The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-03-09

The Acceptances Of the War
,s Department.
sYARMEkT OF EI-sECRE7ARY FLOYD,
e. &c, 49,, ste.
TO THE PUEBLO.

bitter sect0nAl animo6ity. IN my own experience
have found that the most oommsndsbe acts Of public
life have been those for which have been most SANDER
ousy assailed The only reliance Of officers thus set
upon by party upon the justice Of the people
Before that tribunal present Uysef under accusations
OF peculiar malignty. forward private cti-
zen solely defend my character against widely or
ganzed sensation PRESS which has allowed itself TO be
made the instrument OF manufacturing public opinion
against me many months; against triumphant Goa
iioa OF parties flushed with victory and bent upon de-
stroyng every adversary that has stood In their
path and against portion Of the expiring admlnstra
ton who yainy hoped propitiate the incoming Mooch
by offering sacrifice.
SO long these accusations confined to the press
endured them with resignation, for Is the prerogative
of free press crticise official conduct with
strained liberty. rcconciled myself to this silence by
the fact that the charges of the newspapers
vague to admit OF definite comprehension, or when spe
cited at all, too extravagant and absurd to be
credited by sensible aud discriminating public. re-
feced too that much better than mys self had becn
more fouly aspersed nsomuch that Mr. jefferson
as early as 180T:-.Nothing be believed which Is
q newspaper. Truth itself becomes Suspicious
BY being put that polluted vehicle. really look
citizens who, reading the newspapers. live and die in
the belief that they kno something Of what has been
looks into newspaper Ia better informed than he who
reads Them nasmuch he who knows nothing is
end errorsn
= various committees have been appointed by the dom
ton condemnng the official conduct OF the executive
ofcers Of the government Their reports were agreed
upon before the appointment Of their members, and
their INQUIRIES have directed to the establishment
fcregone rather than 70 the extraction
OF truth Wholesale charges Of corruption and unscru
pulous in the absence Of facts were to form
the staple OF there reports was party necessity to
call II ns g 81 o
have recently been honored by the appointment OF
such committee to condemn my official Conduct, all but
of its members opposed TO the political sentiments
CHERISH and he (Mr. Thomas) taking little part in its
proceedings and part in its report Its abors have
been industriousy aided by members OF the Cabinet
lately disbanded who were exasperated at the
pursued regard 70 the Southern forts and they have
also been actively stimulated by strong popular senti
ment against me the North excited by my orders,
making equal distribution OF the public arms be-
lated by such Influences lie OF course vruence and
is levelied rather than at the persons really and
Uouessedly connected with the abstraction OF the Indian
trust bonds the subject nomnay under investigate
The report OF this committee was submitted TO the
chairman (Mr MorIis and its revelations exceed all
preceding performances If such committees in the sen
sation sought TO be produced If the mere matters con-
tanned In il alone concerned should treat IL with
silence and let it, like nine days wondet dio of its
own falsy add absurdy but the quasi official source
demands Of me formal reply. This reply is the more
imperative from the failure OF the committee TO bring
up the report for consideration, debate and refutaton
II was merely thrust upon the House and scattered
broadcasr the land and there the ma ter stopped
while action ceased at the very point where my defence
would have commenced. have been tried in secret
and condemned without hearing. The course Of the
the back, and disappears when turned upon. This Is
Anglo Saxon justice or American fair play desire
to be heard. My appeal Is TO q fair dealing people,
Before characterizng the extraordinary proceedings OF
this committee will examine aud refutc their charges
against every in which they have ventured to
reduce them specific FORM And, first, In regard TO
ACCETAACS
which gave the contractors for army transportation
Avor
particle OF authority In fact that confessed TO Mr.
Benjsmn they were Illegal and ssser, tia. they were
fessed they illegal for never believed they We're
though never pretended that there was express Inv au
thorzing acceptaucee by They not without
precedent At different times almost every department
Of the government has put out paper in different forms
= During the war with Mexico 1t for periods the
practice Of Quartermssters TO draw upon the Quartz
master General OF creditors OF the government
and for the latter officer in the abeence OF funds to
acept the orders whereupon the paper went into the
amounted TO millions Of dollars for it has been said
hough doubtless with exaggeration) that the Mexican
that within the last year two, claims upon the
Post Office Department to very large amount have been
put into form to be made the subject OF negotiation
Going back to earlier period OF the government will
be found that this practice very early adopted In
deed paper precisely Of tho kind issued by me, drawn in
the language OF the unconditional accepances which
gave have peated instances passed the ordeal
of the courts unscathed. During the administration OF
General jackson the Post ONCE Department issued
ceptances, unconditional well conditional Not only
did accept in favor Of contractors to whom IL owed
money but 1t Induced contractors, who enjoyed high
credit with the public to draw upon it in order that
might accept and rase money tho paper for its
Court o. Cams One Of these contractors having after
wards died, the settlement Of his accounts with the
government involving teyeral OF these acccpances be-
this suit the Cont allowed the acceptances to be est
mated valid; and Its decision being endorsed by
the Court OF Claims Congress afterwards passed
approprtng the amount recovered against tho govern
ment thus recognizing tho validity OF the paper This
in the Of Resides Executrix) Thoro also
another suit instituted In the District OF Columbia, turn
ing specifically upon the vady OF this precise class OF
validity The case went up to the Supreme Court Of tho
United States and that august tribunal affirmed the
judgment below IN an able decision not one dissenting
tary Of the Treasury claimed the right to Offset pay
ment that had been made by government accepances
OF the representative OF party 70 the paper The Atcr
ney General gave opinion against the popriety OF the
Offset based many reasons but, among all the
assigned, did not occur TO that official to aiege the H.
legality and nulsy Of the paper in support Of his concu
Pennsylvania, court In the District Of Colombia the
Court q Claims Of the United States the Supreme Court
OF the United States and Congress, have all recognized
this precise class Of paper valid and legal.
this be In the OF the Post Office Department,
fo,fiol, Il 50 in that Of the War Department, which
Is expressly authorized to contract without the authority
Of specific law for the case by the act OF 1920 In these
words
HEREAFTER Or sse Ss fsa
su or q the DEPARTMENT Of War or q the Navy sIoep,
sdequs.s ~ fusime and excepting also for
the clothing OF the army ana navy and
tracts BY the Qusrtermasters Department, which may be
made By the secretaries Of those departments
Here the Secretary Of War is expressly authorized 20
make contracts for the Quartermssteris department
without the author iy Of express law; and accordingly
disres the charge OF tho committee that my conduct
was In dsobedence Of law will now explain the
which dictated
Tm GRANTING or AcCnTANcrs
This act Of merit for which deserve tho com
mendaton of the country rather than the censure Of
Coogressonai committees In the history q the world
there nothing for which cabinets and generals have
been willing mike greater sacrifices than FOR the safety
OF armies against any want OF provisions and under
similar circumstances would do again for the comfort
and security Of in the remote West, dependent
fof ts existence upon the transportation trains, what
did DO ~ the eKpensc Of much unjust elamor and vi
tuperstton.
Inc transportation for this service required an immense
outlay ~ the for wagons teams and perishabe
stock; eucn - rev men OF established capital would
ture and none but men Of extraordinary