The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-09-06

OF THE TREASON CONMITTEE-GREATN NUM-
BERS OF TRAITORS RETAINED IN OFFICE
DANGER IN THE NAVY Yards AND AR
.SENALS &c.
Correspondence of the New York Times.
WASHINGTON, August %.
1t IS to be regretted that the report of
the committee appointed to expurgate
treason from the various departments of
the Government cannot be published un.
til next winter, when Congress meets.
Its developments would startle the nation,
although 1 am sorry to say that, we'll
authenticated as they appear to be, they
make little impression upon those whose Pc
culiar duty it is to see that no traitor turks
about the Capital of the nation, and es.
pecially that no man of doubtful loyalty is
retained in Office. The committee is now
ready to report in part, but its labors are
not closed. 1t has already been ascerr
tanned that more than two hundred men of
secession sympathies are retained in Office
in Washington. A few have been removed,
but the majority still make their monthly
drafts upon the Natioaal Treasury. There
are thirty-two of these men in the employ
OF the War Department in various capaci-
tiee-about half of them being clerks, and
the remainder officers. surgeons, mechanics
in the arsenal, messengers and so forth.
There are some eight or ten of these me-
chancs, who are proven to be secessionists,
and their employment in the arsenal will
explain the fact that bombs have been as
certained to be filled with sand or saw dust.
The President has been assured by officers
in the army, that if even half the bombs
thrown at Bull Run by our batteries had
been filled with combustibles, the havoc
among the enemy would have been terrible.
The navy yard also is found to contain
number OF secessionists, and no doubt
they have played the same game there that
the Arsenal traitors have carried on. But
oil the departments can count their scores
OF these secret sympathizers with rebellion {;
and the Sixth Auditors Office will have to
reorganize after the dislOyal element has
been removed.
The President is literally surrounded by
spies and traitors, unless the testimony de-
livered before the Committee does great n>
justice to his door>keepers and gardener );
while the man who is now engaged in pains
thing the White House is proven to be
most active sympathizer with the rebels, if
not their secret agent. These facts have
been brought to the knowledge of the Pres,
ident, and it is to be presumed that he will
not be long in turning adrift the treacher,
Gus recipients of his confidence These
men stand at the door of the Council CHAINS
Der, and if, as the evidence before the Com.
mittee goes to prove, they are traitors and
spies, they can be of far more use to the
rebel Government at Richmond, than to
that which gives them their daily bread
Their humble situations make them none
the less formidable enemies to the country,
considering the peculiar relation in which
they stand to the President.
| understand that when the War Depart.
ment was informed of the names OF the
traitors in the arsenal. and the evidence
against them, the matter was referred by
Gen. Scott to Gen. Mansfield; and that the
latter had the men arrested and brought be-
fore Justice of the Peace. The Justice
notified Mr.. Potter, the Chairman of the
Committee, that the pr soners, arrested by
or in the name Of the Committee, were be-
tore him. He of course replied that he had
nothing to do with the arrest-that the
Committee had no power to arrest any one,
their sole business being merely to investi-
gate facts and give information to the prop.
er department. Gen. Mansfield CURLY re
piled that if the Committee withdrew the
charges he would set the men to work again,
and accordingly did so.
The evidence before the Committee seems
to be given with candor, and, so far is ap-
parent on the face, without malice or pre-
judice. There must of course be exceptions
to this rule where so many witnesses have
been examined. But the Commiete have
vested no verdict upan the testimony OF one
witness; and have, in probably every in.
stance, where an official has been reported
as dsloyal, the evidence OF three persons on
oath to sustain them. Injustice may have
been done 10 some instances, but there can
be no question of the fact that the commit
tee have sought the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, without fear, ia.
vor or affection. The name of the gallant
Potter. who, as Chairman, has had the
leading part in performing the duties of this
Committee, will be guarantee for the in
tegrity and efficiency with which the task
has been performed.