Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1854-08-30
supERfSTEvDASrEo OF THE NATIONAL
AKM0RiIs.

At late session Of Congress resolution
was passed by the House Of Representatives
reauiripg the Secretary Of War To furnish
certain information and papers 10 reference
10 application by the commissioners who IN
vestigated the armory Superintendenees DIS
pute to be appointed to the Saperiatendenee
Of the aruories The Secretary semi The
documents called Tor aad their teror may be
inferred from the following passage in bis Of
acial letter to the Speaker -
From these Papers it appears tbat.of the
/ four civil Commissioners who visited Spring
! field. one is candidate for tie Superinten-
dehcg Of that armory, being recommended by
the other three for that post, and that one OF
the latter has been recommended for the SUI
perintendency Of IIarper's Ferry srmory Of
I the nine witnesses from HarpeEs Ferry and
( Springfield who testified before tie select
committee. that three were candidates for the
Office Of superintendent and for two Offices 10
said armories; Of the select committee that
the chairman was all applicant for the office
Of Commissioner Of Public Buildings. when it
included tho supervision Of the Capitol extern
sion--a work referred to 10 tho resolutioa-
aud that one Of the members has recommend
ed persons for Office 10 the Harper's Ferry
armory."
Truly this exhibits pretty state Of morals
on the part Of the persons composing this
commission, and one which, as the National
lntelligeneer very properly remarks, may ac
count for the tenor Of tie report made BY
Al +oCt 1,o Ei,.t nllala,l A ln va
been freely bandied about among the news
papers, explicitly alleged on the one band, and
denied quite as positively 90 the other with
very specious representations to make ont
good defence But here they turn out to be
uuequivecaly true 10 its worst phase. The
Secretary Of War communicates to Congress
the applications ard recommendations, and
in the above extract gives the weight of bis
official sanction to the truth q his allegations
Some time before the commissioners made
their report, we took occasion 10 express our
telef-a belief we held in cemmcn With a
large portion Of our contemporaries that tie
military superintendent was much mere
proper than that Of civilians from the very
nature Of the work to be superintended. This
opinion had many Influential supporters -
But in the face of reason and common sense,
this commission presented a report taking di
rectly opposite ground, and furnishing the
evidence Of Witnesses in support Of the pc
sition they assumed. From the official doc
aments it seems that botd the commissioners
and the witnesses were incomretent judges
for the reason that they were locking to the
procurement OF posts for themselves IN the in
situations to which the investigation referred
OF course such an investigations and report
amount 10 nothing bat having done all the
mischief which + in their power, their names
ought to he held up to the public, in order
that leg may meet their proper reward
Truly tais may be pronounced model in
ves.igating commission. Corrupt in its com
position, it took the greatest possible pains to
select only for its witnesses persons equally
Influenced BY interested motives, aud thus to
afict their own bias upon the testimony they
were obliged to present to the public. Phil.
North Americdn