The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-03-24
The Attorncy-General.

Gen. DEvENs, the new Attorney-Gcncral.
goes into Office with an unDlcmshed char
acter and If the President under whom he
serves had been elected. there would be- good
reason Ia hope for his going out in a similar
cnViable condition.
The Office of Acknowledgement under
GRANT was a field Of failure. and grave
yard of regulations. GRANTS first Attor-
ney-General was Mr.. EnES RocKwooD
HoAB. whose tenure Of Office was undistin-
gui-hed by any notable event except his
rejection by tine Senate when nominated for
Justice Of the Supr"m" Court AMOS f.
AKLRliAN Of Georgia was the next incum-
bout Of the office. but after while h. was
retired on account Of mental disability The
notorious LANDAULTT WILLIAMS followed.
and under his administration the Depart
mcnt OF Justice, ~ the Attorney General =
oflice had come 10 he called, became the
hetlquarter, Of every species If pecniation.
intrigue, and demonstration Of the laws Of
the land. lndcr the pretrnce OF providing
for the expenses Of United States Courts,
enormous sums Oi money were drawn from
the Treasury and either sluandered for po-
litical purposes. on stolen 10y the suborli-
mates of the department. Petty larccnios
Of various kind, became habitual, the Courts
of the District Of Columbia were used for
the worst purposes Of the Washington Ring
and the department fell into universal con-
tempt.
When. owing to unpleasant complications
among the lady members ~ the Admnistra-
ton, LANDAULErWl was compelled 10
Stepdown and out he was succeeded by jude
PIEREEPoNT. who had contributed $4,000 t.
secure GRANTS election Mr. PIrRRrroNr
IL person OF supcriordeportment and it wa ;
supposed he would give the Office AT least an
outward Ncnenring OF responsibility. But
the whisNcy trials came ON. and In order to
save the reputation of the White House, he
was induced tO do some very dirty work. for
which he received the appointment of Min
lstcr to England
Finally, the aged TAFT was shot into the
Office from tho War Department, in order to
make room for Dos CAMERON in the latter
place, where h. was wanted to direct the
army of the United States in the then APP
preaching elections. Judge TAFT was
esteemed q very puus man; and he carried
respectable reputation into he Attorney
Generals Office and eft it there Not even
LANDAULEr WILLIAMS was more subscr-
Went 30 the partisan requirements of the
most reckless Of the Republican leaders
than TAFT while he developed from
the depths Of his inner conscious
ness a wealth Of legal misinforma-
tion which astonished his most ardent
admirers. In addition to his wcighty opin-
ions on law matters he appointed thousands
of Deputy United States Marshns 10 work
for IlAYEs's election in various parts of the
Untod States; and after being bundled out
Of Office upon HAYES - accession to power.
he went back to ohio 10 claim his reward
IN AN election 10 tho United States senate,
which he did not get.
And now Con. DEyENs takes possession Of
this office SO pcryadod with fraud and
corruption. We hope that he will be- sue
ce-siul In cleansing it, but We have our
doubts. The task the new Attorney General
has before him Is one of cNtrcmr dinimlty.
Errybody has heard the story of the
gentleman who concentrated AN thcoucrgioa
ol hi. being ON the MVlh OF cOiuung au OBJ
stnale mcerschnun lie smokcd night and
day without making the least progress, and
llnally after several weeks of unrcmiiting
oN'rtlon he wa7 found In hil chair ono day
dead Ms smoked herring The mcor-
schaum was ms white ~ ever, but the gen
tleman was Of Il rich mahogany color. The
mccrschaum had colorcd him. Dislnter-