New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-07-29

To the Editor If The N. Y Tribune.
SIR: Many of our political friends abroad conceive
that the frequent complaints OF CORES pondenis IN re-.
gard to osloya clerks in the governmental defart-
ments have no foundation in fact and consequently bat
little notice is taken of heir retainure in Office to the
exclusion Of good men and true. Now, | profesa
to know something Of the status OF clerks here. ana
am not one " no would wish to the Adminlstr's-
ZION resort TO prescription on tho grounds of mere
partyism. nevertheless think that if closer line
Of discrimination were resorted to we should have
fewer of that class OF suspected individuals In the
iepartments, end les reason to murmur at the
I" powers that be- /,
When toe "Potter Investigation Committee"
con- menced is labors. it termed an nquisitoriai
body, and denounced by the guilty as secret con-
eIave gotten up TO force tie several heads OF bu-
reaus to do their bebesrs whether the individual
coming under The ban OF their dispeasure was loyal
or dlsloyal TO the Government. This was the cry
started in this ely and taken up by every ques'iona
bic Journal, from TIE n. y. Heyaid to The Wash
ington Siar. But the investigation went on, de-
spite the croakings Of old Government fixtures"
and the result was that three Gftbs of the employees
under the old regimes found 20 be bilious cases
AMI wonderfully mixed up, in most instances,
with the Seceders. | do Bot pretend 70 say
thai tho revelations made before Mr.. Potter COM
miitee were in all cases Invested OF prejudice or that
Witnesses did not sometimes 'oerleap the mark in
their anxiety TO make clear case Of disloyaty. Yet
we are not be guided ia Judgments by Isolated
ases of wrong but to look at the great and invaluable
amount Of good accomplished by the inquiry instituted
by the House Committee. Treason was hunted up,
the sympabzers Of jeff. Davis and bis lawless band
ferreted out, and the men who marked themselves
behind their official oaths stripped Of their DIS
guise aud their principles laid bare to the public
gaze that none might be III doubt TO which side OF
The Union claimed the largest share Of their affection
Such them was the POSITION OF things at the close Of
tbs work, and such the good accomplished by sifing
the spurious from the genuine friends Of the Union,
and for this if for DO other, the chairman OF that
Committee has won for himself the character OF an
honest and faithful public servant. But has the la
Dor of this Committee subscrved the purpose for
which is Wis instituted Has the pruning-knife
been applied 70 these infectious branches and the old
fossils been removed ard the Aegean stable been
cleansed Of all the pointed olt by tie
Potter investigating Comnitteel These are the
considerations for which the people have right -
inquire. 1 doubt much the policy OF slowing favor
20 those who never have been heard 10 express one
word for the Union or done TO aid IN putting
down the Rebellion. That We have many of this
cas sill holding positions under Government is aiact
viii pretend to controvcr Anotberfea,urs
that seems TO have caused considerable embarrass-
ment to the heads of the departments and which is
but little known TO outsiders il, almost every man
accused of Secession procvtes, and whose case
would have met with prompt action on the part OF
secretaries, has hsd Republican Senator or
member Of the house az sponsor. and consequently
j. permitted to h6d bis place. l will briefly
refer to "a clerk removed frorn the Treasury Depart
ment Tor disoyslty, aud whose Reinstatement vas
eoquently pleaded for by Senator from Vermont,
az Il case of poverty, and this same individual, with
the influence Of Republican member Of Congress,
has not only succeedeG in procuring lucrative places
tor two daughters but has also ngratiated himself
into the interior department with q salary OF 81 100
rer unnum. Thus il is, SIR, that "we apples do
swim" Loyalty may do very well for our .fghf-
ing population, but when II comes 10 rrittng, somo
Of our grave Legislators TO ignore the qnaiilcs-
ton altogether. AUSTIN FOWLER.
UGsaiugfgn Cify, July IS, 1852