Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-05-12
THURSDAY, MAY IL, 1864.
GOVERNOR PEIRpoINTs ACCUSATIONS.

the duty Of the honest and fearless patriot to ami
madvert on the errors and expose the abuses of
mon in Office as to resist the armed enemy in the
field, because resistance to the latter will be in
effeetiyea, precisely in proportion to the errors
and abuses tolerated in the former" we did
not foresee that the theoretical justice of our
views under this head would be SO speedily ap-
proved by the practical example of one who
stands high in the confidence of the present Ad-
ministration.
We allude to Governor PEIRPoINT, of Vir-
gnia, who, it appears, has deemed himself placed
under "the painful necessity" of calling the
formal attention Of the President and of the Congress
of the United States to the abuses Of military power
in Virginia." alleged to be perpetrated under the
auspices of Major Gen. Butler, commanding at
Fortress Monroe. The charges which the Co.
vernon brings against this officer relate to "the
capricious exercise of power outside of the rules Of
war in manner justly to render the military au-
thority obnoxious to the friends of the Government
and the Union cause" And it is openly charged
that these abuses instituted and sustained for
corrupt and mercenary purposes.
NOUS and irresponsible newspaper correspondent"
they would deserve notice, however much, on gen.
eral principles of probability, they might command
the popular confidence in their credibility If these
were the accusations of prejudiced political op-
ponent of the present Administration, they might,
in point of form, be fippantly dismissed as the in
spirations of party rancor, however general might
be the conviction, otherwise entertained that they
had basis in fact. If these accusations were of
general and declamatory nature, they might be
ignored for. lack of demonstratve cogency, how
ever clear might be the Impressions that where
there was SO much smoke there must be some fire
to produce it. But when, instead of emanating
from an irresponsible source, they are uttered un
der the signature of the Governor of the "loyal
State of Virginia." when, instead of being
the deliverances of political opponent Of the pre-
sent Administration, they proceed from Governor
who fully and frankly endorses the political policy
of the Administration in its conduct of the war;
and when, instead of being vague generalites,
they are the formal, exact, precise, and specific
charges of such an Administration Governor, we
submit that they are of a nature and authority
which cannot be ignored either by the person ac-
cused or by the service whose uniform the person
wears. NI .A
1t is known that these imputatons on the official
purity of Gen. Butler are not new. The official
Investigations of the last Congress contain the
cord of transaction to his discredit, which,
so far as we are informed, has never been a sub
ject Of inquiry for the purpose Of either vindi-
eating his character Of from an odous allegation,
If the sworn representations made against him
before the committee of that Congress were false,
or for his condigu punishment if they were true.
In the official report Of the special committee ap-
pointed by the House of Representatives Of the
last Congress to inquire into all the facts and
circumstances connected with contracts and agree
ments by or with the Government" is foupd the
testimony Of Mr.. j. F. Whipplc, Of New York
city. Mr. Whipple, it appears, is hat merchant,
doing business at No. 81 Broadway, in that city,
and he states under oath, that Gen. Butler offered
him valuable contract for 5000 hats, in the
autumn of 1861, provided ten per cent on the
amount of the contract we're given to his But
ler's] quartermaster !" to divide around" That
quartermaster was Capt. Paul Il, George; and the
corrupt proposition, according to Mr.. Whipples
asseveration, was made in the presence of Gen.
Buffers adjutant, Major Strong. The testimony
of Mr.. Whipple, with all its particularly Of state
ment as to tho time when and the place where this
alleged proposition wa, made, may be read in
Report No. of the House Committee on Govern
tnent Contracts, Cd Session Of 37th Congress, on
pages 1902, 1903, and 1904. The testimony
of Mr.. Whipple, SO far as we are spprized, has
never been rcbutted, because his charges have
never formed matter of investigation. few
days before they were made Gen. Butler had been
dispatched by the Government to New Orleans
OF his military administration at New Orleans
we purpose to say nothing, because we are confn-
ing ourselves strictly to the rehearsal of public
charges which have recognised authorship, and
which do not depend at all upon common rumor or
vulgar belief.
We do not intend at present to recapitulate the
specifications brought against this officer by Gov.
Peirpoint in the communication he has addressed to
the President and the members of the present Con-
gres. In the discharge of our functions as public
journalists we simply apprize our readers Of the
fact that such communication has been made !;
"a Il L.o~ ,loooJ tbob bor Ja ocAL. l.