The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-11-25

ana Justice. ana VINO speaks as an eN-
pert in reading and writing, with all the
suspicious circumstances that attended
the reception of the letter; with the euvel-
ope nnd its erasures before him; with
the city post-office and station stamps on its
back; with the letter marked "Fersonal anc
Confidential" and addressed to some person
whom he certainly did not know; With that
letter before him, the contents OF which, II
true, would be greatly injurious, and, If false.
would do a wrong to his intimate friends az
base and wicked as an assassin's stab, should
have thought II just to press and cause its pub
lication without first removing all doubt as to
its character. I..-... ... .--r
However much the equitable division may
leave for others, upon MFR. Hewitt must rest
the larger share Of the responsibility of the
first publication of the base and shameful
forgery and his subsequent relation to the
forgery docs not lift single shadow from his
conducts He was q member Of the National
Committee. He doubtless knew the extent
and purposes for which II was taken and used
by that Committee, and that It went forth to
the country with tho sanction Of his indorse-
ment. He knew beyond question that it met
tpeedily with an indignant denial OF General
Garfield, who denounced the letter as a base
and stupid forgery and its sentiments as
brutal" .r. .-,..f s-r-.rrr...
Under our statutes the utterer of a forged in
strument, with knowledge of its falsity, is
placed in the same rank of criminality with
the forger. Had the subject OF forgery in this
case been instruments purporting to be
obligations OF General Garfield, and he had
publicly declared them TO be forgcries, who
could thereafter send them forth and circulate
them throughout the Commonwealth with his
representation OF genuineness, without incur
ring the penalties of the law? Tho difference
is purely statutory, and in q moral forum
wholly vanishes.
My mind has reached the. clear conviction
that the so-called Morey letter, in body, sigma
ture and all its parts. il not in the handwrit-
ing of General Garfield, but is altogether a
forgery perpetrated by some person or body
of persons for tho purpose OF deceiving the
peop.e and defrauding them and General Gar
field of their votes. The evidence bearing
upon Philips guilt or innocence Of for
gerry Is voluminous, and would demand
careful analysis. Taken in connection
with other evidence In the case, it tends to es-
tablish a conspiracy TO accomplish q National
crime. The conspiracy points to men in other
quarters, and Of far higher positions, Of whom
he may have been the accomplice or only the
dupe and tool. 1t Is better, therefore, that the
question Of the actual guilt of forgery be left
to the consideration of jury, before whom
additional, and perhaps more decisive, evil
dence may be brought:
~ 1t must be the wish of all honorable minds
that this case will lead not only to the dis
covery and exposure of the guilty, but to
the enactment Of laws which will prevent or
severely punish offenders Of this character.
Whoever may be guilty in this case,
righf-thiuking men everywhere must look
upon the act rs an appalling crime, wholly
at war with the safety and sanctity of popu-
lar government. Fortunately, no commit
tee, and no body of men, hold in their hands
tho conscience of the people, and no party
fealty is strong enough to interpret the SEN
tence of condemnation which honest men of
all parties must pronounce upon such
guilt. The men most criminal in this case
may not be reached by the hand of
Justice, but they will find no party will
ing to bear and share with them the just
measure of infamy and scorn that awaits
them. II they have failed in their guilty pur-
pose, SO they will fail in securing the approval
even of them for whose success they have
done the guilty work. 1t will be small conso-
lation to know that they have gained by this a
few useless Electoral votes. melted an infuri
ated mob TO the murder of few unofending
human beings, and caused a few Of their own
agents to suffer for perjuries and misde-
meanors.
= The defendant is held to answer upon the
charge of criminal libel, and must be commit
ted or give bail for his appearance TO answer
any Indictment that may be found against
him. o. -....
The Court said the bail could remain
as already fixed, $1,000, and the pres
ent bondsmen would be accepted.