.. Marsh had bought for Belknap house in
Washington, as was done for Grant; or
house in Philadelphia as was also. done foI
Grant; or if he had kept his money till il
became as much in quantity as the hundred
thousand dollar purse that was made up in
this city for Grant in any one of these
cases Belknap might have given him oil the
post traderships in the army-except, Of
course, those that are claimed by the Presi-
dents brother-and it would have been all
right. For all this has happened in Grants
case, and it is all right; and what is right
for Grant must be right for Belknap. But
he gave money-flthy lucre, vile trashi
And yet it is o pretty nice distinction be-
tween. Marsh's money and that hundred
thousand dollar purse given to Grant;
though, of course, purse makes o difference
and gives a refined air, especially if it is a
silken purse.