Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1863-09-09
dpolitital,
A Black Record.
GOVERNOR CURTIN'S PORTRAIT
DRAWN BY a BLACK REPUB-
LICAN EDITOR.
VOTERS, READ!

The following article appeared on the
goth of July last in the Pittsburg Gazette,
an Abolition sheet of the darkest dye,
which shows the estimation in which
Governor CURTIN is held by large ma
Jority of his own party. An artist from
the internal regions is not likely to paint
the devil blacker than he is, and we may
fairly infer that it is correct likeness as
far as it goes, and that the history of the
balance of his misdeeds, which the writer,
| says he has g scarcely yet opened would
! exhibit this reckless aspirant for new Cub
ernational honors (and perhaps new
! shoddv contracts) i'll a still more unfavor-
able light
! =. We have already suggested that we
! would regard the denomination of Governor
/ Curtin as great calamity to the party and
/ to the country. for the double reason that
! we should expose ourselves to the imminent
| risk # defeat. if we did not even show
thereby that we had deserved it, and that
! we should render very doubtful service to
! either. lay electing him. We now proceed
to assign some of the reasons for that opin-
ion.
1t cannot he disputed. we think, thaS
hi. administrators has proved eminently dis
astrous to the party which brought him into
: power.
That Il las Jee,t an unfortunate one for
( the State, the present condition Of her pt,h
dercd sinking fi,id and daapjddted rerenues
,riH oB,mdan6y attest. II IS not clear that al
IL. IL
IS bui hcO cieGr that II has been damaging
one for hiBseIt-S 50 damaging that IS nore
than 6oubtt'm ,chetber he Union sentiment
strong as 1t ,H9ueStiondHy IS. ,could be sutH
cies,tHg l0trelfm 10 oceI7ide the unfdc0rGJit
opinions so generality entertained Of has in
tegI7fy and ,risclom. Notwithstanding tie more
than charitoble reserre Of the press. mhict has
f,u,g mantle Orer his faults. and perkdf':
encouraged has fiiends and hinseif TO Jetieut
that lie history Of his administration tcl
continue a sealed book. or be Forgotten amic
the cTangor Of arms and tie strife Of the 6at
He,feld.
:. He came into office less than three year.
ago, with huge majority. and Legisiatur
e of which nearly three-fourths of botl
branches either were, or claimed to be, Re
t pubhcans. At the end of one session n
had thrown all that majority away"
:. Entrusted with eXpending the first ap
I preparation made by the Legislature fer tn
common defense, he gave to his own crea
lures the power of making contracts, as hi
e 1J9irdte agents, in relation to articles wit
which they were entirely unfamiliar, to tn
le great injury of the soldier, who was victlm
zed by their unskiifulness or fraud. Th
st fact was found By committee appointed b
himself, under the pressure OF pubic clf
IL NOR, which grew out of the treatment OF III
volunteers who had assembled at Harrisburg
Those JTdre youItg men uho had responde
st so generouslg TO the first call 0f, their cou1afT
,rei,e an roqs. uih sItoddy restments, shO,
10 ,rhose sOles ,rere stuffed uih shacin9s, a"
blankets almost as thin and transparent as
70 srindoIc- pane. 1t was reported and b
lieved that they had been given over to Il
no tender mercIes of few heartless specui
tors who were then lowering about the cap
tai. The officers at Camp Curtin, justly II
D dignaut at what they saw drew up spirit'
~ remonstrance to the Legislature, which W
80 presented to the House, at their instanc
by one of our own members. 1t suggest
y, to him the proprlety OF an inquiry as 10 u
nature of the contracts made for supple
. and the names of the agents through who
they were made, and he offered resoluti
accordingly. He wished tt know, and
1
sundry individuals then lettering around t
capital, who were pointed out by the tong
we of rumor and known to be entirely unit
the purpose, had been actually commission
'i' by the Governor, as his agents, to make &C
tracts for the soldiers.
=" One of these individuals was cert;
Chas. NJ. Neal, an active ward polltici'
and Acting Commissioner of Philadelph
ear who was understood to be an intimate a
:. confidential friend of the Governor, !
sell answer Of the Governor ignored the fdct
his employment. although the record She
his that on the very day proceeding or follow
his message to the House, he had endor
po- and approved a contract for clothing mi
by the identical individual with the Frow
fields of this city, in that special capacl
for On this contract Neal was afterwards
dicted here, AMI it was while that indictm
as was depending that the Governor felt
necessary, in order to appease the pu
eve clamor. or divert it from his own head,
. raise a committee of has OcR dPpOint@
den to inquire into his own conduct. That G
mittee proved. very unexpectedly, to b
(. fair ons-so fair, that If was deemed