The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-08-28
Kidnapping characteristics Of Grants
Administration.

The New York Sun says that the publ
cation by the Washington correspondent
Of the Cincinnati Gazette of the facts con
nected with the conspiracy to kidnap Ray
mond II. Perry Of Rhode Island, revives
the memory of the darkest page in 1.-THE
history Of Grants administration.
Mr.. Perry had revealed certain transac-
tons relating TO the San Domingo enter
prise which were regarded by those con-
cerned in that undertaking as exceedingly
damaging; and they determined to put
him out of the way: For this purpose, as
appears by the evidence given TO the world
long since by the Sun and now renewed
and extended by the Gazette, Gen. Bah
cock, Grants most confidential secretary
and his special agent 10 San Domingo,
conspired with various persons 10 the de-
tective service of the treasury department
10 have bogus charge of murder raised
against Perry 10 an obscure part of Texas,
aud then TO kidnap him in Rhode Island
and carry him off to Texas, either to kill
him there or to incarcerate him in some
prison from which he could not possibly
be released for an indefinite period of time.
These are the simple facts as established
by the testimony; and while it is possible
that such conspiracy could have been
gotten up by men 80 near to Grant, and in
the interest Of q project out Of which he
aud his friends expected to make a great
deal Of money, without his knowing and
asserting to it, yet who can believe that
such was the case2 Besides, if he did
not know il and agree in it, would he not
have resented it and punished it when the
truth of the matter was brought to his
knowledge by its publication in the Sun
some years agof
After an attempt to kidnap, which GER
tainly was devised and carried on with the
full knowledge of President Grant, was
that made by Henry d. Cooke and Alex
ander r. Shepherd, when they under
took to carry off Mr., Dana from this city
to Washington that Judge Blatchford
turned it out of court as soon as the case
was heard by him. On that occasion, too,
there is little reason to doubt that behind
the kidnapping scheme there was deadly
murderOus intent.
Akin to both these operations was the
sate-burglary conspiracy, in which Babcock
was likewise a conspicuous actor, all his
confederstes being 10 the same manner
intimate friends of President Grant A
more wicked crime was never undertaken
than that which failed with the failure OF
this conspiracy; but the guilt of the viii
lains who concocted it, and the deep suspi-
con which his close connection with them
casts upon the name of Grant, cannot be
eradicated from the memory of men.
Similar to these was the conspiracy Of
Grants Secretary of the Navy 70 entict
Mr.. Whitthorne of the House of Repre-
sontatives, Chairman of an investigating
committee, into house Of i'll fame il
Washington in order that he might there
have him arrested, and thus gain over hin
power to control the investigation anC
hinder the presentation in the House Of
the publication of any damaging report.
Conspiracies to kidnap, conspiracies t.
blacken innocent persons with unfoundeC
accusations of crime, form one Of the mos
remarkable characteristics of Grants Ad
ministration. They seem almost incredible
even at this brief distance, aud yet they
actually occurred as we have stated. AnC
yet Gen. Grant and some of his friend
still think he may be nominated for a thirC
term for President of the United States