The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-24
others At Republican Headquarters q
large number of local politicians compared
notes and talked the situation over.
AN INFAMOUS FORGERY.


Such IL the View of Depew and Gorham Con-
cerning the Grnnr-Conkiing Letter.
NEW YORK, MAY 23.-Chauncy NJ. De-
pew. in an interview in regard to the al
legged letter from General Grant to Senator
ConklIng. which was made public in CO.
lumbus. o.. last Saturday. said: 1T is an
infamous forgery; there is no donbt of it
In my mind. and it il put forth at this
time for the sole purpose of injuring Pres:
dent Harrison's chance OF denomination
what will be the effect OF the letter.
Mr.. Depew WAS asked.
1T will act as q boomerang. 1t will IN
jure the men who inspired it. 1t is most
audacious forgery aud most ingenious
one. l do not recall one that was Its c0un-
ter"
What will the effect of the letter bei'
1T will utterly fail of its purpose, be-
cause its spuriousness IS SO palpabie. 1t.
OF course, attempts to show that Mr.. Conk-
ling sacrificed Grant against his wishes for
his own advantage and his ends of personal
revenge. Now any one who knew Roscoe
Conkling and was familiar with events at
that time knows that that was not true.
Mr.. Conkling and | were not particularly
good friends during the latter years of his
life. but know that he did not act as that
letter would Indicate"
DO you know ything of your own
knowledge which would show the letter to
be a forgery7n
'Yes. | had talk to-day with q man
who arranged Mr. Conkling's entire corre-
spOndence after his death. and that letter
was not among it. L cannot imagine who
inspired the forgery. l would like to SEQ
it run down. IL 9enuine-which do not
for an instant beIieve-it is an important
thing; If not it is equally interesting as q
fraud."
George e. Gorham. in q letter to the Sun,
i'll In Anr
Will concede that the pretended letter bears
on its face unmistakable evidence of being
bogus. | will n OF call it counterfeit. be-
cauae 1t bears not the slightest resem blance
to anything ever written by General Grant.
tie never spoke or wrote In any such strain
about his services. He never had the i'll
manners TO thrust himself into Mr.. Conk-
ling's personal affairs. or those of any body
else: Ii is within my own knowieRe that
he himself was exceedingly unfriendly to
Mr.. Blaine In 1880.
81 have. however a better reason for my
own opinion. OF my knowledge of the rela-
tion betwee- the men. for saying that
% hi
word. He assured me. after the meeting
Of the national convention of 1889,
that he had not received q. line
from General Grant on the subiect
since his arrival in this country from his
trio around the world that year. nor had
he received from him any verbal communi-
cation on the subject He assured me that
he never had any intimation from him
whether the contest going on in his behalf
was pleasing to him or distasteful. know
that did not misunderstood him and /,
therefore, assert that the pretended letter
is q very silly hoax, very poorly contrived.
If its object Is to affect the mind of any
Republican upon the approaching nonina-
ton. have only to say that no man has
been named as a possible candidate who
would have permitted so clumsy an impo-
sition upon the public to have been at
tempted had he been consulted in the mat
tern