Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-08-12

challenging the Latter to confirm
the Alleged Exposures Of the
SVhIsIv Hing tAk

the Latter to Confirm
the Alleged Exposures OF the
whisky Hing. /
The following letter to ex Secfe tary |
Bristow, taken from John McDonald's |
book OIL the whiaky frauds is pubishe d by |
the st. Louis Times: ~
Dear Sir: When l made up my mind |
to expose the great Whisky Ring, which |
1876, / determined to deal with faces In
AN impartial and fearless manner. You
know enough OF my nature to know that
am no sycophant, and nothing could in-
duce me TO cover my head 10 any man.
1t has been necessary for me to use your
name in this history Of official G, r.
ruption, whose conception occurred in the
mashtub bat | have sought to Secure
neither your praise nor your unpity, rely
ing upon ay own manhood and the virdi-
cation Of my own conscience. As officers
of the government we occupied diverse
relations, and the devotion to yuur trusts
has resulted in my bitter huniliation aud
loss OF fortune. But luminosity assumes
no character in this drama H. ~ play in
which the parts are all taken by men
whose records are the piec.s for ih,ir
acting
When you met mo in Washington city
in April, 1876, you were arxitns 10 rec
me, but no more so than was to consult
with you. There was Da,uocltsiaD
sword suspended over soma ou, - bead;
but who was hen,a its gleptlinp POM
we knew not. | felt secuf, In my posi-
ton, but you felt justified in ypur,, and
my spirit Of bodness was horn Of al'sur-
xph
pated. | have not changed my attitude,
aud make IL apparent hare oecnuat YOU
would moi recognize mr ia any uib~r pHrh
now, when i come to you FOR the purpose
Of reviving the memories uf that
fight in which mauy sniIt, ed for
their gnilt, while others, covered
their grosser sins with ermiue of official
power; while you, even az II plaintiff were
compelled to See your oscntceeOn stained
by the handa OF your superiors in order to
destroy your purpose to RrappIe fraud at
the fountain head. You, of all Others. best
know the spirit which sealed my lips, and
know how realized that in the silence OF
my voice | could hear the sentence of my
punishment Then how we'll you can ap-
probate that the cry of those who were
clothed with stronger power, though
less, have drowned the weak utterances
of myself, calling the nation to look upon
the crimes of those who commissioned me
Are there none TO believe Mcdonald
because he went to prison IN order that
| his superior5 in crime and power might
not be forced to cell of infamy by which
the very face of Americas Republic would
be scared with the tears OF disgrace II
| Lao. f.r d hua l.T
Therefore | cali upon You in the name of
that fragmentnry portion Of the people
whose conception of crime il that 1t may
be pGrpetnstrd by tho greatest of men,
and especially ia response to that
patriotic demand that the enilt Of every
man, however high in powor, who shared
the benefits Of the Illicit whisky
frauds, he made public, and over your
signature speak whether ] have reported
you Alright. Not alone this, but here dis.
close that after your conversation with the
President aud myself on the 221 day of
April, 1875 You became convinced that
the Presided was oognizaut Of the reve.
nue. frauds being perpeirated in my dis
trict, and thnt subsequent facts confirmed
your opinion that President Grant was n
silent member OF the Whisky Ring; that he
| uoNh anu
"a defeat the Prosecutions of meinbers oil
hat ring: that IN all his sc,s he impeded
your efforts 10 convict Babcnck, Avery,
Mckee, joyce and myself; that he eo.
d-avnr'd to have you supprt 81 and destroy
aVlaeuer and III all matters connected
with prosecution of tho whisky cases in
1875 he was your enemy because Of your
efforts 10 secure convictions.
Have | perverted your anguage ID
secure n more favorable showing for my.
, seli2 Did | try To prejudice you against
= President Grant by reporting 10 you Ian
> guage Is eliminating from the President
I which subsequent interviews cunvinc,
: you he did not useS And lastly. hay,
r you ever discovered that anything evei
: did was intended to deceive you as t.
n President Grants wishes or intentions
4 By replying with frankness to this letter
/, unsparing OF the feeling Of all concerned
with no other feeling thar 10 toll tn
) whole truth, you will confer an absolute
; blessing upon the American people an,
il will receive the especial gratitude of your
truly, JoHN MCDONALD.