The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-08-30

The Secretary Of War Made the Scape-
goat, for the Attacks of Northern
Secessionists upon the Administra.
ton.
The leaders of the opposition to the Fed
eral Administration in the North, having
failed to elicit sympathy from the people in
their attacks on the President for alleged
usurpations of power, have been for some
time back endeavoring to bring the Ma.
tional Government, and with it the Nation
al cause, into disfavor, by virulent defama~
ton of the Secretary of War. Fraudulent
contracts, and the prostitution of that de.
partment of the Government for that pur
pose, is the cry and charge uttered and
echoed by all the Breckenridge press of the
Northern States. We are no personal ad.
mirer of Secretary CAMERON; out it is due
to him that the public should appreciate
the difficulties which he has had to encoun>
ter, and that they should take into account
the impossibility that the chief of such
department should personally supervise the
vast and varied operations which must be
performed under his authority.
We all know that the War Department
was never given into the hands of a new
Secretary in so inefficient condition as
Gen. CAMERON received it. With the per-
mission OF an imbecile President, every post
of Importance in it, from Secretary FLOYD
to the head of the meanest bureau, had
been occupied for years by traitors and
thieves. The brief interval during which
the patriot HOLT had charge of the De-
partment, was at time so critical and
alarming, that only the most meagre re-
forms conld be introduced; so that Cams
ERoN really received it as it came from the
hands of FLOYD. He entered into legal
charge of one of the most complete military
establishments on the face of the globe.
But the control was only nominal. Two
thirds of the war munitions of the Govern.
ment, and four-ffths of its most approved
arms of all kinds, were then already in the
hahds of the rebels. And before the pre-
sent Administration could consider itself
safely seated in Office, or undertake mea.
sures for its protection, Norfolk, with its
three thousand cannon, and corresponding
amount of munitions, fell also into rebel
hands.
Here was War Minister, on whose ex-
ertions depended the safety of the Govern
ment, deprived at the most critical juncture
of nearly all the implements and munitions
of war, that the Government had been fifty
years in accommodating. That was FIVE
months ago. We say, the mere fact that
under such untoward circumstances the
Government has been saved from destruc-
ton, is, in itself, an answer to and vindica-
tion of General CAMERON from the charges
on account of which it is sought to bring
the Administration into disrepute.
Secretary CAMERON undertook the man.
agement of the War Department when the
maximum force of the army was less than
twenty thousand men. 1t was suddenly
raised to quarter of million. Now, in
this sudden augmentation of force, with all
the material, implements, munitions, unpro-
vided, the amount of labor to be performed
was something incalculable by any anmilita-
ry man. 1t involved the employment of
thousands of agents, and the disbursement
of millions of money. OF course many of
these agents must have been dishonest, and
much OF the money must have been squan~
dered. No human virtue could have pre-.
vented this, nor could any foresight have
guarded against it. Fraud is an incident
to the contract system and, unfortunately,
the contract system is necessity with our
system of government. So, we say, that to
greater or less extent, frauds have been
practiced, as matter of course. But, none
of these frauds have been brought home to
the knowledge or connivance of Secretary
CAMERON. lie has had labor to perform
such as has never been imposed on any
Cabinet Minister since the formation of the
Government. So far as general results
are concerned, it is due to him to say that
he has done his duty thoroughly and we'll.
As to details, neither he nor the Admins
tration should be held responsible, unless
it can be shown that they have participated
in, or culpably permitted, corrupt practices.
1t is not fair to charge upon Government
the abuses which spring from systems them.
selves corrupt, and which, experience shows,
cannot be changed for the better.