The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-02-14
Words OF Startling lmport-The COnsrac
tors Destroying the Nation.

jecl for the painter and many theme 10 be by
our future poets "wedded TO immortal verse"
What sublime devotion to soldiery duty was
tha: which impelled young Greble 10 stand al
most alone at his gun with "death as his COM
panion gunner" that he might protect, with
| his last charge. the retreat of Pierce and his
men from Great Bethel! What an example OF
| the most exalted heroHm was that Ct Lyon,
| when he deliberately rode into the Jaws Of
death TO redeem the adverse fortunes of the day
at Springfield! Wha: picture OF unyieding
patriotism and heroic courage is seen in the
conduct OF Mulligan at Springfield, fighting
viciorlousIy for nine days, against overwhelm-
ing odds, until his Home Guards not he were
iamished into submission. These and scores Of
other kindred scenes Will inspire many pen
and pencil in the bright and glad hereafter. But
| worthy of equal rank with these is the noble
scene so recently witnessed off the stormy
coast of HAtteras, Burnside, unawed by the
ferceness ofthe storm and The aging OF the un-
J chained elements deiying danger and death, as
he passed from ship 10 ship in his little boat,
| cheering hlS men and gathering together the
scattered vessels OF his 1eet.-Tbis must 1--we up
on the minds OF the people, and be embalmed
! in their memories through all coming time.
| But well will it be for the people, WISE will it
be for the Government, and fortunate Will it
prove for our glorious cause, # we all, while
cherishing The memories Of that sublime specia-
Gle, remember also the startling words that
were wrung from the heart OF Burnside, in his
hour Of anguish--"THe CONTRACTORS HAVE AL
MOST RUINED Me, but God holds me 10 the palm
Of bis hand, and all will yet be we'll"
Here we have crysialized, ia this brief ex-
clamation, The whole philosophy of The misfor-
tunes of the war, and OF the certainty Of our
final. success. The contractors have almost
ruined us; but God holds US in the palm Of his
hand, and all will yet be well. Who kept
Burnside and his fleet, and his thousands and
thousands Of gallant men, for two whole weeks,
exposed 10 destruction upon the stormlest coast
IN the United States? Who but The reckless
and guilty scoundrels who furnished vessels
known 10 be unfit tor the seIvice What car
ed they what stores and ships might be lost,
what priceless lives might be sacrificed, what
| fatal blow might be inflicted on The cause, if
they could only succeed iu making money out
| OF the country in her nour of necessity? What
| has thNwn US back six long months, and dis
graced us most in the eyes ofthe world? The
disaster at Bull Run. And what caused that?
Was il not the notorious fact that the War De-
parlment, instead OF bending all lis energies TO
the organization, tue discipline, and the health
| f1l and honest supply OF the army, was Just
given over utterly TO io5bers IN contracts and
military commissions! So entirely was the
war regarded as nothing but huge job. that
| for three mouths but little else was done than to
| parcel out the plnnder. There was no time
nor opportunity TO do anything else, for The or
ganized gangs oil plunderers who thronged the
streets and hotels the Capital seemed to have
absolute possession OF the War Department,
and excluded nearly all proper visitors and all
| legitimate business. And so this deplorable
condition Of things went on until the middle Of
July, when an armed mob, short of all uecessa-
ry supplies, wholly unorsanized and half de-
moraised were sent out to battle, and the plum
delng system eliminated in The calamity al
| Manassas Besides the shame this brought up-
on our brave soldiers, The disgrace 10 our char
acter abroad, the terrible sacrifice OF lie, The
loss oil millions of property, and the loss OF
PRESTIGE, IT PROLONGED THE WAR INDEFMlTE-
LY.
! After this disaster the outcries OF the pro-
| pie and the dennnciaiionS of the press checked
the evil to some extent, but did not stop it. Al
tho more attention was paid to regular business
in the War Department, the jobbers and spec
ualors still had large sway, and besides plum
derng the Treasury dId great deal of ms
chief; 10 what extent we need not rec;te, tor
! some Of the details are still fresh in the dlSclo-
snres Of Congressional Committees Of lnvestiga-
| ton So shameless and monstrous were the
abuses IN contracts and purchases, that Il Is
within ihe mark 10 say, that OF the four hun
dred millions thus far spent on the war, full
one-h half, or tuo huadred millions, hue gone
,nto the pockets Of the pluaferers. We now
see the natural and embarrassing result OF this
in what is TO- day the worst trouble of The war
- pressing want OF money for mme date use;
for the people and the banks who are furnish
ing the money became dRgusted and alarmed
a. the Government pro6igacy, and stopped the
supplies. Ifthe Government only had now what
has been wasted upon jobbers, mlddle-men pol
ilcal hacks and go-betweens, it might carry on
the war for six months, and perhaps 10 the end,
without another dollar.
But there is new state OF affairs in The War
Department Vigor, honesty and economy are
now the orders OF the day. Congress Is labor
ing 10 establish a satisfactory financial policy.
This, however, is not all that should be done TO
bring the people and the banks once more TO
the pecuplary support OF the Government.
Many of the monstrous contracts that were
made during the reign OF the mdde-men, are,
doubtless, yet running Secretary Stanton
should strike at all these with heavy hand.
He has it IN his power, one would. think, to
discover how, by whom, and thro' what nfiu-
ences these contracts were made. II so, he
should discover and expose every detail OF such
tra1sactions, that the guilty parties may be
subjected to public contempt and disgrace, and,
If possible, be also made 10 dlsgorge, and, be
brought to exemplary punishment. We be-
Enun lhni ,nn hui rehnct almost universal nnln-