The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-28
THE GRANTGANG ALARMED
A BASE CONsPTRACY TO INJURE
MAJOR BLUPORD WILSON.
Chsrsins that the Major has Abstrs cted
valuable Onicisi Papers from the Files-A
Plot to Throw Discredit on his Testimony.

Plot to Throw Discredit on his Testimony.
WASHINGTON, July H.-It is very evident
that the President and some Of his particular
friends are Just now greatly exercised at the
efforts being made to Get at the true inwardpess
of the whiskey frauds. They were trembling
with fear lest Drstow should tell oil he knew OF
the inside history, and were greatly relieved
when be positively declined to answer
the questions propounded to him by the
members OF tho whiskey fraud commit
tee. After Dristow had twice put on
record bis opinion tbat II was against
public policy, and would be prejudicai to public
interests for the deliberations Of the Executive
and bis Cabinet ON GERS to beimade public under
any circumstances, tho President wrote the let
ter recently published with such flourish Of
trumpsts, relieving Dristow from ali obligations
OF secrecy Grant ana his trusted advisers
knew perfectly well that this could be safe
ly done, because Bristow had taken
strong ground In various Cabinet .meetings
against furnishing similar information In
response to resolutions adopted by the
House OF Representatives, and had also taken
precisely the same position before the Investi-
eating Committee. Therefore, while the Presi-
dent and his boon companion felt safe In defy
ing Dristow, they at tho same time W ere very
much annoyed at the way In which secrets
WOul0 ioak out h0u nnu tnolt way W tuo Wuis-
key committee. They do not want the damnine
record OF facts 10 the whiskey war to see the
light OF day, because they know very well that
there Is enough material there to damn not
only the President but several other prominent
gentlemen.
on nls In the IRE sury Department was called
for In February last by the House OF Rspt tesen-
tatives, and Secretary Bfistow after some de-
lay ordered 1t to be copied and put In shape to
be transmitted to the House. As long as any
poss ible detriment to the interests OF the Gov
ernment might come from the publication OF
this correspondence he delayed sending u TO
Congress-, but when all the legal ptoceedinss
be directed it to DO prepared as rapidly as pos.
10. It was all prepared and ready
for transmission several weeks before he re-
| signed, but he did not want It to be made pub
Tic just on the eve OF the Cincinnati Convention.
lest 1t should be said that Il was trick OF bis
For this reason he DELAYED sending IL TO tho
House. A short time after MIR. Morrill, became
Secretary Of the Treasury, tho author OF the
resolution calling Tor tins correspondence was
would not be con piled with. No formal com
| mination has yet been seut to that BODY, but
the fact Is, nevertheless, as above stated II Is
not the intention Of the President to allow this
ammunition to be furnished tue Democrats on
the eve OF the great n9ht between reform and
.ry Morp, s.ho % u, corsa ohey ,nsw
| hut siill the President dl 1 not feel perfectly
| secure. He knew that the inside history OF tbe
whiskey war WIS as fully known TO Major Dluford
Wilson . TO Secretary Bristow, for the Major,
| as Solicitor OF the treasury, was the right arm
| Of the Secretary. and his trusted adviser aud
| conndant through tue entire struggle. No one
knew better than he whom and whore the divid-
| ing line drawn by the President himself In
Inis battle for reform. He was bound by no OBJ
| LEGATIONS OF secrecy to withhold from an tnvesti-
an 80. f.Si' .Sd n 70 20
| he could unfold tale that would make the
I IA hsr rhs nm nA nf he rAne
| whiskey Ring conspiracy were thirstinR for an
| Opportunity to gioat their vengeance on Wilson,
| 10 bringing about their exposure and overthrow.
| They were continually nilins tho Prssidents
| and had thoroughly prsjud,oed hts mind against
| Wilson. He was ready TO believe anything bad
thai thai When MAJOR %i:oa c sa%. S.for. tue ~sis
| key committee he would embrace this oppor-
| tunity to vent the spite which Grant and MS
! particular cronies believed be held toward
In all this they were mistaken, because a m ore
| honorable man than tho Solicitor never lived.
| ue would OF course answer squarey ond truth
| fully every inquiry put to him II he could con-
sis entity do 1t, but he would not volunteer a
| he is held by Babcock, Lucky. and that set VINO
st,li have the Presidents ear, lhey were ready
with their ACQUISITIONS, and tho President was
| ready to listen and believe.
| In the Judgment Of all the rogues who had
felt slight pull OF the halter. it was necessary
| to break down aud utterly destroy Major Wilson
| before he gave his testimony. 1hsy conceived
| an ingenious plan Of accomplishing this. When
| Major ",lson left the Solicitors ohice he gave
instruo IS to have two Of his confidential
clerks to pack up all his private papers
nd plics them In box and allow
| them 80 remain in the Solicitors once
| until he should ask them to send the same
| to him. These clerk, selected tho PRIV to
| papers from the public ones and placed them In
| boxes as they were directed to do. and they To-
NAMED there for over one month III the solicit-
| oi's ONCE. Major Wilson was not present when
this as done. and knew nothing about the
msnner In which his request was com
Piled with. The clerks selecteI to do the
work we're perfectly familiar with me
lhJ ties Of the S"iioi:.,-'s once :-c-..
A great many papers relating &c tbs wbiskey
frauds, especially to the prosecutions OF the
whiskey thieves, were kept IN tho solicitors
| ONCE and not allowed TO 90 on tho regular hie 7.
| The reason for this was not TO give untrust
| worthy persons an opportunity TO examine
them and bstray the Government 10 the W his
| key Ring.
| As before stated, the private papers OF Major
| Wilson were. after being separated and packed
| IN noxes left IN tho Solicitors Office tor more
| than month and now, the very day that M"joi
| Wilson appears before the Whi5key Commit
tee 10 give his testimony, story I,
bstricted from the nles OF the department
| valuable ofiicial papers, and among tn'
rest the original Of Grants famous "Le
no guilty man escape" letter. TINS base
| less slander ana uutOunded lie was meant Il
injure him. 1t could have had no other pur
pose Ii was glvon ont and industriOusly cir
| culated solely to dam ga N ,,,. - fh'
! WLI-sey hlng fear. 1t shows the desneis,jo,
| Of Tue rres,uvn. ...,u .ne men who surround
| him. and they, Ike drowning men, catch al
stTaws, only in this case they haven't even
straw TO grasp at. there will be music IN the