Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-08-16
:G(be Obio 6tatesuram
T Z r N g,
SecreIaryI Chase-AppoinImaiIfs Z

secretary Chase-Appo olntmemts.
We copy the following article from the Gin
cinpAtf Gazttts. This, from Republican mo-
party psper,giyes US an insight as TO who has
controlled the appointments at Washington, 60
lar as Ohio Is concerned. Mr. CHAsr appears
to have matters all his own way = Pa
aa 10 1.-THE OHIO APPoInTMRNTs. ..,5.5
I. As there has been much complaint of the un.
illness OF Ohio military appointments, and much
mortiteation feltby the friends of the Admin
istration on account Of them IL is but just that
the following statement IN the Washington
" Sigma y correspondence Of the Commercial,
showing how these nominations were brought
about, should have a wider circulation than Il
can reach in that journal. IL Is from the Com
meTesdI OF Monday, aud is correct, with slight
modification, which we refer to below :o1
"Thadiscussion Of fitness was confined almost
entirely 20 the nominations for officers of the
highest rabk. The minor appointments, from
Lleutenants even up to Colonels, were consider.
ed by the Military Committee, and whatever
names they reported for approval, we're confirm.
ed. In this way, great number of incompe.
tents have got into the army, whom II was
hoped there might be found some means of con-
fong 10 the more harmless spheres of private
life. But these things were carried with o
rush-few Senators ever stopping to look at de.
tails, lbut voting almost invariably on personal
matters in accordance with the Recommend dations
of committees The Military Committee, of
which Gen. Wilson, of Massachusetts,, is chair
man--and the two Lanes, he of Kansas, and he
oil Indiana, represent about the average sagaei-
" OF the members-have thought ft TO report
Tor confirmation all the nominees sent In by
the War Department for Ohio and Indiana. A
few from Illinois and some Eastern States were
not reported, owing to evidence prejudcial to
their character laid before the committee. II
is understood that there was no lack of such
evidence In regard to some Of the Ohio and In-
diana appontees; but It Is also understood that
there was mass Of counter evidence, and a
good deal of personal importantly brought to
bear, especially in favor OF the unworthy ones,
and they were carried through l't
Those who may feel disposed to censure the
Ohio Senators for neglecting TO stop these i'm
proper appointments, should consider that the
majority OF the aprointees we're persons whom
neither Mr.. Wade or Mr.. Sherman ever heard
of before. These gentlemen, with every de-
sire to discharge their trust faithfully, and to
keep out incompetents, could only act as judges
according to the evidence before them In but
few cases was there any evidence before them
at all. A good deal more than half--perhaps
two-thirds-of the appointments, were from
Southern and Central Ohio, where neither ol
our Senators are widely acquainted. More.
over, the lists which Messrs. Sherman and
Wade had agreed upon and submitted long
time since to the War Department, were sub.
mitted to Secretary Chase, who made large sub
stitutions and additions. They then underwent
finally the manipulation of Simon Cameron OF
the War Department, and the President. When
sent In to the Senate they were not recogniz ,ble
by the Senators, who had no positive knowl.
edge Of the unftness of any of them. Just as
little knowledge had they Of their fitness. A
few remonslra1ces, strongly expressed, reached
them In regard to some Of the appoihtees -
Bat the papers In each case we're on fle at the
War Department-almost inaccessible amid
the chaos Of rubbish and red tape which reigns
there. The Senators could not disentangle the
evidence 10 the short space Of time-less thar
one week-in which these nominations were 10
the Senate. They would not condemn, OF
hearssy evidence, nominees whose credentials
and Endorsements had been found suficien
With the department whose function It was tc
know Its duty. Still less would they reject th,
numerous selections of the Secretary Of tht
doubts and many misgiyings, they therefore
voted to coDfrm all.
This result is much to be lamented, since
there are too many incompetents already in the
heid from Ohio aad Indiana, without adding 90
considerable number Of new ones, destitute Of
natural capacity or military knowledge or ex.
perience TO qualify them for the arduous duties
OF command in the regular army. But the
cure lies further back than the Senate, which
body could possibly act understandinely on com
paratively few of the twelve hundred nomina.
tons submitted to it. The original sin lies Al
the doors OF the War Department, which, push
ing aside the advice Of experienced officers, and
the appeals of an indignant preas and an out
raged people, and deaf alike to the warnings Of
reason and the awful lessons of defeat, persists
IN thrusting inexperienced and incompetent off
GERS into our army, on no earthly ground saw
political and personal favoritism. Some ar,
appointed because their fathers arc respectable
some, because their brothers are influential DO
litical jobbers; some, because they have rela
tves In the army, or the Departments, or th,
Cabinet; some, because they are what Or,
known as "devilish clever fellows;, and som,
are appointed (shameful to relate) simply to re
rid Of them and the importunities of thei
friends.n ~ '-''' -'''
AS we said, thisis correct, with slight mod
ihcation; and the concluding observations ar,
juet when rightly applied; but it will be seel
by the statement itself that they are not right
ly applied. IL is true that Senators Wade an,
Sherman canvassed the applications and recon
mendations from Ohio, made out list and sen
it to the War Department. 1t Is true, also, tha
the Secretary of the Treasury took the list
struck out large part, substituted other name
and added many more. But in this shape th
recommendations were accepted BY the Secrets
~ Of War and the President.
It will be easily seen that If the Secretar,
of War or President had interfered in the mat
ter, they would have been Influenced by th,
Ohio Senators and Representatives, But thes
vere all overruled by the Secretary of th,
Treasury, ltdoes not seem probable, that whel
he was allowed such absolute control of tn
Ohio appointments rs to overrule the Ohio del
egation, the President or Secretary of Wa
would interfere from other influences. Besides
in point Of fact, they did not. The. Ohio Sen
ators could not recognize the list, nor act intel
ligently uponit. is dlrg st8,ieiai 4is.n q
There was no further manipulation Of th,
list, or II any, the slightest. The Secretary o
the Treasury was regarded as entitled to tn
control Of the Ohio appointments, or at leas
the courtesy Of the President and the Secfetar,
Of War gave IL TO him.. This is "where tn
original sin lies, If there Is any original sin Il
the matter, and this is where the deafness h
the "advice Of experienced officers, the appeal
Of an indignant press and outraged people, th
warnings of reason and the awful lessons of de
feat" existed If It existed at all.