Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-01-26
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE STANDARD.

WASHINGTON, Jan. %, 1859.
One would very naturally suppose that the mania
which ragged so violently last session, for investga-
ting every frivolous charge which malice could in
vent and assurance prefer against government Off
Gals had lived its brief day, and that the merted
opprobrum and disgrace which recoiled on the ac-
cusers in every instance would have deferred others
from like attempts to impeach the integrity of pub
lie officers, and would have rendered Congress ex-
tremely cautious in giving credence to every COM
plant presented Yet such does not seem to be the
result and we now have another case for Congress
sona investigation, involving impeachment of Ger
tain civil officers Of the Navy Department. shonld
these charges be sustained. Mr. Sherman, of Ohio,
q member of the Committee on Naval Affairs was
the medium through which these charges reached
the House. A Mr.. E. B. Allen of New York,
whose character is endorsed by Mr.. Sherman,
charges the officers of the Department with favorit
ism in the award of certain contracts, while men,
Der of the present House charges that certain Off
GERS of the New York Navy Yard had sold places
in that yard to sundry persons and that numerous
afdavits of workmen could be produced to substan-
tate its truth; similar charge is made in relation
to the Navy Yard located at Philadelphia. A COM
mittee-select of course-has been appointed, with
Mr.. Sherman as Chairman to investigate these
charges with power to send for persons and
papers"
The charge of favoritism in awarding contracts is
simply absurd and ridiculous. The Navy, unlike
the War Department. has no discretion in accepting
rejecting offers made for materials or SUPPLIES for
naval purposes, being restricted by legislative
actment to awarding all contracts to the louest bid
der. All offers are opened in the presence of sew
eral officers examined, calculated and scaled by
some half dozen officials under whose eyes pass
every scrap of paper, and these scales of bidders
with the amount of their bid appended is open to
the inspection of any one interested. Farther, the
name of erery bidder with the aggregate amount of
his bid as we'll the names of successful bidders
is prepared in conformity to law sent, to both
Houses of Congress, and published with the docu-
ments accompanying the Presidents Message.
As to the charge of corruption in the Neao York
Navy Yard, it would be matter of surprise to
those who know anything of the political workings
in that city, if none existed 1t may exist but for
its presence there the Department is not amenable
and has always when such matters were brought to
its notice, promptly applied remedy. The New
York Navy Yard in the settlement of its eternal
dissensons, in the investigation of charges brought
by discharged workmen against master workmen,
and in the constant necessity for resisting the
calty of dishonest contractors creates more labor
vexation and consumption of time than all other
Navy Yards combined. If money appropriated for
specific objects has been diverted to other purposes
as alleged why have not the officers of the Treasu-
ry detected this maladmnistration; if officers of
the Navy Yards have adopted the old Spanish sys-
TEN of selling public places of profit why have not
these gentlemen, whose moral sense is so greatly
shocked complained to the Department and filed
their proofs Yet learn that such is not the case,
and the first intimaton of its supposed existence is
given in the Halls of Congress. To those familiar
with affairs here it is easy to determine the origin
of all such accusations There are men who 'lie in
wait ready to pounce upon the unsuspecting and
distort the most simple act into some aagitious
wrong, hoping thereby to operate upon their fears
hlooty fhosr
those who, Stunned by the decent, and only toerat-
ed by their own vile herd, hang about the De-
partments steathiy listening at key-holes to obtain
information which they sell to the highest bidder,
or keep to themselves to subserve some personal
end. There are those who, denied their greedy de-
mands upon the departments at once throw off their
servle supplant air and seek to appease their dis
appointed feelings by an indulgence in vulgar cal
umny and vile detraction.
do not hesitate to say that this investigation will
disclose that the major part Of these accusers
actuated by personal pique, malace disappoint-
ment in reference to place, and that charge pre-
ferred will be sustained by reliable testimony. 1t is
quite an easy task for detected knaves defeated
plunderers of the Treasury and paid hirelings to
trump up bogus charges, throw around them an air
of truth and boldly demand an investigation; this
accorded them their object in nearly every case is
fully accomplished 1t is fact, and one known to
members of Congress- but too well. that even q
vague charge against public man falls unpleasant
ly upon the ear of the country too often creating
mistaken and unfavorable impressions, and that
with many accusations in its results is frequently
as Edeplorable conpiction. Ihave been led to
tice this matter at greater length than designed and
will dismiss it by saying that the assertions of the
respondents of the opposition press to the effect hat
the Secretary of the Navy fears an investigation,
that his subordinates reco from the proposed nqui-
nv, or that the democratic members from New York
and Philadelphia tremble in view of the threatened
Developments are one and all totally false-as is
the greater part of their manufactured intelligence
The House is still busily occupied upon the vari-
Gus appropriation bills, and there seems to be very
commendable desire on the part of many members
to reduce them in every practicable manner. In
the diplomatic and consular bill they propose strik-
ing out appropriations for several unimportant
foreign missions, very wisely concluding that as
the Consuls really do all the work necessary at
those points, there be no use in maintaining
an official merely for the purpose of show
At night they have sessions in order to expedite the
despatch of business by affording aspiring but tmid
orators an opportunity of deghting the half dozen
members and doing officials with their eloquent
harangues. This is better than consuming day
light and boring full house with prosy, rambling
speeches; though l doubt whether the gas expend-
ed by these aspirants for fame is just equivalent
for that consumed in lighting the Hall.
Humphrey Marshall, the leader of the decimated
K N guard, has, for the huDdredth time, defined
his position. Having faithfully and efficiently serv-
ed the Republicans last session, and more recently
having sought to cement the bonds of brotherhood
with that motley tribe and only received in return
the cold shoulder he announces again his position
He repudiates them altogether and is now DESTROYS
of forming party based upon the compromise
measures of 1850. The Colonel would like to see
such party organised doubtless, but he knows that
great parties do me: spring into existence at any
mans bidding, and he ought to know that the PEG.
pie are too wide awake put out upon the political
sea in crazy craft under the potage of such he,
Crittenden and "Tomfoolery" Bolts.
Want of space prevents my noticing several mat
tiers of general interest now under consideration,
either before the appropriate committees or the
House. such as the creation of several territorial
governments and important postal reforms. 1t is
impossible to determine the fate of the bill shortly
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