Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-02-15
TIE GREAT Floyd ROBBERY.

FROM ne NeU lork Times.
The report Of the Special Committee appointed by the
H)us of Representatives investigate the fraudulent
abstraction of bonds belonging to the Indian Trust Fund
from the Department of the Interior is document to
which perhaps than to any other the future pho
sophca historian will refer when seeking to explain the
hidden origin Of our existing national difficulties -
With Administration mbecle and blindly conf
dent 10 its Chief Magistrate utterly corrupt and reck
less in of its most important subordnates,-her
can be but little wonder that all public virtue fell to the
point Of paralysis in the National Government and that
schemes Of treason thrOve and dourshed to uxurant
but premature blossom, the rank soil and beneath
the torrid atmosphere of organized official delinquency.
As the report ITSELF it is an admirably clear and
gent exposition of villainY monstrous and Rudacous
as call blush to the cheek of every intelligent citizen
who may read it. The disgrace be little less than
national when we find Cabinet officer in league with
clerks contractors, and the miscellaneous harpes OF the
lobby engaged in the constant and deliberate plumber,
only OF the National Treasury but in fraudulenty
obtaining advances of money from all banks commercial
firms other private parties who could be induced 10
accept his official Endorsements security for private
loans The committee report that of unconditional &C.
pances issued by John b. Floyd the great criminal of
Cabinet history, there shoat in the hands of
innocent holders an amount certainly not less than
81 339 395-whle OF acceptauces, conditional on the
performance OF contract work by Messrs Russell Majors
X Wadie the total is not less than SISO,O0O-thus
showing aggregate of Sc 1885, either to be assumed
by the National Government to fall as unelieyed
| loss on the private holders.
All the speciou peadogs heretofore advanced by Mr..
Russell in behalf OF his innocence swept to the
winds by the testimony tax before the committee
bis position being clearly revealed the chief out
side agent employed by ExSecretary Floyd in the task
OF putting spurious acCepauceS Into circulation, and
tempting the click Gcdard Bailey, to the theft OF the
bonds placed under his charge. We find him in compai
! W Oh one Luke Lea formerly Commissioner Of Indian
Affairs proceeding to Washington with the deliberate
purpose Of cntciug BIey to commit tie theft find
Lea opening the proposition to Baiey-a bankrupt IN
fortune and political adyenturcr' who had, neverthe-
! less been placed in charge Of more than 100000
worth Of bonds though only having given 5000 as Sc
cur.ty for his good behavior; hud Lea arranging ali
interview between Bailey and Russell which takes place
at the War Department, where they are introduced to
each other for the first time by Colonel w. K Drukard
Chief Clerk OF the Department, and Secretary Foyds
most intimate friend - and is this interview that
Col Drukard reorms what Lea had before represented
! TO Biey-to wit that FOyis illegal acceptiuces re
ia danger of going protest. and that by any such dis
grace the sensitive criminal would be greatly agou.zed
aud disturbed
| The prelimuaries thus arranged between Lea, Drink
ard Russell and Bail. y-the two latter, as the parties
nov mainly in int rest retire and hold "a private inter
! view in a room in the third story of the War Depart
meut tho result being that within few hours there
/ after NJ Bailey had stolen bonds TO the amount Of
SI5o 600 from the safe under his charge aud with this
amount OF booty the protuc' Of the first attemp, Mr.
Russell returned To New lOrk. Two subsequent robbie
committed by Bailey at the insgation OF Rus
SELL acting the representative OF John Il. Hoyd' he
ccssuc-, of these September amounting TO $751;
Uio aud the third in December amounting to S3" QUO
an aggregate of $3.50 900 stolen BY Bailey, IN order to
save the seusit We Ex Secretary from being agoAlz
ana disturbed by the detection aud exposure OF his ~
fmies For 1000 Of the amounts 30 stolen, Mr. Rus
sell had ,po-i,ed Mr. floyds unconditional accptauces
rs sort OF poultice much OF conscience as Mr..
Bailey might have had remaining as If 20 prove be
youd any shadow OF question tie completely oil Mr. FLOYD
in the robbery iud that the 18TH day OF last Dc
| ctmbcr-the date Of the last thet-the ESSecreary
gives another acceptance for Sl55 oup the precise sum
needed make up the difference between e acceptance
given hy Russell Bailey aud the Bonds stolen by Bal
ley and handed to Russell
That all these theis and fraudulent acceptances were
issued parts OF deeply laid scheme for the disrup-
ion Of the National Government and the conceamcnt OF
official d,Igl,ncy ~ - distraction OF all the means
tor IFS subsequent exposure may be judged from the
fac; that even far back as last September the an
dqy ofusJi March was agreed upon the time for the
rtdcyery by Russell Bailey of the pgrlo ned securi-
ties and, again. Mr. Wagner, to whom Bailey had el-
trusted a confession designed to clelr Ex-Sec e,ary
Thompson, Of the lntenOr from any blame,-rectNed
orders not deliver the document until "hge days be
fore the 4h OF March Here have clear indie atoms
of preconccyel resolve on the part Of Floyd aud his
a-O cOusprl'ors 10 break up the National Govern
ment at the close OF Mr. Blchanans term, and to pre-.
vent the discovery Of their various acts and implements
OF plage by the prevention OF Mr.. Lincoln Inaugural
! ton
But what must be thought of the moral atmosphere
| in which all these things done, when We find
Senator OF the United SaiesIIon. II. w. Rice, of Min
nesutl of bis free VIII aud accord, assuming the
Character OF messenger and apologs for he dishonest
clerk handing his confession 10 Secretary Thompson IN
the very chamber of the President and subss queutly
refusing 70 appear before the Investigating Committee,
on The ground that his Senatorial" privilege pro-
tac.ed his part in the matter from the Com
mittee- scrutiny? BE- what Arguments he may have
urged Secretary Thompson to conceal the shame OF his
colleague the Secretary OF War therefore only
conjecture but public opinion IS never slow, nor il the
public instinct apt to err in placing true construction
o. the refusal of Mr. Rice to be examined.
Finally we cannot abstain from commenting on the
adgic, given by Disrc, Attorney Oud to the Special
Committee 20 the eject that Floyd Russell and Bailey
should be summoned before the said Committee for e1'
aminaon-it not beng within the range OF any suppo-
sable probability that Mr.. Ouli was not perfectly aware
at the time OF giving such advice, that this course II
adopted, would amos, certainly preclude any possibility
Of criminal conviction under the existing statutes 10
reference witnesses before Congressional Committees
This very fact OF having been so summoned before the
Special Committee is the technical objection nov relied
upon by Russell aud Floyd to save them from convc-
ton for their numerous ieones and Mr. Ould has at
all times been prominent friend and protege OF the EN-
Secretarys he will fud difficult convince the public
that his professional advice given according to the
best Of his Judgment in the interest OF the prosecution
! A. to Mr. Jerome B Simpson, Russeli- coIhd initial
agent in this city, who took the steamer for Europe on
the dav Of the first rumor OF the discoveries in the De
plr;ment of the uteriort may not perhaps, be known
u the Special Committee, that his brother an officer in
the United Saes army, has been for several years the
superintendent selected by John b. Floyd to examine
and eport upon the qualities and quantities of the var-
Gus supplies furnished by Russell Majors and Wadde
under their contract Is it time that this officer
should be examined he certainly be in possession
/ oC imnorapt information