New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-04-24
TRAITORs DETECTED.

We print elsewhere an account Of the dis
coysry at Washington that James l.. Addison,
Chief Clerk in the Adjutant-General's Office,
and his brother Anthony Addison, Chief Clerk
in the Pension Bureau. have been all along
spies for the Rebels and engaged in conveying
information to open agents Of tho Confederate
Government, by whom it was promptly trans
mitted TO Richmond or tho headquarters Of the
Rebel army These two black hearted traitors
own and occupy farms in Maryland southwark
Of Washington, to which they have been ac-
customed TO repair every afternoon, returning
TO their duties next morning. Meantime, what
ever information they could obtain that was
likely to DO OF service to the Rebels was silly
conveyed 10 their Maryland neighbor. the Rev.
John Martin who acted as Postmaster fer JEFF.
Davis, by whom it was forthwith struggled
across the Potomac, and sent on its way 10
Richmond or Fredericksburg. This is, as
vet, but the sum of Col. Bakers investigations,
but there can be little doubt of the facts.
The account adds that Rev. John Martin and
his daughters, who for two years have paye
the part Of Rebel spies at the gates Of the
capital, aud who have probably done the Union
cause more harm than any armed regiment Of
traitors, and who heaped insult and yItupera-
ton on the officers sent TO arrest them, " will
tomorrow be- sent outside of our lines with
their baggage" Had Union family played q
like part to theirs at the gates of Richmond,
they would have been shot or hung at abort
notice and all their property confscated to re-
plenish the Rebel treasury. We manage these
things differently on our side-perhaps better;
but that is by no means certain.
Adjutant- General Thomas has lain under Q
cloud of suspicion which these arrests, will,
we trust, dspel That there was q leak in
bis Office, was long ago Palpable; and there
have been rumors-frst, that he was arrested;
then that his daughters were-all, of course,
without foundation. Probably no man was
more surprised than be on learning that a
! venomOus traitor regularly peered into oil his
papers and was familiar with his most guarded
secrets.
1t was a grave mistake of the President that
he did not at the outset OF his Administration,
order general clearance Of all the Depart.
ments and Bureaus at Washington, and fill
every post with men of unquestoned, Jealous,
incorporating loyalty. OF course. SOME
would have been dismissed who are loyal and
deserving; but they would have had the same
chance to earn their living with tho millions
who never held an office while the latent
treason thus expelled from the seats of Federal
power would have been no more malignant
than, and not one-tenth 80 influential as it ha.
been. Treason in the public service has kept
the traitor chiefs fully posted with regard 10
our forces, their disposition, their movements; it
has been prompt to indicate every exposed point,
every weak spot, and show where, when, and
how, to strike with q moral certainty of sue.
cess. Hundreds have lived on liberal Union
salaries while doing the vilest work of Seces-
sion. Our Government has been lenient 10
weakness with respect 10 open aud blatant
sympathzers with treason at the Federal Mo-
tropolis, but in retaining the minions Of Floyd
aud Cobb and JEFF Davis In places Of the
H. hest trust, it has been gravely culpable
Ind luals Of ardent certain loyalty might
fairly have been made exceptions; but tue
Buchanan ofice.bolders as class should have
been swept out Of the Departments, and their
places supplied by mon whose loyalty was
above suspicion.
History will attest that our military failures
have generally besn attributable 10 tsoasAery.
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