The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-10-27

would sell permits and passes to those
who would pay most and mDst readily
ior them and would seize the property
and collect levies in the aptestI way to fiji
their own pockets. Money being the OBJ
lject, the man having mondT, whethe,
loyal or disloyal, would be victim
This practice doubtless existed to some
extent, and it was real additional evil,
that it could be aud was plausihiy charged
to exist IN u greater extent than it did
When General Curtis took cbmmand ol
the Department, Mr. Dick, agaI nst whom
| never Knew anything 70 aTege, had
general charge OF this system. A con-
trosersy In regard to it rsEFdly grew
into almost unmanageable proportions
One side ignored the necessity and mag
nihed the evils OF the system while the
other Ignored the evils and magDiied the
necessity; and each bitterly assailed tho
| motives of the other | could not fail TO
see that the controversy enlarged i'm the
same proportion as the profe -ed Union
men there distinctly took side es In two
opposing political parties. exhausted
my wits, and very nearly my patience,
also, in Efforts to convince both that the
evils they charged on each othe we're in
herent in the case, and could not be cured
by giving either party victory over the
other.
Plainly, the irritating system was not TO
be perpetual and il WIS plausl bly, urged
that it could be modified AT once with ad
vantage. The case could scarcely be
worse, and whether il could be made
better could only be determined BY trial.
In this view, and not TO ban or braud
General Curtis, or to give victory to any
PARTY, made the change OF C@lnmander
tor the Department. ! now learn that
soon after this change Mr.. Die k sas re-
moved. and that Mr. Broa ihe ad, gen
tlemsn of no less good character. was put
in tile place. The mere fact Of this
change il more distinctly complained of
than il any conduct Of the new officer, or
other consequence of the change
| gave the new cpm mander DO instru--
tion@ - to the administration Of the sys
lem mentioned. beyond what u contaiHed
IN the private letter afterwards surrepti-
tionsly published, in which directed
hini TO act solely Tor the public good, and
independently of both parties. Neither
anything you have presented nj nor any-
thing | have otherwise learned, has con.
vinced me that be has been anfsithfui to
this charge.
Imbecility il urged a. one cabs for re-
moving Gen. Schofeld, and the late mas
sacre at Lawrence, Kansas. is pressed a.
an evidence Of that imbecilitvl 10 my
mind, that fact scarcely tends To prove
the proposition. That massacre ia onl,
sn example OF what Grierson, John Nor
4an. aud many Others, might have repeat
edly done on their respective raids, had
they chosen to incur the personal hazard
and possessed the fendish hearts to do
it,
The charge is made that General Scho-
tield, on purpose to protect the Lawrence
maranders, would not allow them to b.
pursued into Missouri While no pun
ishment could be too sudden or too severe
for those mur3erers, | am satisfied that
raid Ato Missouri Was the only safe way
u avoid ndtseriminate massacre there.
including, probably, more innocent
than guilty. Instead Of condemnine.
therefore approve what understand Gen
Sahofeld did in that respect.
TIE charges that Gen. Scho6elI has
purpo*ely withheld protection from 10, al
people, and purposeiy facilitated the ob
Jrets oil the disloyal, are altogether bey-
ond my power Of belief. | dp not ar-
raign the veracity OF gentlemen as to the
facts complained Of. but do more than
question the Judgement which would in
fer that these facts occurred in accordance
with the purposes OF General Schcfeld.
With my prtsa views, / must decline
to remove Gen. Scho6eld In this I de-
eide nothing agains, Gen. Butler.
sincerely wish it vas convenient to assign
him suitable command.
| la order to meet some existing evils,
have addressed letter Of instruction 10
Gen. Schofeld, copy Of which enclose
70 you. AS 10 the "Enrolled Militia" |
shall endeavor to ascertain, better than
now know, what is its exact value. Let
me say now. however, that your proposal
to substitute national force for the EN-
rolled Militia implies that in your
judgment the latter il doing something
which needs to be done; and if so, the
proposition to throw that force away, and
TO supply its place By bringing other
| forces from the field where they are ur-
gently needed, seems to me very extraor-
din.ry; whence shall they come ? shall
| they be withdrawn from Banks, Grant,
or Rosecrans
Few things have been so grateful to nv
anxious feeling, as when, in june last, tie
local force in Missouri, aided Genera
/ Schofeld to SO promptly send large gen
eral force to the relief OF General Grant
then investing Vicksbarg. and menaced
from without by General Johnston
Was this all wrong Should the Enroll.
ed Militia then have been broken up and
Gen. Heron kept from Grant, to police
Missouri So far from finding cause tC
object, ! confess to sympathy for whaI
ever relieves our general force in Missouri
III