Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-11-19

and Justice, and who speaks ns an cN-
pert I'm reading and writing with all tho
suspicious circumstances that attended
the reception of the letter; with the envcl.
ope and its erasures before him; with
the city post-ofce and station stamps on its
back; with the letter marked "Tersonal and
CONFIDENTIAL" and addressed to some person
whom he certainly did not know; with that
letter before him, the contents OF which, IL
true, would DO greatly injurious, and, II false,
would do a wrong to his intimate friends as
base and wicked as an assassin's stab, should
have thought 1t just to press and cause its pull
lication without first removing all doubt as TO
its character.
However much the equitable division may
leave for others, upon Mr.. 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 does not lift single shadow from his
conduct He was a member of the National
Committee. lie doubtless knew the extent
and purposes for which IL was taken and used
by that Committee, and that II went forth to
the country with the sanction of his indOrsc-
ment. He knew beyond question that 1t met
speedily with an indignant denial of General
Garfield, who denounced the letter rs "a base
and stupid forgery and its sentiments as
brutal"
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 inst t.uments purporting to he
obligations of General Garfield, and he had
publicly declared them to be forgeries, who
could thereafter send them forth and circulate
them throughout the Commonwealth with his
representation of genuinencss, without incur
ring the penalties of the law The difference
is purely statutory, and in a moral forum
wholly vanshes.
My mind has reached the clear conviction
that the so-called Morey letter, in body, sigma
ture and all its parts is not in the handwIit-
ing Of General Garfield, but is altogether a
forgery perpetrated by some person or body
of persons for the purpose OF decciving the
people 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 n conspiracy to accomplish n National
crime. The conspiracy points to men in other
quarters, and of far higher positions, of whom
he may have been the accomplice 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 ali 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,
right-thinking men everywhere must look
| upon the act as an appalling crime wholly
at war with the safety and sanctty of popu-
| lar government. Fortunately, no commit
| tee, and no body of men, hold in their hands
the 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. If 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 tnat they have gained by this a
| few useless Electoral votes, incted an infuri-
ated mob TO the murder of a few unofTcnding
human beings and caused few of their own
agents to suffer for perjuries and misdc-
/ memors.
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.
The Court said the bail could remain
as already fixed, $4,000, and the pres.
ent bondsmen would be accepted.