, 1862-02-01
STARTLING TREASON DE-
vEL0EpIkgaaEE!h937s.
REPORT OF THE POTTER
COMMITTEE,
1,9st Di~loH-:al ESna4.lO~~cs
OF Government.

OON1Al1 4hL,
l,isc Di~1o>-:al Employees
OF Government.
Nc lay 1,eIorc our readers another iustall-
mc1lt OF the Report OF thu Potter Committee
on tue dis)oyalty Of of1icc-holders retained in
thc employment Of tho Government. The
Committee began its investigations Aug. 24
1861: 1t then took recess for few days, aud
resumed its lnbors On the OIL. Of September,
and continued them from day to dag until the |
ST., of October.
During this period, about five hundred aud
City charges Of dfsloyalty against persons con-
ncctcd with the Government were made and
inquired into, in relation to which near four
hundred aud fifty Witnesses were examined.
Since the present session Of Congress COM
the Committee, rs far as their other
duties would ulloW, resumed their inyestiga-
tions, end several meetings have been held, at
which Important cases have been inquired t
into, und valuable information elected. In
deed, it has become quite apparent that the
subject is far from being exhausted, and every |
day new casts arc being brought to the atten-
tion of the Committee, involving serious !
charges Of di5loyalty against persons intrustcd
with office, or employed in Responsible situa-
atlons by the Government.
Flc position Of the President and heads Of |
Departments is not favorable to the receipt Of [
information prcjudicla to the loyalty Of those
employed under them, Such information al !
most inyariably rests with fellow clerks, and
other citizens Of Washington, who ffud it diE !
tcult to gain access to those in power amid |
the press Of public business. In the mean
while, aisloyal men who haye resolved to en-
Joy the patronage Of Government which at
heart they desire to see ovcrthro~n, and
against which they arc perhaps conspiring,
lose no opportunity to l1lgratiate themselves
place, and other influential persons, by faith
less professions Of loyalty, and opsequious
protestations Of personal regard It is the
Office Of the Committee to step in and supply
4 channel OF communication between the pco-
pie, who have for years known these dis1oya1
men, and the distinguished gentlemen whose
duty it becomes, upon proper evidence, to re-
move them from office.
All The evidence has been given under oath3;
and in majority Of the cases involving the
loyalty Of the clerks, Witnesses have been fsl-
low~clerks who have been associated with the
accused for months or years. The Committee
hare endcavored to avoid, as far IS possible,
all testimony founded in mere partisan or per-
souaI feeling, They may not in al cases have
escaped This source Of lnisinf0rulatiOn, which
ulHEk uuIftlIuBi} illLEIu I'LL 44t VI
this kind, but they have earnestly strlyen to
guard against it.
The testimony also shows that there is 4
large number Of employees who have never
been heard By any one to utter sentiment Of
disapprohation Of the rebellion, or Of cordial
feelings for t11e maintenance Of the Union.
It is not possible for loyal citizen to re-
main silent or Indifferent III the hour wAcn
mad rebellion raises It's parricidal arm against
the Government. At such time he must
speak, and he will act. Love Of country is 4
sentiment Us deeply implanted in the human
heart as tic love ofliie Itself; aud if the utter
ance Of patriotic sentiment and sympathy for
t the nation is withheld, when its very existence
| is impcriled, it is because treason has Infused
| It's poison into his soul and par:ilyzed his
| tongue.
| CALEB 3. SMITHS DEPARTMENT.
The Committee found t1e Department Of
the Secretary Of the Interior perfectly rotten
| With eecesslonists. They laid before the Sec.
| rtta1y the evidence Of the guilt Of scores oi
employees, but no heed has been paid to thci,
! exposures or relnonstElnccs. The traitors
continue to feed and f!tten at the public crib
We take the following specimens 1T random
from fightfully long list:
JSo. II. NATTNG1Y.
| a witness in this case, 0. G. Abel, is clerk
|
in consideration Of lis relationship to anG
friendly association with the family, that Mr.;
Mattiugly' s conversation Indicates strong sym
/ patliE with the rebels. Heard him speak dis
paraging1y Of our troops, and in exaggerated
cath was first rendered to him, he hcsitated
1org time about taking it, and only took it Il
the earnest solicitation Of his friends" Tht
t witpess further states that he has hcar<
Mattinely ''spcak in the most contemplation
terms Of the Union troops, calling then
stealing done in Baltimore vas by Unio,
troops. Has also heard him use exrression
| in drinking, ITO the health Of JET. Davis,
ITO the success of Bcauregard, and TO til
success Of the Confederacy.'
; that he knows John B. Mattingly, q clerk j
r the Post-Of1ice Department, appointed by til
, present Administration; that this assocl:
flons hive BEEN, sna arc yet, with those VII
. are known to sympathize with the rebel:
I Witness is satisfied he is 4 seccssionist."
/ J. FouKE, CLERK, LAND OFFICE.
9 G. B. Tow1cs, a resident Of Washington
= in the Land Office, some time prior to tue i.
. . auguration. Witness says, '.Fo3kc opcnl
b ayowed himself secessionist." On anoth,
|" occasion, viz. last Monday (the ed Of Jul
~ 1sG1,> Witness heard ForEe Guy, We hay
e {udiDg to the Gght Of Sunday near 5i,n.assa
! Fouke also said, "The damned Yankees Il
\ ! lighting TOR pay, we tor pTlnelplc.' IT
J, brother Of witness, James Towles, WAS pre-
e cnt when the conversation took place.
Z James Tow1es, being sworn, corroborat
= the above statement, and adds that Fouke, c
y the occasion above alluded to, said: " I
!, !, knew they could whip thcm, and they could (
Il it again.
Q e said that "wAen he went to fight
n fought for principle, aud not for pay, as the
L. | d-I VanEnpa ii1 Thnra Uns M 11-a of +
r : Yankees going down there, as they would Z
y their d-d sca}p5 taken ef.'
N Lor1s BcsToRTn, CLERK, PATENT OFFICE.
to The witness. Elias D. Young, resides in II
le city, and boarded in the same house vi
rs Bosworth, previous TO the 4th Of March, 1S{
H. Witness s'heard Bosworth repeatedly denoun
I'd the Government for taking any steps to p
I'd down the rebellion Of the South.' Boswol
as stated to witness 'stbat if he vas removed frt
he office he should 60 South, and he had
lg doubt but he could get employment under I
d Southern Government" Witness fnrt1
Iy states s'that Bosworth's wife and children
re, open secessionists."
ek JOSEPH BROWN, POLICE COMMISSIONER, I
~. ~ The witness, Solomon J. Fague, swears t
- II know J. Brown, Commissioner of Poli
~ recently appointed by the Secretary Of the
III terror. In April last, when the Virginia tro,
,tb marched iuto Harper's Ferry, had q cong
r. r. sation with A1r. Brown. He said the North
ey troops ought to be whipped like hell. t
ii, him that lie WIS mistaken-that this rebel
1H nf me, but thought the United States Cove
-ed nlent would hare to succumb."
IN SMITH MINOR, LAND OFFICE.
ust The witness, e. B. Golden, a watchman
'pt tho Treasury Department, swcars that u
md told nc at the time Of the election Of d
ses gates to the Virginia State Convention, t
$ l lis sympathies were with the South, but
rs his interests, le supposed, would be in fl
ut, Of the Cnion.''
ary Another witness, Henry c. stro1nan, cl
so IN the Customs Bureau, testiGes that, i
conversation with Smith Minor, 'le M
ing tanned the position that the States had ri
lew to secede. I took Issue With him, bat he {
Late tended that they had that right under
nal Constitution, and that if the South felt
and self aggrieyed, she had a perfect right to
adc cedc. Mr.. Minors reputation among
be neighbors was that Of secessfouist,"
scd 4 third witness, Richard Southern, dcp(
les. before Justice stratton, Of this county
ma. district, "that he was one Of the Judge
Il the election at Balls Precinct, the Fif1h
'uld trict Of Alexandria county, when the vote
IN takcn for the ratification or rejection OF the
odi- of secession Of the State Of Virginia, and
and his official capacity, be recorded the yot
the | Smith Minor, now employed in one Of
pint Government offices, and that said vote
the cast in favor Of secession, SO help him G.
the The deposition will he published in full
get the evidence.
ould .r,ycp \, 4.ou.pn e1rpr 1x ou,
Mr. N'@oA n1.uH.r
and .,. re..1.- -
a. 9Th Auditors Office. His testimony is as
,,sis- ! lows: II know G. H. Howard, an exam
nate in the Census Bureau; have heard hin
rtec that the war was gotten up by the pre-
IN Administration, and they must carry it
i thc He said 1t was an unholy war against
Cn..4h 3,n} valid 1,ny. Inn nhFy