The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-11-19

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a ment Of the army matters in the West is du
. to them and th cir cenfederates from tn
! eastern slope of tho Continent, the ruin Of b
Gen. 10 due.
THE BARRICADEs.
We have already said that 10 the case @
. Mulligan, his messenger waited two days i
, the ant-room at Headquarters before b
could get his demand for reinforcements be
A., fore the General who sat inside. The barri
{ csdes had been erected. The guard, with
drawn sabres, the secretaries with the usua
official insolence Of the tribe, and the cere
monies which bar out petty despot from tb'
vulgar outside world, were in full commission
and no matter what the urgency Of the call o
the character, or business Of the visitors, NJ
man could break down the obstacles which
stood in the way of his ingreas, until th'
California gang were pleased to permit them
to be leveled. The chief Secretary was one
|. G. Wood, Californian who acted at once
as q Major il we are not mistaken, Master
of Ceremonies at this Republican Court
Master of Transportation for the army, and
if he is not belied, the partner Of various aud
sundry outsiders. No paper, lettor, messen-
ger or visitor escaped bis vigilance. No
marks Of private, confidential" or "per
soRal" made his respect seals. Everything
went through his hands. He assumed, no
doubt, with the appreciation Of his superior
to direct who should and who should not see
the General. Governors OF States furnishing 9
troops by tie ten thousand, Senators, Mem
bers of the House of Representatives, mem
bers of the Missouri State Convention, Fre-
mont's own Brigadier Gener ais, the most emi-
nent citizens Of the State bringing informa-
ton Of prime importance, spies with particu-
lars touching the state Of the opposing army
officers with offers Of regiments Of men, the
members of the Union Defeuce Committee
Of cur city, all were not only kept waiting
for days in that ante.room, but were treated
with marked contempt. To see the Com.
mande Of the Department, save 10 case
which make the exception to the rule, has at
any time in the last two mouths been a mat
ter Of greater difficulty than TO get an audi
euce of the Emperor Of France, the head Of
an Empire and an army Of 100000 men.-
1t was for the interest Of the Californisns
and their confederates that this should be so |;
because, while all others were excluded they
had free access by the back stairs. We
shall see how they have prof,ed by their priv
ileges.
THE BODY GUARD.
1t is u.s. al for Generals aud Commanders
Of Departments to have corps designated as
a Body Guard. Their duties are supposed in
an army to be confined, so far as the they re
late to the safety Of the person Of the Gen.
era, wholly to the field. Not so with Ere.
mont's. They are ever at hand. With bar
racks adjacent to his house, the latter palace
renten at 5000 per year, and the former Quilt
at an enormous expense and Of a capacity
capable Of containing $500 men. They sesm
an imposing adjunct o. the regal state and
ceremony which our Republican General has
assumed. Yet in its infancy, the corps is
magniicently equipped and mounted, at an
expense that will stagger plain people when
the truth is told.
USES OF THE BARRIcADEs AND BODY GUARD
The banicades maintained by the sabres of
the body guard, have had their purposes.-
They have enabled the Californians aHd their
confederates whom they were forced to take
into their service, to use their commander to
their own profit. The proof is in the testi-
mccy taken before the.
CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE.
Towards the close Of the last session of Con-
to look into Army and Navy contracts.
This committee has been 10 session most of
the summer in New York, Boston, New Bed.
ford, Washington, etc., and has uneaIthed a
vast amount Of rascallity, and has secured
various sums that have been wrongully Ia.
ken from the Government. At the session Of
the committee in st. Louis running through
two weeks, in which near two hundred
witnesses were examined, an amout Of waste,
extravaganza, corruption, roscallity, profigacy
and downright and unbushing scoundrelism
have been developed that it is without parallel
in the history Of this country.
HOW 1T WAS DONE.
The California gang had the inside. The
back stairs were always free to them, aud
while men who were anxious to deal with
the Observation-Disclosures with horses and
mules, manufacturers with all sorts of sup
plies for army use-were in vain laying
their offers before the proper contracting
officers Of the Government, these ratriots
'o" t"o "o'o Ro'tiuB tuc oeu-
erals money to whatever or ders or acquisitions
they were pleased to ask, and at prices
which have not failed TO make all Of them
rich.
SOME PARTICULARS.
There were five foris-each one as useless
rs the fifth wheel TO a coach-erected on
semi circle on the western boundry OF St.
Louis. These were constituted by men EN-.
ployed by the day or hour, but divided into
gang, working day and night, and at wages
that far exceed the average of prices paid in
ST. Louis to laboring men. The cost Of
these, thus built, was about 100000. But
five other forts were required, each affth
larger than, though Of the same pattern as,
the five first. The contract for their con-
slruction was made, by command Of the Gen.
eral with one 4. l.. Beard, one of bis old
California neighbos; and Geneisl (lale
Provost MarsbaD McKinstry's friends say
that the prices were agreed upon between
the contracting parties. To show the char
acter Of the transaction and the enormous
waste OF public money, W. specify few
items, which we know TO be correct, as we
have had the original contract in our hands: