The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-07-19


letter. than by briefly recng 10 you some important
facts to tho origin OF Tho Ring frauds which have
hecn nblc recently TO verify, and which throw now
light upon the whole anaIr, hitherto unattainabc.
When the Legislature convened IL tho winter OF 1870
the point Of destruction. Led by Horace Greeley,
this opposition made head 81 all points. and IN tho
den throatcnsd their vital srronr2oids beth in tho
city government and Tainmany Hall. Peter b. Swec-
ny, the leader Of Tho Ring comblnation, had with.
Having rsapsd Large psasss ia sis ssd other railway
Chamberlain, the good fah OF this purpose at that
time not regarded MS possible. HIS associates m
tercepting his departure secured his services for
one moro battlchc famous legislation OF the charter
and other measures OF that session. The result has
they mot their Waterloo IN that OCCASION. Appar-
entity they held thor places and their power but, IN
fact they werc corracd and their speedy dcstruction
and though they seemingly marched in tri'
umph, IL was TO captivity and ruin within
Tweed His Board OF Supervisors, the abominaiion OF
the time, was abolished and so practically perishcd
inc h o s o resny he never read The
famous charter and could not tell to-day It's
Tho brief section in snothc. bin The clause providing
icr an audit by MIN ilwcedl Han and Connolly Of .he
outstanding liabilities OF hts old Board OF Supervisors
became his great rcsoarc"-hc basis Of the last and
desperate Of hrs robbcrcs vol rs the nnal end
of the Ring The scandal which aroused public indg-
nation through that memorable grab has olackcncd
and dscrcdi0d ali other OF that session. but
az q matter of fact The charter was good
enough law and has stood tho test of cxpcri-
cncc since In tho scope OF that wipters work Tweed
had "a voice, bn, exercised t,lc Intelligence. He Vas
exclusively wrapped up IN his vulgar and salsh urg
!arzinga Jobs aud lunket'nss HIS crimes, ana not
The true secret OF that winters work was ms o'lcws--
HORACE. GKEELEy DtTRAYxD ASH SLAIN
Tho cities OF Now York and Philadelphia had entered
upon active spirit OF competition, tho aitcr cspe-
ciay mantlcsting an Initiative rivnry which provoked
her improvements New YORK began 10 feel the forcn
OF this competition, and some OF tho most enlncnt
citizens entered upon the ehor 70 reform anu knc no
tion Of It's position and needs as great metropolis
Hence ind the Siuarts and Hions, Astors and
Tayors shoulder TO shoulder with tho Ring chefs IN
this effort. OF the politicians came forward 10
struggle tor and protect their interests Party was,
nevertheless, good deal submurgcd. Tho parks, the
docks, tho Brooklyn Bridge, tho viaduct and under
ground railways rapid transit the million dollar APP
Preparations Tor museums.of natural history,
the bouicvards and long list OF improvements were
cared Tor The bulk OF what was good and liberal IN
the programme came IRON hiiion ana pls moneyed
paired of with the charter, both oil which presented
features of permanent efficiency. Nothing could be
more prcposierous than TO attribute all this 10 Twecds
scurvy bribery. The foremost, tho real power, was
Horace Greeley and his potent voice ~ the Tribune
THIS so well understood that nothing really WAS
supposed to be dono OF Importance without his act
consent open advocacy Exercising this power, he
enered Into daily conferences aud examinations OF &C.
he but taclty conceded he reserved himself Tor
opposition. This was his position on the charter and
other measures which passed tho caucuses through
tho usual partisan bargains After the reorganization
OF the city government under tho new charter the
close and absolute Ring was soon split by
tho new clements introduced particularly
through the uncomfortable Hilton. lerce
t tes1 rwrca and Connolly ,una which swccny moder
a,cd for while, but could not reconcile. II was
through the private jnstrumentaty Of Hilton, really,
by means Of Greeley in the Tribune. By
them they wcrs put in circulation to rid the city
Of Tweed against whom HIon and Greeley
maintained the Same aniagonsm which had abolished
the Board oi supervisors with the idea OF reforming
Tweed. Hilton cont,olled the influence Of sweeny
and Kept open tho fatal split In the ring which
mado its ruin by the Times Mr.. Tilden and MI
O'Conor sure and incvsabIc end. iA
THE PREsIDBNTIAL NOMINATION..
Mr. Greeley about this time ayailed himself Of his
familiar contact with the democratic leaders especially
in the promotnn Of his cherished policy OF rcconca
,ngtonl He thus met Judge Hilton frequently az tho
house OF the latter He also met Peter B. swecny
(ncvcr with Twecd, the sitting room ofths Sturevant
House. Twenty ninth street, and at Dr. M:er's No II
West rwenty-sxth street. where lengthy conferences
matters OF benefit Tor the city aud country were
discussed tho basis OF the prof acted conservative
presidepcy Ind even in The winter Of 1870 taken
serious root whilc Hoffman was tho con
coded party candidate there was a large body
plan which in the previous canvas contemplated tho
nomination OF Judge Chase and Horaco Greeley Was
now regarded as Inc choice Of this class Horalio
Seymour was leading spirit these secret
Judge Hilton had given his energy and innu
cree 10 Tho active promotion OF Inc idea. Tho
SUBJECT had long before been broachcd to Mr.
Greeley Tho first OCCASION was very casually in con
nection with certain message sent 70 Governor ho0
man. II at Mr. Storr's house (Grecey's oxccutor
in Monroe place, BROOKLYN and IN the library where
Mr. Mr. Greeley had said, Hoffman Is a pretty
good sort of fellow. Tell John TINT II any
OF those democrats are to have that democratic nom
ration tor The Presidency would sooner have him
get " than anybody eIse." 10 this Governor
Holman sent The response that "if We must con
tinue 10 Lavo republican administrations no
would Mt. Greeley President than
any other man." This little pIcnsantry had It's
serious result. Tho 18th OF July aud tho famous
Orange riots took Hoffman out OF tho field Tho LIST OF
January ensuing went with Mr.. Greeley TO the
Executive mansion IN Albany, when John ]. Holman
this State Baltimore Convention apd tho
democratic nomination tor Greeley
HALLS ASTIGREELEY CAMPAIGN FUND
do not advert TO these matters here except for the
purpose OF showing u broader and more dangerous
basis than common greed and rapacty Tor the Board
o. Audit frauds. SO fur as the sums IN tho control OF
Watson and sweeney wero concerned they wcro
started as fund to DO used In heistao aud national
campaigns for President and Governor The active all
bu, ira6io, abusive hatred which Oakley Hall and all
the Wood scnoo Of po ticans entertained for Greeley
slim ualed Hall to make his utmost efforts to stem tho
growing, and 10 him ridiculous, Greeley movement.
Money and intrigue rad always boon hts cxpcdonts IN
poics, and he set out for good supply OF tho more
ton for Governor, but tho st!muu not strong
his hatred and alarm ut the progress Of the
iioa OF Gr.eey bong nominated tor President.
H.Iman's advancement, therefore, became more i'm
portant 10 hun shan anything elsc Hence his direct
conlicty IN tho schelno OF percentages III whioh no
assessed i've cont for his own canvass and ton for
the Presidential budget. This did not seem to HIM an
unusual scale Of political discount from the gains OF
anluent contractors aud tradesmen the employ OF
tho city. He may, possibly, have known little of
Twccds twenty five per cent or the like robbery by
Connolly at he ousct
CAMPAIGN FINANCIs IRON BUCHANAN TO HAYES
Hall, IRON his recent intimacy with the republican
political management, saw the discrepancy IN tho
democratic campaign resources. As have myself
asccrtaped IRON Mr.. Belmonts accounts as chair
man OF tho Democratic National Committees from
lsG0 " 1872, there ncvor was moro than
one hundred and forty to one hundred and
nty thousand dollars In his political cxchcqucr for
eithor OF the Presidential campaigns Ho mad W
cover some $4,000 IN shorts on tho scattering Doug
las campaign Augustus Schc says that his re-
sources were still less, AS the chairman succeeding
Belmont. dc does not include special disbursement
OF under $4,000 sent 10 carry North Carolna NJ the
opening Of tho Greeley campaign, because the money
did pass through his hands HILL had great in
timacy with Henry J. Raymond and may have known
that, chairman OF the National Republican Com
r,iiinn hn nrnnnd thc 2acnnh IincnIn canunss