Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-07-09
pONIpIe s.NyHa
TO THE pURTIC


one whohas enjoyed the reputation aud gen
uenah, 10 have his presented 10 he public rou
Peu WIN lmputatisns upon his integrity and honor.
re cannot nm sufficient soace for this mi, fortune i'm
the consciousness OF innocence or even in the charac
Ter oil the individual from whom the ISLANDERS have
mated, however clear may be the former-hoyever d,
graded the latter When these calufnues are directed
towards an officer, whose honor md unslied reputation
are essentially connected with hs existence; upon
whom even suspicion, however groundless, iuncts IN
urine salnwien thev are publicly promulgated wi IN
all the sanctions that office afford the injury be-
comes donbiy severe, aud the wounds inflicted apos,
beyond The hope OF cure
Such IL the predcament in which have been re-
cehuy placed before my country, and before my bro
ther ohcers, by the report Of Amos Kendall the Fourth
Auditor OF the Treasury of the United States submit.
eu ny the honorable the Secretary of the Navy the
House OF Representatives, the 2Tth May, 1880.
however formidable may he the character of this ac
cusation; however elevated the official rank of nv ar
cuser.; however dignhed he tribunal before which
nave been arroigned, deep OF what | owe TO
the hauon to the service, and to myself compels me
TO The only course which il allowed me- of pleading not
guty 10 the charge; OF claiming, matter OF sheer
justice, that may not be condemned unhe ard; sud of
prohering myself ready aud anx ous TO encounter my
accusers and their proofs; nay even their dark sinua
"ohs anu groundless suspicious, before a tribunal
competent to investigate and decide upon my case
~ nave been guilty OF pecunary defilcatons or
u""'s 10 h"'i ihe extent with which am charged by
the hndhor, am unworthy Of the commission wi h
"hirh have been houored, ard deserve the n os g-
luminous ana severe punishment. IL guilty o
uue.Nhing phohc moneys in my hands, in violation Of
,'e Uust upon witch they We're lived, Justice TO
'he nation demands that should be compelled TO dis
gorge the spoil. If have connivei at Inc suppres
sion OF important documents; il have been guilty. f
prevaricaon and ialsehoo', il have underworld 10
sh my pecuniary responsibilities and lust debts uuon
me shoulders oil Others why is not the criminal pur-
sueu through The fundamentally OF the law and fore.
ed TO submit TO the requirements Justice? Yet with
all these charges officially promulg ated and soIrmnlv
preferred before the Legislature of my country the ac
euseu, although he knows them TO he false has 60 sl-
erhauVe, and no other means Of redress but TO AJAX
Tor judicial inquiry into his conduc.
IL must be obvious to all who have examined the ar
Susauon TO which have referred, that minute and
detailed exposition of the facts Of my case would be
unnecessarily tedious Dark surmises and foul insnuo
ons, wich may be made to mean any thing and every
ing "ouu demand clrcuman'ia narration AMI ful-
ness OIL proof which would arrantably extend this
snort address No exposition which not public and
IN the lace OF the accusation and tn, evidence unon
wch II rests can be entirely sasiactoy that can be
attained only in court Of Justice and to contest there
ihNie ana challenge those who have aught 10 saw 10
my charge. am not permitted 10 become the ac,ar
III such contest. | cannot bling tbs matter into
court. must wait the pleasure of the government
which cannot but be believed if it attacbes credit TO
the charge will furnish opportunity of bringing
20 an issue-o proving It's tru'h demonstrating its
Thus situated may he permitted further to observe
'n" considering the nature of he accusation and the
character OF The materials Of which il has ben
constructed The most obvious dictates of prudence re-
quire that should for such an invests atom
the evidence which possess When precise and dis-
unct allegations are made ard exhibited in form which
he
selected 10 pass upon them defniiveIy il will bs NV
upon the issue.
In the mean time cannot permit myself IN refcain
from noticing Of the assertions and comments of
the Auditor and making remarks upon the gene
raj Character Of the accusation.
IL appears from the documents which bs bas avh;b
tied, that about the April 1928 in conseouencs
Of the death Of Mr. I'm Is. Timberlake was appoint,
ed acng Puser OF the rgae Constitution then under
the commmani of Capt. Daniel Il Patterson In This
nff bafua
Boston and the discharge of her crew which latter e.
vent occurred in August, 1923. During this period
publIc propeTy and moneys were placed i'm nv hands
WIN which was charged, amounting to 8 lO5 800 80
every cent OF which has beenully accounted for in the
Once OF the Fourth Auditor and my accounts finally
closed and reported on the 9th October 1898 Mi
one new item of charge, so far a. am app,ised bas
been made against me the books of the Department
no ne advances have been made; no mistake or error
IN The accounts has been detected and rectifeJ ard
a defanlter " '"' ""'o''
lappears that Ills accusation grows out Of the SCI,
Uenent OF the accounts Of Mr.. Timber,ke no,of ms,
own. balance has been reported against Iin,. All
ior the ayowed object Of diminishing or de .troyo tbi
debt apparently due from him to the Government INV
character ls assailed, and fraudulent conduct arbuie
TO me he settlement OF Mr.. Timberdie's accounts
was made at the Department, by the officers of t,s
Government, without my knowledge or intervention;
aud on the 18th August 1929 balance ,vas rs,o,iI ~
gainst him Of $l7,2I O3 This amount was REDUCED
in the account reported on the IIh Sepembnr 70 tb
sum OF Sl4S73 80 Not having access TO the accounts
~" P"Pe'' ie'hS 10 mem, take dates and sums az
stated 10 the official report OF The Auditor.
Here must remark, that in this early slaoe NJ bi
report view Is given Of this matter by the Auditor
calculated TO lead TO The most Prropeous concl,sicns
lie states That con the 9th October Lieut. RAnlol,bs
account as acting Purser was closed and reported
while the previous accounts Of MIR Timbetl,ke re-
manned untouched" No intmation il givao IA A. H.
was any other account between the Government ana
Mr. iIhberldke than that which related TO the cruise o
the Constitution. ~ "
intact the language used by the 4h Auditor tbtou
o" - calculated to leave inpr that the entire
accounts which were investigated, and upon which the
were struck, related exclusively to that cruise
~ u, however, material 10 observe that Mr. Timber
l4ke had been the purser Of the figae President do.
Tlug the war: AMI in that capacity large balance an
peared against him. 10 be relieved from which he hal
been Tor years, and probably sufficient foniiabl.
grounds, soliciting The Government He had also been
the purser Of The Shark during a cruise in The We,
lndiss; and in the setten ent of that account sl,o
considerable balance appeared, against him Th. sec
ono amounting, az ! have been informed 10 a verv
considerable sum OF money, was transferred TO the ac
count growing out Of the cruise Of the Consliiution
373 50. '"''"'o VI 9'i'
The circumstances which induced The A,d;,or 10 ;o
10 this subject full nvestga ion he alleges IN he s,
confidence with which the family Of Mr. Ti,oLcrIsLo
asserted iat there must be or fraud i'm fe sc,
Element OF his accounts" What was the nature Of is
asseriion-whethert rested in the vague and Genera,
language in which il is thus stated or had any ep;C
alphabetically whom it was vonched 10 whom 4, w.
auhrcssed and when uttered IL has not been deemed ne
cessary 10 communicate, although il is Obvious that hcsc
circumstance might hayc proved important and material
~ would he indeed somewhat singular fIat Mr. Tim,
DeHIsc' VINO h'd bcen purscr Of 80 large vessel az
the Constitution, from the 18th june 1901 nnG al
"a, IS2Ssshoud not realize handsome proG, , e.
cruise But IL must he remembered that fbe set,Ionot
OF bs accounts with the treasury furnishes no certain