, 1862-04-01
From our OWL correspondent

The Baltic al fT-Fd@sdHafJ9dHf8 |
Caucus
From our OWL correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 25, 1862
The week has been occupied by Gen Nc
Clcl]an in grand reviews. There have been no
sham fights, I believe, since the fine weather
Of last December The enemy continue to oc-
cupy the country within five miles Of Manas-
sas 4 stage has commenced running from [
The city to Manassas, but has been very little |
patronizcd thus tar, as the impression prevails
that the enemy will return soma fine day and !
gobble it up.
As the matters which Washington writers |
may discuss are not numerous nowadays, |
aud as cannot speak learnedly Of art, a1che |
my, mythology, the asteroids, the legitimate
drama, Carthagenian horse-shoes, and other
French topics, I will venture briefly upon the
subject of the public morals. The tone of
morality here is considerably lower than it
ever has been before This is admitted On all
hands, and can be proved, or rather needs no
proof, tor the air is heayy with public and pri-
rate guilt. A few years ago high Austrian
official, whose peculations were liscoyerd, ap-
piled the lancet to his OWL veins, and another
similarly situated hanged himself. There is
70 such sense Of shame here. Any coroner's
jury in Washington would find q verdict Of
insanity for such conduct, and the verdict
would be accepted in good faith. The South
erners, as a class, had very nice Eensc Of
honor 60 far as the public treasury vas con-
cerned. Floyd was an xception-almosta 4 SOL
itary ezception-to the rule When they held
the power here there was comparatively little
thieying, and when any was discovered it was
promptly exposed and denounced. There has
been change-a dreadful change for the
worse. The frauds and attempted frauds in
the treasury, in one channel and another, come
so fast and from such unexpected quarters,
that one is bcwildered in contemplating them.
Yet nobody has been brought to Justice, and
nobody seems to think it possible that any
body should be brought to justice. SO, those
rascally contractors says some honest man
in the rural districts. For every dollar wrong
fully taken by contractor, FIVE have been
taken by public servants. And IN this matter
Republicans are just as bad rs Democrats, and
Democrats just as bad as Republicans. Con-
grcss has its due proportion OF yagabond poll
ticians, who think they will never have another
chance, and who are bound to have sstAeir
share" Of the golden, or rather paper stream.
The honest men are in a lean minority, power
less to stay the tide Of corruption, but not, I
trust, wholly power1css to expose it.
Quite likely the readers of the TRIBUNE will,
for the most part, say these statements are ex-
aggerated, perhaps that they are wholly un-
founded. will not travel out Of the record,
nor assume to expose public robberies faster
than they are disclosed by official inyestiga-
tion. But as an evidence OF public sentiment
"A mark Of the morality which obtains in the
highest circ1es-it may be mentioned that
Simon Cameron has been On the floor of the
Senate some hours to-day, in the closest and
most cordial intimacy with several members Of
that body. Cameron's particular mission to
the city at this time is to get his friend Dr.
LeiJ reappoin ted as brigade quartcrmaster-
he having been twice rejected for that office
At the other end Of the capitol, day or two
since, alr. Dawes of Massachusetts,, after scalp
ing Alexander Cummings, (who, by the way,
has been here hobnobbing with some Of our
highest dignitaries, y made the following refer
encc to Cameron's connection with Cum,
| mipgs:
1T is but Just, in order that there may be full
| history Of this matter. TO state that the late
| Secretary Of War just about the same time Mr..
Cummings was pre- epating this attack upon the
committee G, signitied his great drsire to appear
before The committee that he might explain
| But when the committee appointed a meeting FOL
that purpose, and notified the late Secretary Of
Var Of tue time and place, ana appsared there
They sent their nlczsen.er to hIz lodgings 10 re-
me ~ eoea 9f aa as ang an2pqns4 @ 4c eH ni
the, committee manifested. readiness, e
willingness, an anxiety-and I think I ma,
for ~ he rutS and 80 sgned e tht
la1e Secretary Of War, he seems to have lost al
disposition to appear before the Committee, bnI
quarrel Of a Sunday with the late chairman Of ths
| committee Cir. Van WycI), in public hotel ant
sa'5ssd hmsel M With ea!ling TIE committee 5aE
Alexander. Cummings was preparing On the Irs
convenient opportunity to show US up
the to sH
cd either in the evidence OF report But wheu
few da2s ago portion ftle committee had occa
found there walkfng arm in arm through the beau
siinl streets Of that city par mobile f1tiiu and
might add, some OF the time at least, 171cub0n
ianrels-the one On ihoze won ii, liz Sunday quar-
rel with our late chairman, the other on thos,
Won in his attack upon the committee in its ab
sence- But. sir, although every opportunity wa
presented, on this as other occasions. for eacl
Of thesct men to appear before the Committee,
as to make this matter plain, neither OF them tay
lntlma1ed any desire to appeal
The facts referred to by A1r. Dawes have
been wcilkn0Wn for weeks, yet only fourteen
Senators out Of forty-two deem them repre-
hensible; and this is about the proportion
throughout the city in all kinds OF circles
The s,tf,Ar.{shnH f%,f11fnt ff>t
| Vile and Knoxville railroad is being covrrc<
| up as fast as possible.
A stray copy Of the Richmond Enquirer 0
March 18th has fallen into my hands, wiiicl
| contains loud complaint against the appoint
ment Of so many Brigadicr- Generals. II say
| that the rebel government might we'll cop,
from ours in this particular, fnstancing TIL
| Federal army at Bull Run where three divis
ions and several brigades were commanded b,
coloncls. The Enquirer argues that colone
after he receives Brigadier's commission, ,aut
will probably command it much better if Il.
understands promotion is to fol7o,e gallantr.
and efficiency, instead Of preceding the exhi
bition Of these qualities. It urges with mucl
reward Of the valiant and approved command
crs, aid not ]avished upon favoritcs, OF thos
who arc only remarkable for impudencc ans
perseverance in begging The Enquirer ha'
evidently not heard the latest news from
/ HaSHt1Ett3i. GtHatD1 II uSGU tGnA1fI11O q
the Committee on Military A0airs) announce,
to-day that tile 175th Brigatlicr General in on
army had been appointed. Mr.. Wilson sal
also that several others had been rejected. Th
remark ought to be true, but is not. Dau
Sfcklcs is 1he only one yet rejected. Mr.. Vii
son said also that there were several other
who ought to be rejected. Fortunately it
ye1y much in Mr. Wilson'S power, a. Chai,
man Of that Committee, to gr1itify his or.
: wish, but Lis exercise Of the power has bee
very limited. Gen. Blenker was proyei
months ago, to have levied IN Illegal tao
. amounting to 81 900 per month. on the sntle1
!. il bis division. This was proved by B1enker
sworn testimony. The testimony was laid bt
| fore tue Military Committee Of the Senate
together with 4 certified copy OF the iudCmen
| Of the Grand Dncal Circuit Court OF Mayenct
condcmniug B1enker to five years imP5riso1
ulent in the pcnitcntlary, for nlisappropriatin
!. twelve hundred forms belonging 10 his fathe
! i1l-1aW. After long delay, in the course
| which B1eDker's division {of6cers and n1er
became fea1u11y demoralized, the Com1nitte
concluded to take up his case. Witnesst
were summoned. Blenker himself was suu
U1oned-for what purpose nobody could tel
: | unless to prove that he did net levy the sutlt
tax, although he swore that lie did. The q
fair began to grow interesting. German Of
: Gers appeared at the comnittee-room erel
! day for week At last it was decided BY tt
! | Committee that Blcnker was not ft to I
confirmed, and that Wis the last that has bee
heard Of the case, except that number of L
: dies, who hare been serenaded at differe1
: times by the escaped convict, hare besougl
: members Of the Committee not TO make az
! report ut all, if they cannot report fayorab1