The New York herald., 1862-07-27

asked for; and the combination of Dix for Gov
ernor and Seward for Senator is the first
| response that we have seen to this change of
affairs. Already it has caused an intense alarm
in the camp of the Internal republicans, and
is meeting with hearty response from all
Union loving men. Let the ball roll on, and the
world will soon see that We have not studied
the lessons of the war in vain.
The Remarkable Patriotism OF Govern-
ment Contractors.
Times change, and men change with them
There are now but twenty-five Revolutionary
patriots left in the country; but as they dis
appear new order of men spring UP to take
their places. Once upon time it used to be
considered the duty of patriot to make every
effort and sacrifice for his country. Now, how
ever, the enlarged intelligence of the nineteenth
century has changed all this, and he is the
purest patriot who can make the most money
out of his government in the shortest space OF
time. We find our most illustrious examples Of
perfect patriotism and exemplary virtue. there
fore, in our government contractors. The re-
ports of our investigating committees are the
annals of our most distinguished men, whose
names will shine brightest in the history
of this war. In this view of the case,
the embryo contractors who design to
make themselves patriots out Of the
equipment and supplies Of the new army OF
three hundred thousand men recently called
for by the President will find much to admire
and emulate in the cases cited by the Contract
Investigating Committee Of the House, in its
second or supplementary report, just published.
In regard to the purchase and charter of
ships, for example, the committee have dis
covered countless modes and instances of pa
triotism. They bring before the bar of public
opinion the patriotic George D. Morgan, with
his two and half per cent commission, and
the numberless middlemen or shipbroker pa
triots of whom he is the type. Prominent
among these is Mr. Russell Sturgis, of thi, city
patriot who managed to receive commissions
both from the government and the men whose
ships he purchased for the government. Mr..
John Tncker, patriot Of Pennsylvania, having
been appointed General Transport Agent for
the War Department." purchased two vessels
| which had previously been rejected by gov
ernment officer, and paid their owner, Mr..
Marshall 0. Roberts, eighty-nine thousand
dollars more than their actual cost. These
troops and sent to Port Royal. One
Of them foundered and sunk on her first
voyage, her cargo being a total loss The
other ship reached port after throwing much
of her freight overheard, and was Immediately
condemned by a survey az useless. The steam
er Governor was purchased by the agents of
the War Department after having been con-
demned by the Navy Department, and sunk on
her first voyage, her cargo being lost and her
crew only escaping watery grave by the skill
and energy of Captain Ringgold, of the frigate
Sabine. Are not the men who sold and the
brokers who bought these ships for the govern
ment to be honored and esteemed as patriots?
In the New England Department Mr.. Paul r.
George chartered the ships for the Ship Island
expedition. This patriot was surrounded by
favorites, whose influence had to bs purchased.
In some instances one sum Of money was re-
ccived by the owner of vessel, while another
and much larger sum was named in the char.
ter, paid by the government and received by
the government agent. Is there no patriotism
in such dealings! In this and all other
departments ships were chartered at heavy
prices, and allowed to lie idle while under
pay The steamer Constitution, chartered in
Boston, earned her patriotic owners s135, 900
before sailing, simply by lying idle at
tho wharf. Other chartered vessels earned
more than their value before leaving the
dock. The committee might have added that,
by some similar patriotic arrangement, the
small vessels, receiving $3.50 day, have
always been loaded and unloaded first, while
the large vessels, receiving $4,000 day, have
been left for weeks untouched. c. S. Bushnell,
the very distinguished patriot who sold the
Stars and Stripes to Morgan for $4,000 more
than she cost to build, was Immediately taken
tn Morgan's bosom, and was his agent for the
purchase of the yaruna. Mr.. Bushnell bought
the Varuna unfinished, for $4,000 had her
completed at a government shipyard without
any expense to himself, and then sold her to the
government for Sl35 ,OO0-clearing S25, 900 by
the transaction making the govern
ment pay twice for completing the vessel.
Turn from the sea to the land, and we find
records Of the same patriotism. Mr.. Thomas
4. Scott, an official patriot, was employed to
supcrintend the government RAILROAD transpor-
tation; and at the same time he was vice presi
dent of a railroad company over whose line
most Of the transportation came. How could
Mr.. Scott consult the best interests Of both the
government and bis railroad? He patriotically
fixed tariff of charges for government trans
portaton at least one-third higher than the
prices paid by private individuals. The con-
sequence was that Mr.. Scott's railroad increased
its profits about forty per cent, and the national
treasury proportionately suffered. Il there no
patriotism in this!
But these matters Of transportation are insig-
nifcant when compared with the patriotism dis
rlnved In nrocnrinr snnnlica for The nnrnrn.