The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-15
Inresticnte the Mhi.kcx Ring.

Investigate the Whiskcy Ring.
When Congress met in December there
was strong disposition in the House of
Representatives to order thorough in
vestigatiou of the whisley frauds. which
should include their vast personal ana
political connections In fact resolutions
were prepared for that purpose. The
movement was then arrested after confer
ence, upon the ground that the courts and
juries were doing their duty, as was shown
by the conviction of MCDONALD and
JOYCE at st. Louis and others elsewhere:
and that in the proposed inquiry testimony
might be premaiurely disclosed which
would enable some OF the conspirators to
escape from the country, aud others to
fabucate defences by suborncd testimony.
In the last two months the whole siuia-
ton has changed. From the hour that
BABcOCK was indicted and the prosecu-
ton crossed the threshold of The White
Rouse, the previous policy at Washington
was reversed through the power of the
President and the brakes put down
hard on all efforts to convict the Oh lief con-
splrator in the whiskey frauds. The gUv-
est suspicious nave been excited OF a de-
sire to screen guilt ana 10 save the Admin
istration and the Republican party from
exposure, disgrace. and ruin.
The naked facts are astounding, when
considered in the light of recent revela-
tons, and the official action of the Attor-
ney-General. When the lines were closing
around BABcocK, Mr.. PIERREPoNr sum-
moned Mr.. DYER, District Attorney at ST.
Louis, to Washington, ana demlnded of
him fa.titnnnu Ia,
order that he might determine in adj
vance whether it was sufficient to JUS
tify an indictment by the Grand Jury.
That FIRST step was thwarted by the re-
fu.al Of Mr.. DYER to take such q response
biiity. aud by the direct intervention OF
Mr.. BRrsrow. who had become Informed
OF Nh PIEap-PoSr's attempt to prevent
an examination by the Grand Jury. and to
PREJUDICE the case at Washington by Sc
cret ilquisitiOn in the Attoney-Generll'
piiice.
When it was ascertaned that an in
dictment would be found. the eXpedi-
ent of n Court of Inquiry TO antici-
pate the trial was devised. How that
Court was constituted is no secret.
Two of the three members were special
friends of the President and of BAR
COCK, and the Judge-Advocate, sent
from West Point signalized his zeal suif-
GENTLY to leave no doubt about his SYM
pathies. Mr.. PIERREPoNr directed the
District-Attorney at st. Louis to furnish
this Military Court with all the evidence
in his possession, or in other words to
transfer out of the jurisdiction of the
civil courts TO Chicago, the evidence
then in daily use before the Grand
Jury, ana in the trial OF pending cases.
NJ. DYER rebulled this proceeding with
manly dignity and it was abandoned.
Meanwhile BABcocK was formally in
diced, and the Court of Inquiry there
upon adjourned. A few days previously,
Gon. HENDERaoN in the AVERY trial
brought cat some Of DAnc0cK's dispatches
aud referred incidentally to the Prcsi-
dents duties in seeing the laws executed.
NJ notice wa, taken of the speech unt III
BABCoCKs indictment became known,
and then Gen. HENDERSON was sunmarily
dismissed by Mr.. PURHEpONI order.
The last interference Of the Attorney
General Is the worst OF all, and can hardly
be regarded in any other light than rs a
bold attempt TO defeat further prosecution
OF the Whiskey Ring, by excluding the
testimony Of the least guilty conspira-
tors. lie has of.icially notified all the
parties who were Crawn into the Ring by
persuasion or coclced into il to protect
their business, that Lheir evidence il given
in behalf Of the Government now, will
not mitigate the penalties Of the law, or
give them the least advantage over the
worst criminals.
MIR PlERREPONT thus at blow and for
aspecilc object, strikes down the wisdom
and mercy Of the criminal law ana the
practice of hundreds of years, by which
States evidence has always been admitted
as an element of public policy. With
out this cooperation, the Government
would have been defeated in the preceding
trials at St. Louis. BY it, several millions
of property have been seized ut Chicago.
which were elIectualy concealed uutil the
distillcrs and Others agreed to break up
the corrupt combination into which they
had been tempted.
1t is known that NICK EE ana MAGURr at
st. Louis, were recently willing to tell all
they knew and to strengthen the hands Of
the prosecution by testimony that could
be obtained from no other source. Be
tween this menace Of the Attorney-Ge en-
eral issued on the eve of BABcocK trial,
and an assurance Of pardon for keeping
silent, or revealing only what may be ex-
torted, their lips are likely to be closed in
order that the guilty may escape.
Here are four distinct and positive in
stances In which the Attorney-G eneral has
exerted the authority of his office to shield
BADcocK and 10 pI )tect the Administra-
ton and the party This action is all the