The New York herald., 1862-12-04
Tho TroubIe About cslv rOreiEn Gonsuls
and Ba nks sst Ncvy erieaDS.

and Banks at Nevy cfieaps.
STATEMENT FROM REvRIa 'Y JOHNSON.
An editorial In the New Orleans IN M % the l5th
November and from c0ry5eN luent 10 that CIT
Of the New York FINES or or about tc same date, con
tans alleged discovery of IRA udulent or tea
sorabe appropriation Of gum of SsehA ~ on he i4t
of April last by the Bark OF New GrieA rs through IL
President, Mr.. Davis, its cashier, ~ Af Delil, ana
director named Howell. This sum Is said nave oeeh OF
chat day borrowed from the bank by J. ~ l. Oe Bow, a.
agent Of the Confederate government ~pa) the mouse
Gautherin Co. for army supplies FURNISH tna gov
ernment and to have been, within forty dN preceding
the discovery sent TO Havana the Sperifh r steamer
Blasco de Garay and in the meantime 10 nave been
secretly deposited with the Fronch Consi Csa ni Mean
i also said tha. this a9ynt was seized In 's hands O
sums which Mr. Revcrdy Johnson as Coum:zA oner OF
the United states appointed by the President, invests
gated during the past and "adyised ta Aovern
pay back and 1t is insnuated that this advice
was given either from ignorance or a worse cause
e % aha nave q besu
makes proper in the Judgment OF the Commission
that they be briefly noticed in advance Of his repArt,
which he supposes will be long transmitted BY The
President to Congress
The charges, as they involve the Commissioner.
seized by General Butler the hands of foreign oonsus
which were before Mr.. Johnson and reported uron By
F,s-One Of $500 900 In charge u Am. Couterie the
Consul OF the Netherlands. This amount under resslu
tion Of the Eoard Of Directors OF the Ctzens' Bank Of
New Orleans (n0t the Bank of New Orcans OF the Path
February lS62 was paid to Mr. Edward Forstal Of
that city gentleman OF the highest character and fer
years agsn. OF Messrs Hope Co., OF Amsterdanl
be transmitted at the first opportunity house.
enable IT TO protect the credit OF the Citizens Bank and Of
the State OF louisiana by paying as accrued the inte
certain bonds Of the state long before loaned
the bank under agreement that before dsposing Of
them they should endorse them, and stpuate 70 meet
punctnay the interest and principal The bonds were
Negotiated in Europe many years since by the bank,
through the agency OF the Amsterdam house, and the in
that had fallen due from time 10 tims TO the
period Of Mr. Forsta had been regularly
paid through the same agency.
large an amount OF coin il for security with the
the Netherlands taking his receipt for II ut the
time Of the deposit The transaction Gu the part Of the
bank was In respect secret one. The resolution
which determined upon IL was unanimously adopted at
full meeting OF the Board OF Directors, and inserted in
their journal OF proceedings and all tho corresponding
and necessary entries were made in their appropriate
places the Of the bank With this transaction
lie Bank OF New Orleans had no connection or interest
whatever had the French Consul either OF tho
persons named in the publications referred TO- Nor has
the money in whee or in part, been sent TO Havana IN
Spanish war steamer. in any other way. Under the
orer Of the President confirming Mr. Johnsons report
long since received byiMr forsa and T. no doubt,
the hands u Mcasrs Hope Co., and held for the
purpose or which was destined
Srcoyi same bank, the Ci.izcns' Bank (not the
Bank c New Geans having occasion FOR further credit
business purchased Of ktssrs Dupasseur Co.. French
houss established crcriit and integrity in tho city, pils
Paris $3.50 000 paying for them as agreed In
coin. The amount delivered TO tho house by the
bank and deposited by them, they being French subjects,
with the French Consul until IL could he shipped 10 Paris,
to cover the bills. the time .hc bills hand
cd the bank, who transmitted them as scon rs they
could 10 their in Europe the proper
period p escnte, eOr acceptance and payment IL was
part the understanding that the Paris bankers were not
to accept until they we're advised Of the shipment Gi ne
coin Pclorc that could be Effected Major General Butler,
ng that tho in possession of tho Consul and
canjcc;mmg THAT the transaccn was Illegal. requested
him IT, which nc promptly ard Willingly agreed
~ do II was seized by the General taktn out of
the custody OK tic COnsul-tho General being sed With
tie promise Of tho Consul not TO part with II I'LL the mat
ter investigated. In the case Of this sum, AZ also Of
the $500 600 neither the Bank Of New Orleans nor any OF
IT, oiccrs the other persons named in the uoea
tiols question, had ythng To do. This transaction,
too as in tho former cse appeared in all its details in
the books Of the Citizens Bank ana was known 10 all
their officers and directors, aud also appropriately ap.
pcarcd in the book. II Messrs Dupasseur Co.. all Of
which before tho Commissioner The negotiation
was a purely legitimate business affair, in way bene
lifting or designer to bec the Confederate government,
any OF its agents. or having any potca purpose
whatever. Nor was II asserted before inc .o,smls.
soner BY Major General Butler, who was advised
of the Investigation before u was made, N any
statement Of his own or Of any other person That the
Confederate government ITS agents had any interest IN
il, direct indirect did he or any ono Cor him call
question the perfect rropreiy OF the conduct o Count
has no doutt long since been delivered 70 sessrs Dupas
Co. and shipped to Paris TO cover the os drawn
upon h -,
was offered or that he could procure BY The most dgent
inquiry relation to both the itcms and his report adj
vising The OF the hrst 70 Dir. Forsta and the
release OF the second from the effect OF General Butler
reancsl of the French Consul IL accompanies by SUCH
evideuco and was before the Prosldcut and Sc.
cretary OF state when bs report was, in It's ontrcy
confirmed. The impntations upon the Comm ssioner
in these publications, and In several prior ones
common origin What the motive inducing them is, VIII
perhaps DO when his report and tho actual state OF
things New Orleans in particulars rot covered ny ino
rerort bccacse not within the jurisdiction ct the coinns
soner shall become known. Unless the almost uniycr
sal belief gentlemen OF Intelligence snS ntegrts IN tho
CITY having every means VI knowledge BE- wholly un-
founded and tho reports o officers Of tho highest charac
ter The service OF the government who have oiciay
visited city since II has bocn IN the possession oi the
military be also wholly unounded, state of fraud ara
corruption exist there that Is without parallel IN tho
past history OF the country.
That Major General gucr Is cogni1nt OF II, or would
approyc or IL ii he was, not tor notncnt ~ DO ne.
Ieyed Rnt if he viii exert tho acutencss and energy
which have heretofore had different direction in.
70 the Investigation OF the conduct OF some os
/ those Ground him, he viii soon discover thai
I the people OF Now Orleans, since they have
been under his away have been perhaps as much nned
against as SHINING aud he will also discover why "a
tha, m who acted under the immediate COMMISSION
OF the Prcsdcnt and whose whole course, after fn ex
animation has received bis decided approval, asd who
not to dspsrage the Major Geusr and wilhou. subject
Ing hnssN even to suspicion or self aduation, MAJ
claim bc his equal in intelligence, political integrity and
personal honor u assacd by some OF tho persons con-
| nected with or under hts command.
They cannot but know that their sspcrons are utterly
false Growing rich themselves on the necessities Of The
helpless people around thcm by cxorons oisrsve ever
10 scency they evidently 10 be under the apprehen
sion that tho Commissioners report, or the knowledge
not only be used 70 pub end " bcr career o punder
but to subject tbem 10 the punishment due Y
their misdees This notice Of their assats not take
from any apprehension that his character can suffer Wit
those who know him The correspondent and the edto
(who are both, u s said, officers IN General Butler
departmen), by their exhibition OF themselves, ar
individually unworthy of regard. Their statement
,.ttl ha atar aaa