was now past sixty years of age), Greeley returned to his home in Chappaqua, New York, to attend at the deathbed of his beloved wife. Before he could rally from this blow, the election came on and he was defeated by a tremendous majority. He carried only six States, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, all in the South. Grant's total vote was 3,597,070; Greeley's was 2,834,079. Crushed by grief and disappointment, Greeley's mind gave way, and he relapsed into a pitiable condition from which he never emerged; he breathed his last on the 29th day of November, just as the disorder and confusion of the campaign were being followed by the triumphal processions of the victors.

Death of Horace Greeley.

Whatever may have been the weaknesses and foibles of Horace Greeley, he was sincerely beloved and respected by the people for his purity of character, impeccable honesty, and sincere sympathy with the weak and distressed. His proudest boast might have been that he was indeed one of the Tribunes of the People. His pen was ever ready in the defence of those who had no helper, and his open generosity made and kept him comparatively poor where other men would have amassed wealth. His tragical death, which was caused by the monumental blunder of his life, deeply touched the hearts of his fellow countrymen. It was lamented that the trenchant pen was laid down forever, and that the heart of the noble philanthropist had ceased to throb. Derision and triumph were alike forgotten by his late opponents; and at his funeral, which was attended by many of the foremost citizens of the Republic, General Grant appeared, a sincere mourner.

During the political campaign of 1872, great excitement followed the exposure of the so-called Credit Mobilier speculations. In the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad, it was found expedient to organize a corporation of contractors to do the work. Large profits were expected from the operations of the company, which was named "The Credit Mobilier of America." During the years 1867 and 1868, the chief promoter of this enterprise, Mr. Oakes Ames, a rich manufacturer and a Representative in Congress from Massachusetts, sold many shares of the stock to members of Congress. As the fortunes of the company might be affected by the action of Congress (although this was denied), the holding of stock by men whose votes might determine this action was naturally regarded as improper, to say the least. The fact that Ames did not demand cash payments for the stock so disposed of, but allowed the payments to be deferred until the earnings of the company should bring generous dividends to the shareholders, was cited as evidence that this was practically a gift

The Credit

exposures.

had placed it" where it would do the most good." The House Committee, after a long and patient examination, exculpated all the men who had been involved in the charges of corrup- Mobilier tion, but recommended that the stigma of "absolute condemnation" be fixed upon James Brooks, of New York, a member of the House and a Government Director of the Union Pacific Railroad, and upon Oakes Ames; the former was thus censured for "the use of his position to procure the assignment of Credit Mobilier stock;" and Ames's offence was declared to be that of "seeking to procure Congressional attention to the affairs" of his corporation.

The investigation blighted many reputations of men who had before that time stood high in public esteem. While the inquiry was in progress, popular interest was kept on the alert to see which of the prominent men in Congress would next fall before the deadly influence of the famous "little memorandum book" from which Mr. Ames refreshed his memory while under examination. The very name of his corporation became a by word and a hissing; and it sufficed to ruin any public man's fair fame to say truly of him that he was "a Credit Mobilier statesman." On the other hand, the divulging of facts which showed the enormous profits of this peculiar enterprise greatly whetted the popular appetite for speculation and to a considerable extent demoralized the people. Oakes Ames's defence was able and manly. But he betrayed a lack of delicacy in regard to the proprieties of public life which, while it was not inconsistent with absolute honesty of purpose, went far to justify much that was alleged of him. He suffered deeply under the storm of obloquy with which he was unfairly whelmed; he died in May, 1873, while the echoes of the scandal had hardly yet subsided.

MORE CABINET CHANGES.-PUBLIC SCANDALS MULTIPLIED. - FRAUDS OF THE WHIS KEY RING.-DOWNFALL OF SECRETARY BELKNAP.- RENEWED BLOODY INDIAN TROUBLES.-DEATH OF CUSTER AND MURDER OF CANBY.-THIRD PRESIDENTIAL TERM DISCUSSED. - POLITICAL DISORDERS IN THE SOUTH. A REVOLUTION IN LOUISIANA. THE NOMINATION OF HAYES AND WHEELER, TILDEN AND HENDRICKS. -A CONTESTED ELECTION. - THE CIPHER DISPATCHES. - AN ELECTORAL COMMISSION TO DECIDE THE CONTEST. HAYES DECLARED ELECTED. THE CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION OF 1876.

THE second term of President Grant, it must be admitted, justified to some extent the evil prophecies of those who believed that the general's easy good-nature and his unacquaintance with civil affairs would open the gates to doubtful schemes and schemers. As time wore on, many of the rumors of alleged hidden scandals and official corruption were dispelled, but serious and unhappy disclosures did subsequently shock the people. Changes in the cabinet of President Grant also served to unsettle popular confidence in the Administration and occasion much uneasiness as to the causes which underlay these goings and comings of the President's advisers. Postmaster-general Creswell resigned in June, 1874, and was succeeded by Marshall Jewell, of Connecticut. Mr. Jewell resigned his place in July, 1876, and James N. Tyner, of Indiana, took his place. William A. Richardson resigned the Treasury portfolio in June, 1874, and was succeeded by

1874.]

THE WHISKEY RING.

439

service.

Benjamin H. Bristow, of Kentucky, who retired from office in June, 1876, and Lot M. Morrill, of Maine, took up the Treasury portfolio. In May of the same year, Alphonso Taft, of Ohio, who had for a time held the office of Secretary of War, taking the place of W. W. Belknap, who had retired in disgrace, was transferred to the office of Attorney-general, and J. Donald Cameron, of Pennsylvania, became the head of the War Department; the office of Attorney-general had become vacant by the appointment of the incumbent, Edwards Pierrepont, of New York, to be Minister to England. These changes created a vast amount of political gossip as they were announced from time to time; and some of them were directly related to the public scandals of the day. Postmaster-general Jewell made a vigorous fight to clear the postal service of the corruption that had crept into nearly all its branches. In fighting the pernicious system of "straw bids," by means of which the Government had been shamefully cheated, Mr. Jewell incurred the animosity of a horde of dis- Cleansing honest speculators and politicians who denounced him for the the public "bad politics" that characterized his official methods. Secretary Bristow, as soon as he became familiar with the interior workings of the great and intricate machinery of the revenue service of the United States, began to institute reforms which brought confusion and dismay to the corrupt officials and peculators who infested that branch of the Government. One of the most notable of the reforms accomplished during his administration resulted in the uncovering of a conspiracy managed by men who composed the so-called "Whiskey Ring." These men chiefly operated in St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Evansville, Indiana; and by their manipulations The Whiskey they had managed to defraud the Government of at least Ring. $4,000,000 within two years. This was accomplished by various devices, usually with the connivance of corrupted subordinate officials of the Government, who were facile instruments in the hands of evil men. In the prosecution of these frauds, 24 distilleries and 37 rectifying houses were seized, and over 50 United States gaugers and storekeepers were arrested. One or two of the leading spirits in this widely ramifying conspiracy were able to invoke the protection of men who were very near to the President. When these suspicious circumstances reached General Grant's notice, he briefly expressed his determination to punish all offenders by the famous dictum to the prosecutors, "Let no guilty man escape." Nevertheless, Mr. Bristow finally found his place so uncomfortable that he withdrew from the cabinet.

But the most direct blow dealt at the integrity of Grant's administration during his second term of office was the impeachment of

Benjamin H. Bristow.

the Secretary of War, William W. Belknap, for high crimes and misdemeanors. The specific charge in this case was based upon the declaration of one Caleb P. Marsh, a contractor, February, 1876, to the effect that Belknap had offered to turn over to him the control of the post-tradership at Fort Sill, Indian Territory, in order that he, Marsh, should be able to extort from the post-trader the yearly sum of $12,000, thus "farming out" the contract for a certain consideration. The investigation that followed disclosed a chapter of damning facts. It appeared that the Secretary of War had been guilty of a variety of acts of doubtful honesty, and had actually received, directly or indirectly, at least $24,450 as tribute from persons who controlled the profitable post-traderships on the western frontier. The allegation that he had made $90,000 on contracts awarded by the Government for headstones provided for the graves of Union soldiers failed of being sustained. Proceedings against Beldownfall. knap were virtually stopped by his resignation from office and the President's unfortunately precipitate acceptance of that resignation. Articles of impeachment were preferred by the House of Representatives; but before they could be adopted and presented to the Senate, his resignation made him a private citizen of the United States, and on that ground his counsel argued that articles could not be entertained against him. Nevertheless, the trial proceeded, and Belknap was acquitted by a vote of 35 to 25, a two-third vote being necessary to convict. Most of the Senators who voted "not guilty declared that they did so on the question of jurisdiction. Belknap, by quickly putting his resignation into President Grant's hands, had escaped punishment.

Belknap's

During this period much bitter complaint was made of the mismanagement of the Indian service. As in other departments of the Government, the Indian bureau had its ring, or combination of traders, who defrauded alike the Government and its Indian wards. The rations and supplies ordered and paid for by the Government were of poor quality and of insufficient quantity. Contractors grew rich and the Indians were deprived of the sustenance due them under the treaties which they had made with the Government. Collisions with discontented, and hostile Indians were frequent; and although the