Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-12-02
DORsEY's PLEA.
The Eminent Star Reuter- In HIS
Own Defense.
He Proceeds to Make Some Serious Charges
Against James Maeveagh for Their
Treatment Of Him GHfeId's Con-
nection With the Case.
Ex.sECRETARY seff's CONFIDENCE.


he says: During year and half OF con-
slant and persistent abuse Of me, have
carefully refrained from saying . word in
my own defence. The charges made against
me were of such character as I thought
best to submit each and everyone Of them
to judicial test that the public might
know their truth or falsity. When these
charges were frat made, in March, 1881, 1
came to this city and laid aisthe facts be.
fore the Rresident, Gen. Garfield, and re.
quested him to investigate each and every
charge MacVeagh and James had cansed
to be spread abroad / told him would
not have council 10 appear, and that
sion and abide by any decisiop arrived at
Thereupon GarfleldHrote mandatory let.
ter to Mr.. James, directing him 10
select such commission with direction
to make the mos. reaehing investigation.
Thursday James expressed his approval ef
the course of the President, and appointed
day for the investigation. Frcm time to
time this was put off. 1t came eb last and
went to. the department in company
with Col. IugersoH, my counsel.
Col. IngersoN and waited at the de-
partment for several hours, and final
made their appearance. MacVeaeA
seemed to speak for himself, aad all the
rest of the Government He said they
had determined not to allow me- to have
the investigation published against me in
the newspapers Col. lngersoll asked him
why such investigation should not be
given, and he asked MaGVeagh what rea-
sons could be given for this.
MacVeagh replied by saying that there
were many reasons, that he knew, and 80
far the records of the Government in all
departments, showed that nothing what
eveY of wrong doing could be shown against
S. w. Dorsey, and that reason alone was
sufficient.
Iwrote ont and gave lhe President for
the use of MacVeagh every fact within my
knowledge as 20 the Star Route mail con-
tracts in which ! was in any way con-
cerned.
This statement was Rad to the then
Vice President, General Arthur, and
to Senator Conkling by George C..
Gorham, and to President Gar
field by r. G. Ingersoll, and left with him.
will not repeat the opinion expressed by
President Garfield in regard to this state.
ment. or strong language he used in de.
they called the prosecution" MacVeagh's
pledge to. Ingersoll that the statement
made by me should be seen only by
the President and Cabinet, was q
professional pledge OF one lawyer
te. another and the honor OF high official
10 citizen, and he violated both with
characteristic bad faith within few hours.
challenge the Attorney General as .
person who is the real Attorney General
and master in that Office to give this state
ment of mine to the public or show that
any evidence given on the trial has contro'
Verted or disproved one single word in it.
l took charge of these routes April 9th
and continued in charge Of them about one
month. During this period wherever ]
thought il was proper and the public wants
demanded it, tried to get routes Increased
by all proper and lawful means. as every
pludent contractors did under similar cir
cumsiances, and did in that way get somc
increases on four or FIVE small routes. In
June, 10, / turned this whole mail
business to other hands. From that
day to this l never had anything
more to do with it than the President OF
the United States had. From that time |
never have written or read any letter from
Gen. Brady or any other official OF the Fost
Office Department. To show my apprecia-
ton Of the value Of these contracts gave
one-half of the interest in them to the per-
son who took charge of them for his SER
vices, and up to this moment have never
received one single penny OF profit from
any of these contracts.
AS to the conspiracy charge, 1t IS sum
cient to say my acquaintance with Cen:
Brady was limited to Official relations, and
never saw him anywhere until the COM
mencement of this case except in bis Of
flee at the postofiice department, and there
never was personal, letter or communlca'
tien Of any kind passed between us. Vale
never saw but two or three times in my
life before the trial, the last time being April
20. Miner, ] had not seen since April,
'79, until the trial. Col. Peck is long since
dead, and ]. w. Dorsey went out OF the
mail business in August, 70. ! had not
seen nor had communication with any oil
these men for nearly three years. The
card here recapitulates the points made in
the above statement and proceeds:
The Attorney General Of the United
States, who has condescended to engage in
this trial personally, chiefly, it seemed
from his speech, to heap abuse upon me.
He wrote letter few days since TO the
President made up OF denunciations and
epithets and slander and malice and impo'
dence in about equal parts. Brewster has
thus dragged the robes of his great office
into the filth and slime OF
debauchery so many times that u
is to be expected person guilty OF such
autrocious acts OF immortality would be
guilty OF equally infamous acts in the ad'
ministration of the office he holds and dis
honors. He occupies quasi judicial posi-,
tion, but in advance OF trial and in Official
communication to his chief, in Language
,Lot
shyster, this Attorney General OF the
United States, denounces the defend
ants in the Star Route cases a.
"banded robbers" great rascais,
thieves" etc. The Prosecuting officers
Attorney. General and the President OF the
United States know just as we'll as know
that nv statement given above Is absolute
ly and unaualifiedly tue in every respect
Each one of these men knows as well as ]
know that never made cent out oil the
Star Route contracts. Each one oil them
knows as do that / no more conspired
against the Government OF the United
States than they have.
Notwithstanding this knowledge, which
| reports show and from which there Is nc
escape, these people are daily sending ou,
| to the country, through the press, the mos
monstrous falsehoods ever uttered by man
| until the people have come to believe thai
| am the head Of q great ring which ha'
| been robbing the Government OF millions
of dollars. / will pay one thousand dol
lars for every dollar the prosecution ear
show ever made out Of the treasury o
the United States, excepting my salary a
Senator. Ny opinion Is that the remoya
| of Anger and Parker was simply q decoy
the real object being the removal Of tb,
Marshal that some one might be procuret
l who would really do for the Goyernmen
hss Marshal Henry sas charged wig "a
W. W. %, he. In ether words, the remoya
,ng a 10, .d.F m order that the selection Of tht
nsIt nsT % ;nrv @cahs be absolutely unde
the control Of Be. persecution, That Is Z
saw packed" That any al sll the fact
which / have stated a.. 70 my connection
with the Star Mail Service, WIN muct
greater detail were placed m the harirs o.
the President and given 10 ehe Attorney.
General in 1851. They have never been
disputed aud they never will be, but still
the work Of falsehood and defamation will
go on to gforffy the men in power BY
crushing tsose Who placed them there.
STEPHEN W. DORSEY.
Gohf's Conndeaee.
WASHINGTON, December 1.-Ek-6eeretary
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