Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-05-05
tAaVeriisemenI'
FoE THE UNioN AND AMERIcAN.
A CARD.
GAINEsBoRo, April 20, 1857.

GAENEsBoRO, April 20, 1857.
Msssrs. EdtorR In the g Epeaiag Star of the 28th
ultimO there is an editorial accompanied by state
ments made by certain clerks now in the employ
ment Of Gen. Cullom, clerk of the House Of Repre-
sentatiYes United States and although il comes in
the character Of an answer to certain card which
has been published in the American Organ by Dr. J.
}. Burnett, my name is used therein with an undue
insinuation upon Therefore as matter Of JUS,
tice to myself as well as duty to the public deem
it proper to make full statement of the whole mat
ter involved in the said publication. A few days
previous to the adjournment of the first session of
the 34th Congress, Gen. Cullom requested me to
prepare to come home with him in a few days there
after, as ne desired my company home. According
ly made preparations as requested. On the even
ing before left for home Gen. Culom, at his pri-
yate room, remarked to Messrs. Baily, Greenlease,
Acton, Burnett and myself, (sH employed under
him that he (Cullom) had refused various applicants
for office under him and that he had promised to
throw q cr1mb 20 them 10 use his own word, at
some time during his tenn of Office. That he had
employed US at the disappointment or rejection Of
others, &C.. and that all might consider ourselves
dismissed from Office until the meeting Of the next
session Of Congress, Dec. 1856, in order that he
(CullOm) might appropriate the salaries attaching
to respective Offices for themonths of September,
October and November to the emolument of those
of his friends whom he had refused to employ-ad-
ding that he expected that our friends at home
would desire our assistance in the Presidential
vass and that it inconsistent with his views of
proprety that Office holders should dabbe in politics.
Mr. Baily replied saying that he Daily for his
part did not wish him (Cullom) to understand him
Baily) being DESTROYS to go into the canvass nor
even to 90 home if it thus necessary to sacrifice
the emoluments Of his Office by so doing, (which in
substance was the same remark would have made
but for Cullom's reply to Baily, to which Gen. Cul
lOm very emphatically replied that his (CullOms)
arrangement which he had made in reference TO that
fbof h, Gull lrpavv
the necessity of said arrangement better than we
that he (CullomD had onerous promises to redeem
that we must not think hard of him After study
ing awhile he CullOm) remarked as follows Fearing
that eter-Writers might speculate upon the causes
of your removal from office, I fCullom) will not
make any removals, but will let your names remain
on pay roll as my clerks and during said absence.
Cuom) viii employ substitutes in your Offices until
your return in December next, and on said return
you must transfer the checks &c. to me (Cullom) in
order that (Cullom) may draw the money to pay
said substitutes to which we all consented in good
faith Cat least on my part. On my return to Wash
ngton in December last, Gen. Cullom very promptly
requested me to transfer the check, sign the pay
roll &C. which did in good faith, as still had no
suspicion of the motives Of Gen. CullOm and belev-
ing as did that was only facilitating the means
by which nv substitute would be paid for his time
and labor The amount which thus transferred TO
Cullom was $3.50 90. But on enquiry afterWard
found that he (Cullom) had not substituted any per
son in the place of myself nor that Of any Of the
above named employees. l.s...
Finding that he had not filed Ey vacancy during
my absence, made complaint against his said con-
duct, las his dupicty then began to expose itself
But he palliated the offence by ntimating that on
final settlement with US he would correct the whole
matter, but on final settlement he refused to give
any explanation Of the disposition Of the money in
! controversy. I went to the Bank of Suter, Lea &
Co. about the 23d Of March last and asked them if
he Cullom) had presented my said check there, and
they replied that they did not recollect that they
did not keep any books or accounts Of checks also
went to the Treasury department. and found that he
(CullOm) had fled my receipt for the said amount,
proposing to have the entered to his credit as
clerk. have since ascertained that 1t has finally
been passed to his credit By this time Gen. Cullom
had exhibited other evidences of malfeasance which
confirmed me in the opinion that his motive IN
direct In the conduct above stated, for few days
before the adjournment of Congress he had told me
that l would be out Of Office on the 4th Of March,
and for apology me stated that he had other friends
to provide for with the ofceI then holding. He
soon changed his apology by saying that the exis-
tence of my Office ceased on the 4thOf March-that
the tenure Of said Office wonld exist after the ad
journment Of Congress, and after had called his
attention the inconsistency and even the conflict
of his various apologies, he proposed that if would
| stay in Office and come home with him. (which he
said would be in three days thereafter, then 23d
/ March, he would have my account audited for the
month Of March and get the same paid to me before
| our departure from Washington. l then notified
him that should infsrn the Comptroller and other
officers at the Treasury of his conduct in time to
make him disgorge what he had thus fraudently ex-
tOred from the public treasury which fully accounts
| for the early insinuatons made against me in the
| publication in the "EUeHiRg Star.
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