The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-03-11
\ the once Of the ne,,ar

custody, or even, In the Office Of the Depart.
taent. There was g,ot solitary circumstance
between US Of a sort which usually bind men
together In bonds OF friendship no business
connection. Official or private: no association
no reason why MIR Bailey should imperil his
character and destroy his prospects in life for
ever for the purpo e. OF shieitiing me from a
danger which had 10 Foundation A very
high and nobc moti We was IL certainly TO ris I
his fame and reputa tinn, and incur the risk o.
the penalties OF a criplin1 act. 10 save a mere
acquain lance, who hid no earthly claim upou
him, from an imaginary danger and still NOR.
strange that he should not have thought i,
worth while To ma k~ the least inquiry abou,
the subject, OF the man he desired 20 serve.
Mr.. nArLEY's CONFESSION
Mr. Butey's letter to me. dated the 10th ot
December, revealing the fact of the abs trac-
uon OF the bonds, and his Possession of the
acceptances, bears upon its face, in every line
and syllable, conclusive proof that he WAS
revealing Facts TO me that he knew | yas ip
horant OF. That was the whole subject that
was the sole object of has letter written for
any other object IL would have been nonsense
, No man on earth would have written such a
letter rs this unless 10 another ignorant of the
SUBJECT ca sciosed, and so every honest man
viii decide. Mr. Bailey, in this letter, asks
for personal interview with me before
should make any disclosures. With this let
ter 10 me- he sent a copy of his proposed letter
TO Mr. Thornpson--in which he determined TO
conceal the transaction until the close of the
Admin Is ira ton. immediately after his inter
view wit me, which took place according to
his request, he determined to disclose the
transaction at once. Ii / had known any
thing OF the abs traction, or had been mpii-
cated in the slightest degree in ii, or felt any
interest whatever in conceaiing IL, how easy
and natural would IL have been for me to
urge Mr. Bailey TO persist in his plan of con-
cealment? And as, at that time, the commit
tee assert, "Mr. Bailey, in the exercise of
foFethought 2rmdent to acoid detection, made
up his stock account for the year, showing on
it's fIcp that the bonds safe his
tody,n nothing could have been more easy
than TO continue The concealrnent. But i'm
ately after this interview, Mr. Bailey
changed his previously concerted pians and
made his disclosure.
Mr. Bailey does not leave the reason for this
change OF his plans in any doubt. He said, in
his con versations with various witnesses and
Others, THAT he never would have changed
his plans of concea.ment but for the con yer.
sailon he held with me-" l would not CON
sent TO become the depository OF such a secret,
and therefore MIR. Bailey concluded very
properly that farther concealment was uttel:-
~ impossible; and, consequently, on the ~
dty OF his interview with me, he directed y ir
Wagner to deliver his letter OF confession to
MT Thompson immediately on Mr.. Tho ND
sons return to the city. 1t was not owing 10
Mr.. Baileys inability to arrange his onpon
accounts with the Auditor 10 any exte NJ. or
in any part, that caused the ''e;trly tdsclo-
sure this the committee knew perfectly
well. The committee knew that Mr.. Bailey
had gotten Mr.. Thompson, the Seer 3tary of
iRe Interior, TO certify that his accounts were
NJ correct. and that the bonds We're all in
his possession at the very time W hen they
had been abs tracted.
In concluding, Mr.. Floyd says that the
whole Investigation OF the committee was car
ried on to convict him and not to investigate
the truth OF the charges there not having been
single interrogatory put during the extmi-
nd ion which not designed to further
that end. He adds
If these facts, which neither 1nalgnity nor
falsehood can overthrow or shake, are not
enough TO shield me against the cuckoo cry OF
fraudulent contracts and countless embezzle-
ments, it Will be owing alone to the fac that
Congress shall lend Itself TO the propagation
OF such reports rs are the Off pring of false
hood and maiignity, instead of performing the
high and noble duty of uphoding the public |
uterests by sustaining, or at le ist shielding |
from unjust assault, those who nave been |
faithful Ia their public trusts.
A. Instance Of the committees neglect or
ndis position t" bring out tho v OIe truth, tney
have omitted o record the material fact. that Mr.
i thompson did give this certificate which was |
Fl ed on the l4,h December