Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-09-18


The following is statement of the charges brought
against John W. Thomas, Senator from Davidson
county, in the Senate Of North Carolina, relative 10
his recent trip to New York;. together with the &C.
ton Of the Senate thereon:
WHEREAS, j. w. Thomas. 8 mem6ef Of the SEN
ate of North Carolina, has lately paaa VISIT 10 Tue
city of New York, and whereas it is currently re.
ported that the said Thomas repeatedly told wn'ie
on his way there, that he had in his possession
Union speeches. made by himself, which would
greatly facilitate his movements; and whereas ills
futher currently reported that the said Thomas
while in the said city Of New 3ork snd
now endeavoring to collect the same which reports,
fthey be true are giving aid and comfort to our enc
mics: Therefore,
Re it Resoloed, That committee of three Sena-
tors be appointed to investigate the truth of said
reports and make report thereof to the Senate that
the Senate may take such steps as to the senators
may seem meet -,
Be 1t further Resolred, That the said committee
shall inquire into the fact to whether the said j.
W, Thomas is now or has been since his return,
acting as agent for the collection securing debts,
for any of the citizens of New York. ,.
Be IL further Resolued, That the said committee
shall have full power to send for persons and papers
to facilitate their Investigations and have power to
examine persons on OATH
On this resolution, the Speaker appointed Messrs.
Barringer, Eure and Dobson to constitute the COM
mittee, who after full investigation, made the fol-
lowing
REPORT
Immediately upon the appointment of the COM
mittee, Mr.. Thomas protfered and has afforded us
every facility for the prosecution of the inquiry by
furnishing letters, private memoranda and other pa
pers which show the character and object of his
late visit to New York. From these sources the
committee submit to the Senate the following state
ment Of facts which must be regarded as coming
from the Senator himself:
On the 23d Of July last, Mr.. Thomas left North
Carolina for New York city, by the way Of Louis
Vile, KY Neither the time nor the occasion of his
visit was concealed. His original design was, in
connection with Messrs. NJ. L. Holmes and r. j.
Holmes of Rowan county, to establish CONNER
cisl house in Louisville, for the purpose of furnish
ing such supplies to the Confederate States by that
route, as their people might need during the pres
ent war; This design was, however, abandoned
upon reaching Louisville, and he proceeded mmc-
dately to New York.
1t is proper to remark here before going further
with this statement, that Mr.. Thomas started his
trip with but s245 in cash, which intended to
bear his travelling and personal expenses He also
took with him several thousand dollars Of bank
stock aeld by various citizens of this State in tho
banks of New York. These stocks were ntrusted
to him by the holders with directions to sell them
and account for the proceeds on his return
1t was further understood that he might use the
cash realized from such SALE with view to ACCOM-
plish his general object Of supplying the Confeder
ate States with such articles he could purchase
and introduce in violation OF the blockade Besides
the cash and stocks above referred to, he had
check on New York firm for about $4,000. The
check drawn by his partners in the present ad-
venture Uhe Messrs. Holmes of Rowan county, for
the proceeds Of sale Of cotton made by the firm
for them and shipped to New York just before the
n L.d
the amount of check in the copartnership stock of
the firm between them and Mr.. Thomas and they
very anxious to get the funds out of the hands
Of the New York house. Mr.. Thomas repeats that
the above named cash, bank-stock and check, con-
sttuted all the money or source of money which he
had on his visit to New York.
On arriving in New York he executed his direc-
tons in reference to the sale of the bank stocks held
by citizens, so far he could do so with advan
tage. Meanwhile an opportune chance presented
itself to him in connection with another worthy cit
iZen of this State to purchase a vessel and cargo,
with a view of running the blockade on our coast
Mr.. Thomas embarked in this enterprise with high
hopes of success the particulars of which the conf
mittee do not deem necessary to relate. But he de-
MES that he put any money in the purchase of the
vessel and cargo other than what he had realized
from the sale Of bank stock due and held by cit
izcnS above stated. The scheme ultimately failed
and utterly abandoned by him. The contract
for the vessel and cargo, so far as he was concerned
! was cancelled. In consequence, owing to the ex-
tremc hazard Of bringing it home, the money de-
rived from the stocks well those owned by HIM
self by others, was deposited in certain banks Of
! New York, appears by certfc tie Of deposit ex-
| hibted to the committee by Mr.. Thomas.
i Wiih'regard to the check on the New York firm
above alluded to- it was presented for payment, but
with every disposition on the part Of the firm to
meet it, thoy were wholly unable to do so. Their
trade having been chiefly if not entirely with the
Confederate States, it had been for several months
almost completely cut off; and the house was trem-
bling on the verge of suspension. After proposing
and rejecting mutually several modes of paying the
debt, the gentlemen composing the firm finally Of
fered to place in the hands of Mr. Thomas, such
Southern paper they had or could procure in the
city out OF which the check or debt could be paid,
and the balance if any, be accounted for to them as
soon as practicable Whereupon, some 5000 in
notes and accounts on citizens of this State was
transferred to Mr. Thomas, with the authority to
collect the same and carry out the above agreement
lie admits that the letters hereto attached refer to
claims citizens assigned to him. He declares
his innocence Of any purpose to violate any known
law in this transaction. lie never intended, and
does not now intend to harrass Cypress the deb
tors referred to- He sought only to secure a just
debt due from the New York house to himself and
the Messrs. Holmes. He will cheerfuly abide the
decision of our Courts, under the law of the land on
the liabilities of the parties lie denies emphatical-
y that he is now nor has been at any time acting as
agent to collect secure any debts due from our
citizens to any persons in New York, except
in the single instance and in the manner here set
forth.
As to the rumor that he had made Union speech
es, or carried his own Union speeches. delivered
last winter, with him his late trip, he protests
that it is utterly untrue, and as far as any such al
legation is meant as an lmputation upon his loyalty
to the Confederate States he repels it with indig-
nation.
Upon this statement, which is uncontradicted by
any evidence submitted to the committee, we are
unable to discover in the purposes of the Senator
from Davidson, in making his late visit to the enc
mys country, or in his conduct while there, any
thing which calls for other action of the
Senate; and the committee respectfully ask to be
discharged from the further consideration of the
subject.
(Sgned) VICTOR c. BARRINGER, Chm