, 1880-03-14
THIRD.TERlJiSM-LOOKING BEHIND.

4
tionfsts who Nearly Destroyed the
Republican Party-Leet, Murphy, and
Blackmnil.
alliance (Prof. s,otn9's pdptr}, March IS.
We hear during these ante-couventIon days
many objections to third term from Repub-
lican newspapers, but very little Of the weighty
rcasoaA that lie against Gen. Grants candidacy
and election. 1t has even been said By some
that the Constitution could not stand the strnin
of q third term, The Constitution has stood far
greater strains, and Gun. If it could not, it
would deserve to full. The real objection to the
thlrd term is the two terms TINT it would supple
ment. If Mr.. Lincoln were the candidate, there
would probably be few objcctors to third term.
The IS thirtl-tcrm cry is only a partisan way of
saying, "No more OF Grant"
There has grown up In American politics a
great evil. 1t is the offspring Of the doctrine
that to the victors belong the spos: 1t threatens
the integrity Of our FREQ institutions; it is po-
litcal corruption.
It is but three years since Gen. Grants Ad-
ministrution closed in acknowledged disgrace, on
account Of the corruption that was traced to the
Presidents private room in the White House,
to men whom he shielded with a willingness that
made him at least TN accessoruafter tho tdct. Can
gotten Babcock, and Reiknap, and Shepherd,
and Murphy? Is It supposed that the fact Is not
recognized thnt tho nun who hug Just appointed
ed Of packing n primary for Grant was one Of
the corrupt Now York Ring, the coparccncr of
Murphy r. the Custom, House S frauds.-Alonzo
history soon loses distinctness in these most
brisk and giddy- paced times" The details Of
ten years ago ARE less distinct upon the cunvas
and it may he useful to recall for our guidance
few Of tho records of those bygone years.
On Dec. Is l5!1, committee WIS appointed by
the Senate to investigate what have since been
known Us the New York Custom House frauds,
that Committee being known rs the Howe
They held their mcetiugs in New York and
Washington, and their report, which is before
us, makes 900 pages of osely-printed matter;
The evidence before that Committee showed
that one Leet, who had been one Of Grants mill
itnry stuff, and who WIS then living and contfn~
ued to live in tho Same mess" with Babcock
and Porter, the prcstdent's Private Secretaries,
and whose letters in regard to the business here
innfter mentioned were muny of them written
in the EXECUTIVE Mansion siaI appeared u, in New
York in the fa!! Of 1872 and Presented Mr b. Il.
"ExECur1vE MASs1oS, WAsn1SGToN, D. C.,
March 10, 16Ga.-DEAn sir: This will Introduce
you to Col. 6: Z; Leet, who 1 served @ under me
tho full OF Vicksburg forwnrd-as a staff -oticer.
He Is Il business man of unguesttoned integrity.
His experience before the War tts him for bust
resign from the army to engage In private life,
and cheerfully commend him Us possessing all
the qualities necessary to inspire confidence
He was also armed with another letter from
Mr. ad a s e to of fo Sa IT, ThSh
would be appointed l., Collector Of the Port
9 dved NeT N aofs Few ays ana 9ben
ported by other recommendation thnn
1ho Presidents. letter, Lccts applied for the
.'scnef1ll- order" business Of the port. The
general order business, it will be remember
cd, was au abuse of the law which allowed the
storing Of bonded goods III private ware"
houses; and by its snfter-opera lions Leet was Gu
thousands of dollars.
Mr. Grinnell was unwilling to give Leet all the
gear to go back to Washington to stay. 10 this
proposition Lcct dcnlurred, and Threatened to
have another Collector appointed unless his de-
ulands were allowed. a compromise was effect,
cd. by which Lcet ,y,,s given the control OF all
the Eencral-ordcr business Of the port, except
ing the Inman and National lines OF steaners' !
he returned to mess with Babcock and Porter in
Washington, driving his plY meanwhile as an
officer III the army.
In the following spring he was obliged by law
to resign bis army position, and then went 70
New York and again demanded OF Gr1unell all
tho gcncral-order business, This Grinnell re-
:hrentcned him with remoy1ll therefor. His re-
moval certainly followed at once ana ".
Thomas Murphy WIS appointed In his stead Nr
Murphy gave nll the general order business over
to Leet; and he was thereby enabled to continue
that system of robbery which at last grew so un-
beMrnblo that the merchants OF New YORK COM
tho Collcctorship Of tho Port. So much for Leet-
Mr.. Murphy's career is tolerably familiar to
the reading public A partn@er @ Of Tweed ts1n ana
abuses, and the matchmaking Of such merchants
as Phelps Dodge g. Co., Whiteside Bros, and
Others but he made the Custom-Hou such q
den Of tbicycs.-mndc 1t, with the uid OF A: 3.
Cornell. such pAFty -enEinc,-th1t his name nus
become synonym for nll that IS corrupt In pol
tiles and dishonest IN the Civil Service,
But Is it said that Gen. Grant WIS not respon-
sible for the nets of Murphy Listen to some Of
the testimony tnkcn by the COMMITTEES,
FROM atR. GEORGE ". PALMER's TESTIMONY.
"'Mr. Murphy then said that it was very i'm
port,ant to Gen. Grant thut the candidate for
Governor in this State should be known as one
Of his supporters. He Gen. Grant, hnd said that,
in cnso OF il disagreement between the two SEN
date the question should he referred to Gen.
Grant himself, and he be allowed to name the
candidate, who should be nominated by accla-
nation in the Convention; Gen. Grant felt very
great interest in this and some Of the candi-
dates named, it WIS understood, were opposed
to him. Mr. Murphy theu named us the Prom'-
ncnt man who should not be nominated, and
who would be obnoxious to Gen. Grant. Mr. Mar
shall O. Roberts. r-
MR.. rERwML1GER's TESTIMONY.
"Q.-3fr. James Terwilli1er? A.-Mr: james
TerWilligcr. Mr.. Murphy tried to prevail on nc
to use my influence in the district to have these
Men that he would name sent as delegates; anu
be said he was anxious TO nave peace Auu nnt-
mony in the party; that the President OF the
United States was anxious for peace in tho party
etc, but that he wanted to be represented there
in the Convention.
"O-Wnnted what? A.-Wanted to be repre-
scutcd i'll tho Convention.
HQ-WhO did? A.-Thc President wanted tC
hnyc his friends there in the Convention
ssDy Mr.. Howe: Q.-The President? A~-fes
| SIR"
| Is 1t said that Murphy lied? Read the follow
| inr extract from Grants letter to him, written
with the knowledge Of all the fncts in the case
| under date Of Nov. 20, ISL:
| "YOu have had my unqualified confidence
| ever since you entered the Office Of Collector
| You had TINT confidence before, or tho appoint
| mcnt would not huvc bccu rendered you. Iha1
! confidence Is still unshuken, and, in accepting
YOUR resignation, desire to give you the fullest
| assurance of this fact
| Now, when We reflect that Dfurphy's lieuten'
| ant wns tho present Governor of New York. wht
! is using all methods, honest and dishonest, tt
| secure Grants nomination. and that the poWe1
! behind both these men and all their abuses was
| Roscoe Conkling, who Is trying to cram Gran
| down the throats of the American people,-cAt
/ we doubt that with Grants accession to power
| the same unsayorv horde would step into tht
| Government Offices, to repent the crimes ant
! abuses that ended IN the spring of 1877?
! We cannot believe that tho American penpl'
| can doubt this and we say, with q conviction
| born of Il lcsson-teachfng past, that, II the ne
| publican party nOminhtcs Gen. Grant tor th'
| Presidency at tho Chicago Convention, the he
| publican purity will be beaten ut tho polls.
LIFE.
| chort davs f1vfnp swift Years rolling.