“It was arranged that Gen. Grant should accompany a party one beautiful evening in the middle of June, who were going to attend the great Peace Jubilee of Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore in Boston. Jim Fisk did the executive work in the arrangement. There was a fine champagne supper on board the Boston boat and several gentlemen were present who were thoroughly conversant with financial question’s and could talk glibly on the state of the country. Mr. Gould said, in his testimony: ‘I took the ground that the government ought to let go of the loan and let it find its commercial level; that in fact it ought to facilitate an upward movement in gold in the fall.’ “This reference to ‘its commercial level’ is rich, coming from the head center of the plotters who wanted to put the article up to 200. “About the time the above events were transpiring, the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. H. H. VanDyck, resigned his office in this city. Mr. Gould’s chief ambition was to name his successor in order that he might be able to control the treasury when the time to get a corner in gold should be ripe. Mr. Abel R. Corbin came in quite handy at this juncture to help to further the designs of Mr. Gould. He was a man of fair education and considerable experience both in business and politics. He had been a lobbyist in Washington for some years. He was well informed on financial matters, a pretty good writer, and could talk like a book. His wife was a sister of Mrs. Grant and he had good opportunities for reaching the presidential ear, which he employed to the best advantage. “A gentleman named Robert B. Catherwood, who was married to a step-daughter of Mr. Corbin, was approached by Gould and Corbin on the subject of the Assistant Treasurership. They were anxious that Mr. Catherwood should take the office and told him that he would make a great deal of money in a perfectly legitimate manner if he were once installed. “So Mr. Catherwood stated in his testimony before the investigating committee, but he adds: ‘My ideas differed from theirs in what constituted a legitimate manner and I declined the office.’ “The office then sought another man in the person of Gen. Daniel Butterfield. He received the intimation of his appointment in a very different spirit from Mr. Catherwood, showing that he was fully equal to the occasion. He wrote a letter to Mr. Corbin, thanking him kindly for the offer, saying that he was under numerous obligations to him, and expressing a hope that he would be eminently successful in his undertaking. Gen. Butterfield received his commission in due course. “Corbin talked with Grant until he received a positive assurance that Boutwell was not to sell any more gold. At a meeting in Grant’s house, where Gould and Corbin were present, the President said: ‘Boutwell gave an order to sell gold, and I heard of it and countermanded the order.’