The Evening critic., 1883-06-12
TO DESTROY DORSEY

loNi ~. Va Juue lUi 1885,.
The star-Route trial which has substantially
occupied twelve continuous months In the su.
preme Court of this District, is now closed so
far as the evidence and arguments are con.
cerned. All that remains to be done is the
charge OF the Judge and the verdict OF the
Jury.
This trial is beyond question the most i'm.
portant, or, at least, the longest In tho records
OF Jurisprudence shown In any criminal case.
say "criminal case" for the reason that the
charge upon which the defendants are being
tried is said to be crime. 1t Is not important
on account OF the Issues being tried, for the
reason that there are no BONA ,fde issues. Its
imp9rtanee grows out Of the fact that an ad.
mlnistration all.powertul, reaching and touch
ing every possible avenue, governing tho Ia.
terest OF every individual in this District, has
staked Its reputation upon the issue.
On the other hand we have citizens who have
no onces to give, no honors to confer, no
power to punish, but who are Just strong
istration feel the diGlculties in the way of
getting verdicts without evidence 1t is a
contest, as between the power of a great
OF the people pouring out Its money like
dividuals.
What then shall the citizen do In tho pres
ence OF, and under the control OF, a Govern
ment administered by men who are controlled
by a desire for revenge and selt-preserva-
tion
have made these preliminary remarks for
the reason that think every one has the
TlBnt 10 express MS sentiments.
viii now give brief history of this case as
1t appears TO me. full history would cover
thousand pages.
From the outset OF this great trial I have
made myself familiar with all the proceed.
iDgs as they have occurred from day to day, 1
think understand the testimony as we'll as
either Judge &C. or ANY any juror who Will hayeto
addition to this, think know the origin OF
this prosecution.
believe know why S. W. Dorsey was Sc.
no
burnt Offering by this Administration; why an
endeavor has been made to present him as a
"scapegoat" for Its sins. We have seen with
personal eyes and know OF personal knowl-
edge the causes which led to the assault upon
Dorsey-an assault unexampled In malice,
viciousness and ingratitude.
The causes to which have alluded began
with the formation of Garneld's Cabinet. The
published letters of Garfield to Dorsey and of
OF Wayne Macyeagh and Thomas l.. James as
members OF his Cabinet, threw bright light
on the animus of these two Cabinet officers
when they came into power. Garfield asked
Dorsey's advice as q wise and prudent man
would do, I'm making up his Cabinet, and inti-
mated his desire to appoint Macveagh and
James. Dorsey replied, In language that
could not be misunderstood, protesting, in the
name OF the Republicans of the country,
against these appointments, and with pro-
phetic tmpressiveness said that 'If you ap.
your political cof1in."
Dorsey was wise in his generation, and IL
turned out that because Garfield failed to fol.
low the advice OF a true friend the CONN was
real, not ideal, and a nation mourned ruler,
while party mourned its misfortune,
But with the fatality which follows inde
cision Garfield made the appointments. He
thought he was doing right; believed that
sentiment instead OF sense was the governing
power of the country. he was mistaken, De-.
Ing man OF sentiment who would open up
his heart to those whom he believed to be
10 show Macveagh and James the infiuences
he had to combat to call them to the Cabinet,
he submitted, as boy would show his new
Dali, the entire Dorsey correspondence.
Before MacYeagh was warm in his chair, a
conflict arose between him and Mr.. Blaine
over the appointment of VIM. E. Chandler to
ment was one of the most important the PresI.
dent had to make. Mr.. Macveagh, a Cabinet
oflcer, assumed the responsibility of devotlng
prevent Mr.. Chambers confirmation. Not
only that, being Civil Service reformer, he
made promises to many Democratic Senators
to the effect that II they would vote against
Chandler's confirmation, he would make such
appointments In their States as they desired.
ofthis there are uncontrovertible proofs.
The contest between Blaine and Macyeach
was bitter, and for weeks It did not seem pos.
sible that both Blaine and Macyeagh could SIT
around the same Cabinet table.
Dorsey was strongly for Chandler, and at the
request OF friends came here to urge General
Garfield to remove MacVeagh and place Mr.
Chandler in his stead. Mr.. MacVeagh had
been guilty OF an act mover before charged
against Cabinet oflicer, namely, that he had
lobbied in the Senate to defeat the confirma-
tion Of one of the appointees OF the Presi.
dent, and had made promises Of oflicial
patronage to the opposition Senators to bring
about this result.
confirmation OF Mr.. Chandler, and this aroused
the flames OF Mr.. MacVeagh's wrath anew,
Dorsey appeared to be powerful with Garfield.
He was constantly seen about the White
House, in the private library OF the President,
and ON more than one occasion Mr.. MacVeagh
was compelled to walt outside until the Presi.
n N nd Nnlt ,dAN Nl,Al.
ence. With all that had happened heretofore
and in the presence Of what he saw was hap.
pening every day, Macyeagh became more
than indignant-he was venomous. He came to
believe that Dorsey was welding greater
power oyer the President than he was, or than
Aman conscious of his own infamy-a low
mana detective, whose capacities only reach
ed to the discovery of the Nth under finger
natls-who never had an idea above himself
was lust the man to be suspicious OF Garfield,
and to try to put upon Garnold's friends and
upon those to whom he thought Garli eid
listened, damning mark.
He tried 1t. By virtue OF his power and his
pretensions he had partly succeeded, not with
GARFIELD, but with the maudlin public senti.
ment which he had created.
Mr.. Macveagh said the chances were that he
would go to the ground between Blaine and
Dorsey. He couldn't attack Blaine, because
that would be certain political death, He
could attack Dorsey because he held no oflice,
and had no power but what his intellect gave
HIM. Garfield and Dorsey were Intimate per-
was negative and that Dorsey was positive, He
felt certain that unless he could break up the
relations between them he himself would
have to go down in disgrace. Guiteau helped
MacVeagh.
MacVeagh. with this venom In his heart,
and James, the imbecile and sycophant be.
lfeved that II was necessary to destroy Dorsey
who held no office, and would have none, In
order that they might maintain the positions
to which Garfield had appointed them against
means must be found to cripple Dorsey In the
public mind, so that Garfield would be forced
10 disregard the advice and discourage the in
timacy that had heretofore existed between
them.
Seeking that end they caught upon an old
Congressional Investigation charging Dorsey
with being interested in mall contracts. These
charges were made In the New York Sun by
Mr. gibson, the same person who had stated
every day for ten years In the same paper that
1urer.
Mr.. Macveagh found In Gibson an exceed
ingly useful ally; Gibson had been getting up
charges against the officers OF the Postofflce
Department, the Interior Department and the
Treasury Department for the use or Mr.. Tllden,
whose devoted friend he was and is. He was
a bitter and remorseless Democrat, and was
nlling himself with Information TO be used In
behalf OF the Democratic party. MacYeagh
took Gibson to say what the Democrats wanted
to have said. Jewell, Jealous OF Dorsey, put In
the Postonice Department one Woodward so
that the papers relating to all Postohice routes
could be arranged to the best advantage and
hid or shown as occasion might require.
Gibson and Woodward were Immediately
directed by MacVeagh TO turn the entire force
OF special agents to the Investigation of Dor
sey. They were not only called upon to look
into mail routes and mail contracts, but they
were required to look into his business
relations, the frieRds with whom he asso-
Ia ma mi Ul.aNaa Iaas a.1., N.A