Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1862-06-25

IN the HELD, OF, / '.tu upon Llic ltOple VI
all ranks and conditions in life, of every
party, of every creed, and of every faith. to
give ear to this warning, and to defend them>
selves at the great tribunal of the ballot box
against wrongs 81 wicked, oppression so in
human, crimes 50 revolving. | abhor trea
son my soul has never sympathizet with
the designs of a traitor to the Constitution
of nv country: | would spend here and
consume all my time in dcnunciatlon OF the
fatal dJcrine of secession and aUsi : Gep!O-
rable onscquenccs, if any result would thus
he ACCOMPLISHED: but when | find proven
offenses in our midst of sufficient enOrmity
10 prostrate any nation that ever had place
ON the pages of history; if not speedily
checked. see not why Shoull pass them
by. in order TO discuss a subject on which
there is no diversity of opinion
have not. however. completed my proof
of the charge which make of general and
wide spread fraud in the management of the
financial concerns o. the Government. There
is one dark chapter more to which | wish to
call attention Of the House and country |
allude to the melancholy history of the mills
tary department cf the West. Is written by
the committee on war claims. at the city Of
St Louis. Would to God that this Repub-
lie could have been spared this additional
and most bitter cup of shame The report
of this committee Is so extraordinary 81
utterly amazing in its mOnStrOuS revelations
of lawlessueSs, and fierce, devouring cupidi-
tv, that the mind almost refuses belief IN
its statements | venture to assert that it Is
without a parallel in the recorded transac-
tions Of any nation on the face Of the civili-
zed earth. But painful and humiliatiug as
the facts therein contained are 10 every man
who loves the purity Of our national name.
pose that committee, eminent alike for their
ability, their patriotism, and their integrity;
together with the clear and unqueStioned
evidence on which they base their report.
Tivet the belief in every candid mind that
the simple truth has been conScientiOUslv
told. There Is no escape om this damnnC
exposure. Its light Is as Scorching, witLeI~
ing as the hot blasts Of the simeon of the
desert. 1t will not do for gentlemen on rhc
opposite side Of the Chamber to attempt by
studied silence to ignore is existence. 1t Is
not = document 10 be trC ated in that = a.
1t em2nates fr,m a source Of the h;ghc t
responsibility. 1t is the work Of hon 81,
faithful labor. No malice from personal
grieis or political rivalry can be charged
against it. Let rs see then how SO fair, SO
able report deals with the idol to which a
great party. has linked It's sinking fortunes
/ can quote but enough t. show the general
license and corruption which prevailed. My
time forbds more than this.
In July, 1861, General Fremont, sur
rounded by his personal aud political favo-
rites, gathering from the Atlantic seaboar,!
and the coast of the Pacific. like vultures to
their prey assumed the command Of the
western department, with the rank of Major
General and established his HEADQUARTERS
at the city Of St. Louis. He proceeded tn
10 inaugurate a system of military supplies,
of which the Committee speak, As follows {:
This system. alike fatal 20 the pecuni-
ary interests of the Government and the
morality of the service. was lot confined to
tents, but extended to every portion of the
field of army supplies which was sufficient
" fruitful to attract the avaricc of this class
of men. Honest mechanics who had tents
for sale, merchants who had supplies which
the Government needed, ard men from the
country offering horses and mules were
turned from the quartermaster's office with
out conference. and driven down into the
nes.les of the middle men, t. become. i'll
common with tie Government a prey to
their rapacity.'
Starting with such sv-tam. each days
practice under it was new page of cor
ruption. whether in fortifying St. Louis at
a dead loss To the Government of $50 600,
or in the infinite folly Of building a worth
less ponto0n bridge at Ptduc7h. at another
loss of S125 900; whether in ordering the
construction Of railroad cars. at 4 loss ot
$4,000, or Ia the purchase # forage. by
which 100000 was p.Underel from the
people: vhethC- in the purchase uf arms.
Of clothing, the building Of boats, the pur-
chase of horses. mules. and tlcir equip
ments, the rent Of houses. Of barracks. Of
steamboats,, the Use Of railroads and tie
telegraph lines, III al, in everything. every
where, all pervading and omnipreseut fraud
of the bOiGest and m,St audac.ouS char
acter is discovered and DRAGGED to
light by the labOrS of this committee. Il Is
not, sir, poor, pitifuI, sneakin- fraui. hut
fraud Of gigantic dimensions. ana Of daring
satanic aspect. 1t l. fraud such a. a corrupt
aud aspiring consul of Il me might mmit
in some distant and oppulent province. when
he cast his ambitious and longing gaze upon
the imperial purple. IL is such as ha.
marked the career in all ages of those whc
entertained the USurper's designs against the
liberties of their country. That | do not
state this case too strongly. 1t the followiu
extracts from the report before me bear wit.
ness:
The most Stupendous contracts. iDvalv-
ing an almost unprecedented waste of the
public money, were given out by him IGen
Fremont in person to fav0rites over the
heads of the honest and competent officer:
appointed by law. II seemed to he Lis prr,
pose to present himself as the embodiment
of political and military power. and to show
alike by his words and c0nluct how little he
depended upon the Government IF his corln,
Try, and how utterly he diSregarCled its laws,
its regulations and its policy. OF course
such an example 'uld not be otherwise than
contagious. The whole frame work of the
political and military systems. as organized
by law, was embraced and disorder and
criminal insuSoriination everywhere pre-