Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-08-16
THE, DFFAICATION


enough, however il has been brought about. or
whosoever may be the culpGt, but the question
assumes higher interest when come to con
Slder the operation of an act, which was Wanted
by It's friends 10 throw panoply around the pub
ic treasury, and to render defalcation almost a
moral lmpossbiliy. The opponents OF the scheme.
from the first, contendcd that il was mpraoticable
that it could not, would not be carried into exc
cntion, and, since the passage of the act have H.
nllormly maintained that ii was a solemn humbug.
and that IT'S provisions were habltually disrCg I'd
ed with the knowledge and consent of the Secre-
tarv of the Treasury We presume no diSpas
sonate man. with knowledge of the facts of the
late delalcation, will deny that all the restrictions
imposed by the act were disregarded. We are
not now enquring into the wisdom of these re-
strchons but into the fact Of their eniorcement-
Was The Sub-Tfeasury law, for a single moment
regarded IN the transactions between the Navy
Department and Mr.. DENLY, whether acting him
self, or by his recognized agent Mr.. OSborne?-
The answer must be in the negative. Who then
had the dispensing power? Was it competent for
the Secretary of the Navy to set aside The pro-
visions Of the law, or could he do So even hv the
consent and advice of the President and Cabinet?
We are aware that the Democratic doctrine and
practice of exalting the executive, at The expense
of the legislative, branch of the Government would
lead legitlmately 10 dispensing power in the
president. But, We ask, IS the party now pre-
pared to ayow. and Justify this power? Let the
reader regard the extracts from the act given bv
the Times, and say whether the law has been en- :
forced The Secretary Of the Navy could not have
advanced the public funds 10 Mr. DENLY. or his a.
gent, SIX months before they were expectcd~to be
IN place al Marseillcs without the full knowledge
that the said agent would, in the meantime, use
them Tor has private purposes Did the Secrc-
taTy believe that Mr. Osborne would lock up the
CON he received in his strong box and keep it there
lor SIX months' The Secretary directed the money
TO be paid in advance under circumstances which
rendered II almost "moral mpossibilif,' thai it
should not be used for five or six months. in haz-
ardous commercial specuations. So much for
the Secretary's agency. Mr.. Osborne, the agent
OF DENLY, avows that he paid interest for the use
OF the money. The law declares it a felony, in o
public iunctionary, TO lend the money entrusted
to his care, with or without interest This, with
out going further, establishes Mr.. Denby's guilt
Mr.. OSborne's relation to the act may be seen by
coupling the admissions his card with the ex-
tracts given from the nth section.
The deialealion then has two-fold aspect-Ist.
as showing the ineiliciency of the Sub-Treasury
act and the habitual disregard of its provisions;
and End. the progressive deprivation lthe pub
lie morals. The Washington Union defends the
conduct of DENLY and Osborne and denies that
either IS defaulter in an opproblous sense, and
sees no "impropriety' in the whole arrangement
through which the money was lost The Dem
ocratIc press is generally silent on the subject
We believe our neighbor, the Republican, has not
heard of the affair ye--or al any rate it does not
deem it worthy of passing notice. How true it
Is that familiarity with crime lessons our abhor-
renee OF It, We love an unhaclnied quotation
and give, therefore, in spite of their novelty, some
lines slngularly applicable 10 the Democratic par
ty.
Vice is m nster of such hijeous mien
That To be hated needs but 10 be seen,
Bot seen to oft, familiar with her face,
We list endure then pity, then embrace"
o,that has contemporary knowledge of the
facts, can ever forget the noise made, twenty
years SINCE, about defalcation discovered in the
accounts ofan Auditor who, upon grounds Of mere
party prescription and from no suspicion of his
delinquency, was made 10 surrender his Office to
Amos Kendall. There was thrill of virtuous
horror through every fibre of the Democratic
party. The Senior Editor of the Union. who
now sees no ''improprety'' in the DENLY affair.
wrote most patriotic and pathetic homes upon
the atrocity of using the public money for private
purposes. lie saw in this speedy discovery of
malverSation but the first indication of that awful
corruption, that profgate ofthe public money!
which he had been charging upon Mr. Adams ad-
minisraiion for four years. What astounding
disclosures were predicted What multitude
of defaulters were bodied forth in dread array
What hundreds OF thousands were presumed to
be lost to the treasury Gen. Jackson embodied
the vrtuous indignation of his party against plum
dering the treasury. He brought the strong arm
of the law and the influence of Government pat
ronage to bear against the unhappy offender
A man of high accomplishments, talents, and, till
then, of uns poted character, Dr. Watkins, was
imprisoned, and, after what was considered any
thing but fair trial, he was found guilty of hav-
ing used public money, for his own purposes to
the extent OF three or four thousand dollars lie
was in the absence of the Sub-Treasury law con-
tinued in prison. The old Roman swore that he
should rot there and the sentiment was applaud
ed to the echo by his party. Dr. Watkins did
pass years in prison We forget now how he was fl
nallv released. Declarations were not discovered
as had been anticipated With the natural dis
position TO make the victims of party proscrp
ton cuprs and thereby justify their removal, one
or two other Clerks were accused of embezze-
meut. But jury acquitted them,and, in the case
of Mr., Fllebrown, gave a verdict against the gov.
eminent fer a considerable amount. Then fol-
lowed the case OF Lieutenant Randolph, who as
acting purser of frigate, became a defauler.-
After Court of Enquiry had reported the facts,
he was dismissed by General Ordes couched
in terms of insulting bitterness, for which the SAID
Lieutenant took satisfaction, by pulling the nose
of HIM whose signature. it bore.
Time rolled on Cen Jackson filed all the