The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-08-15
PRITHEE, WHY SO MUTE y"
The SI55, 900 Mystery.

We have looked with solicitude in the
Journals of the Opposition for some fur
Their developments in the DENBY case.
We have been assured that the facts for
full history of the affair were in the city of
Washington, and were to be had without
any thanks to the departments. We have
been promised that they should be forth
coming. We have not seen them. Nor
have we seen the defence that we an
ticipated of Mr.. WALKER and Mr.. Ma
SON. Do both these gentlemen throw
themselves, in the want of better refuge,
upon :" the sanctity of private life %
When we made the first announcement
of Mr. DENBY's defalcation, the Union
came at once to the rescue, and ayowed
that there was nothing in the transaction
to touch the integrity of N. DENNY, with
whom the senior editor was acquainted.
AT the same time, with an expression of
very proper horror Of all !" dishonest"
defaulters, the senior editor threw out an
oracular intimation that matters were in
progress to show that the affair was all
right, in the following words We pre-
sumo these statements wiU be noticed more
properly from other quarters" So we
thought at the time. We have now waited
quite fortnight, and there has not been a
scintiAa of notice from any other quarter
than Mr.. OSBORNE himself, who merely
confirms all the essential particulars of the
prior statements. Mr.. OSBORNE indeed
stated, we believe, that he was response
BILE for only about one hundred and twenty
FIVE or thirty thousand dollars Of the
amount, and that he knew nothing Of the
balance.
Were these I" the quarters to which
the Union alluded Did the Union mean
that this charge would be more properly
noticed by Mr.. OSBORNE, than by any
other outsider ~ Mr.. OSBORNE was
not the temporary navy agent at Mar
settles. Mr.. OSBORNE was not an officer
of the Government of the United States.
Mr.. OSBORNE was only member Of an
insolvent commercial house that had ex-
ploded at Richmond year or SO since.
There was no peculiar propriety, therefore,
in Mr.. OsBoRNE's taking any notice of
this affair.
To whom, then, was the allusion' OBJ
viously to the members of the late Cabi
net. The reference was to Mr.. Secretary
WALKER, and to Mr.. Secretary Mason.
The Union intended to say, no doubt, that
these gentlemen would more properly than
any others take notice of the current allie
cations. They could best explain in what
manner, under the Sub-treasury law,
which was expressly passed to withdraw
the public money from private use, so
large an amount of Government funds
found its way into the hands of CONNER
cial house, to be employed in commercial
speculations. This was the mystery to
be explained. The author of the Sub
treasury law and the Secretary Of the
Navy, who appointed Mr.. DENNY, were
the proper, the only proper persons to ex-
plain it. The Union, therefore, was right
in intimating that there was reason to look
for satisfactory explanation to these "more
proper quarters"
But the Union has failed to draw out
either of these gentlemen. They both
stand mute. Wherefore' Do they give
up the gamer Do they confess themselves
guilty of a violation of the law so gross as
to implicate them, even in its severest
penaltiesl
But the Union has made still more
specific call upon Mr.. MASON 1t is now
week since il announced that "the Sec
rotary Of the Navy is absent from Rich
mond." AT the same time it said-"The
90 materials of this whole transaction are
now in Washington, and we have to ask
90 no favor from the department in obtain.
ing a sketch Of it. We shall wait day
" or two before we state the details. Our
correspondent further says that he will,
60 as soon as time is afforded him, give
(us) fuller statement on this subject. >"
But nothing further have we yet heard
from the correspondent of the senior edi-
tor. The "day or two" have become
eight days, and yet we have no further
details--though the details were all in
Washington, and we're TO be had without
thanks to the Navy Department Nothing
further from the organ-nothing from its
correspondent-nothing from Mr.. WALK
ER-nothing from the ex-Secretary of the
Navy. This matter still remains "shroud-
ed in mystery" All we know is that the
United States strong box is mysteriously
minus Sl55,OOO; and that the law de-
nounces severe penalties against all the
parties who had the handling of the money,
GIN WHATEVER CAPACITY" for its loss.
Il