The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1884-08-14
MULLIGAN'S LETT ERS.


| lSlteFs lIOHi us constituency ASKING
for the publication of the facts with
reference to Mr.. Blaine and the Mul-
llgan letters, those famous documents
So otten3ively connected with Mr..
Blaine's official career. The Herald
has no desire to enter upon the work
OF mud throwing nor does it end by
referring to the subject of the Multi.
gan letters or the circumstances OF
the Mulligan episode to the injury OF
MIR. Blaine's reputation. In defer
ence, however, to its readers who are
asking for Interrogation as to the mean
ing Of the Mulligan scandal it con-
sents to publish the history of the
affair, stating nothing but facts and
leaving the reader to form his own
judgement as to their hearing.
As is well known the Democratic
House of Representatives in lS75-76
entered upon Il wholesale investiga-
ton of the various departments of the
government and the official acts of
many Republican leaders. One Of
the subjects chosen was the relations
of certain railway corporations with
the Departments, especially of charg-
es formally made that prominent Re
publican leaders in Congress had
corruptly profted by their connection
with these corporations. Mr.. Blaine
was one Of those so charged, and the
origin Of the allegation was with rival
Republicans, chiefly Morton, of In
diana. A committee Of the House
began an investigation. 1t was es-
peeially charged against Mr., Blaine
that in the spring Of 1859 bill was
before the House of Representatives
which sought to renew land grant
TO the Little Rock & Fort Smith rail
road, of Arkansas, in which some of
Mr.. Blaine's friends were interested;
that an attempt to defeat it by amend
ment was on the point of being
successful, and its promoters were in
despair; that at this juncture, Mr.
Blai e, being then Speaker of the
Hou e, sent message to General
Log d. to make the point Of order
that the amendment was not germane
to the purpose of the bill; that this
point OF order was accordingly raised
and promptly sustained by Mr,Blaine
as Speaker, and the bill was in this
manner saved that Mr.. Blaine wrote
at once to the promoters, calling at
tention to the service he had render
ed them, and finally, after some ne
gotiations, secured from them as
reward for it, his appointment as sell
ing agent Of the bonds Of the road
ON commission, in Maine, and receiv-
ed a number of such bonds as his
percentage.
This charge was predicated upon
two letters written by Mr.. Blaine to
Warren Fisher, Of Boston, who, with
Mr.. Caldwell, was one Of the pro-
prietors Of the Little RocF & Fort
Smith Railroad, dated re pectiveIy
June 30 and October 1, l : 50, which
letters came into the ha, d of the
committee. They were as follows:
AUGUSTA, June 20, IS69.-My
Dear Mr. Fisher. l thank you for
your article from Mr.. Lewis. 1t is
good in itself and will do good. He
writes like man of large intelligence
and comprehension. Your offer to
admit me to participation in the
new railroad enterprise is in every
respect as generous asI could expect
Or desire. J thank you very sincerely
for it, and in this connection ! wish
to make a suggestion of a somewhat
selfish character. 1t is this: You
spoke of Mr.. Caldwell's offer to dis.
pose Of a share of his interest to me.
If he really desires to do so | wish he
would make the proposition definite,
50 that | could know just what to de-
pend upon. Perhaps if he waits till
the full development Of the enterprise
he may grow reluctant to part with
the share, and | do not by this mean
any distrust of him | do not feel
that shall prove deadhead in the
enterprise if | once embark in it. |
see various channels in which | know
| can be useful.
Very Hastily and sincerely your friend.
JAMES G.. BLAINE,
MIR Fisher, India Street, Boston"
AUGUSTA, Me, Oct 4, 1869.
Ny DEAR SIR--I spoke to you a
short time ago about point of inter
est to your railroad company that oc
cured at the last session Of Congress.
1t was on the Iast night of the ses-
sion, when the bill renewing the land
grant to the State of Arkansas for
the Little Rock road was reached, by
Julian, of Indiana, chairman of public
lands committee, and by right onti
tied to the floor, attempting to put
in the bill as an amendment to the
Fremont El Paso scheme-a scheme
probably we'll known to MI. Caldwell.
The House was thin and the lobby
in the Fremont interest had the mat
ter all set up, and Jplian's amend
ment was likely to prevail if brought
to vote. Root and the members
from Arkansas, who were doiug their
best for their own bill, to which there
seemed to be no objection, were in
despair, for it was we'll known that the
Senate was hostile to the Fremont
scheme, and if the Arkansas bill had
gone back to the Senate with Julian's
amendment the whole thing would
have gone on the table and Slept the
sleep of death. In this dilemma Root
came to me to know what ON earsh
he could do under the rules, for he
said it was vital to his constituents
that the bill should pass. | told him
that Juhan's amendment was entirely
out of order because not germane.
But he had not sufficient confidence In
his knowledge of the rules to make
the point, but he said that General