The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1882-11-24

for tho defendants asked mo contemptuously,
before the Grand Jury" In the moantlme
was aesaled In column after column OF tho
yilest abuse, and that, too, In paper tho con-
troll OF whose columns, IL was sworn to In open
court, was exercised by man who was then
and Is now the occupant OF lucrative ONCE
under the same Government in whose inter.
ests had been summoned to appear as a wilt
ness.
Appeals 10 the Press.
At this period, when felt as though this
combination Of conspirators, composed as 1t
was OF the Grand Jury, tho defendants In court,
together with such other allies rs rumor as
signed being In sympathy with these robber
barons, were about TO crush me, bethought
OF appealing to that national Jury composed OF
the millions of freemen who In their honesty
could not be influenced. Through the medium
Of free and enlightened press I addressed
myself TO this Jury, which evidence being
weighed, has resulted In moral verdict OF
guilty against these men. am convinced that
but for the aid extended the cause OF Justice
by the press Of this country these conspirators
would have triumphed
/ have been Informed that you have OK.
pressed the opinion thnt my testimony given
before the traverse jury saved the prosecution
from defeat In case which special counsel
had selected as tho strongest, albeit wollin-
formed people never agreed therein with tho
sBid counsel Whetheror not rendered the Gov
eminent any service In these cases Is not for
me to say, but such aid as have contributed
has not been without great sacrifice to mo In
manyways. Because of my appearance rs n
witness against these men have boon Grim.
inally libeled in the District Of Columbia,
while under subpoena from Its judiciary, and
l have yet to see the first evidence that the
Government intended TO protect mo. l have
never witnessed such terrorism as was exer.
cised against witnesses In this case. l have
been informed by counsel that the persons
who have been engaged In libelling mo are
criminally liable, and yet, SIR, say TO you IN
all candor that am practically unable TO OBJ
tain the slightest legal redress In the Capital
OF the Republic.
Ali that have set forth In this communca-
tion and more has beon printed by the great
journals OF tho country touching the present
Grand Jury OF the District OF Columbia, and 1t
is In no spirit OF sentlmentallsm for myself
alone that beg Of you to take cognlzanco OF
the conspiracy which has been entered into
by this body. Some member or members OF
this Jury consplred to protect certain people
from indictment; this must certainly BIO obvi-
Gus to you. lit were really "a serious matter
TO indict Senator OF the United States" why
did they not so resolve and let IL go to the
world that the Senate OF tho United States was
an asylum for violators OF the law? II this Jury
feared trenching upon the divinity that In
their minds hedged In Senator, why not 80
proclaim 1t, and then the people of the country
would know and understand that there was a
body OF men In the Republic who were not
amenable to It's laws. Why endeayor to stamp
me with reproach, thus affording aid and com
fort to the enemies of the Government whose
interests they were sworn to protect.
No Personal Feeling.
In giving my testimony against these mon
was actuated by no feeling of hostility, and In
AZ q matter OF fact, with the exception OF one
or two Of the defendants, scarcely had any ac-
quaintance with them; indeed, some of them
had never seen until appeared as witness,
and such feeling as had was rather OF SYM
pathy than otherwise, for rs body regarded
them as petty offenders compared with those
who, having had recourse to precisely the same
methods OF plundering the Treasury OF tho
United States, had gone unscathed, or whose
gigantic frauds have since been referred to ar
bitration, as have read in the public prints.
Whatever OF prestige or material benent
that will rebound to the credit OF tho gentle
men engaged in this prosecution, none Ger.
tainly can ever reach me by any possibility. 1
am painfully aware that thus far 1 have
reaped naught save abuse and have been made
the object of n conspiracy by q body acting
under the forms of lava body supposed to
be engaged I'm conserving the interests OF Law
and order. That this Is fiction, however,
their acts have proved.
have endeavored to point out to YOU
wherein conceive that some member of mem
bers OF the present Grand Jury of the District
Of Columbia have violated the law and their
oaths, and now ask that you, for tho protec-
ton Of tho interests of the Government and for
the protection of Its witnesses, take such stops
as Will bring TO light the extent and ramiflca.
lions OF this conspiracy and prosecute offend.
ers rs the law directs. Yours respectfully,
], A, WALSH,