The Soldiers' journal. (Rendezvous of Distribution, Va.) 1864-1865, 1864-06-15
Official Corruption Rebuked.


boasts that no other nation so plenteously pro-
vides for her soldiers she does, and not only
her provisions for the soldiers comfort abundant,
but of the very best quality. The ration issued
is more than any man can consume, and the
apportionment of clothes is such that a soldier,
with ordinary degree of care, can save one
fourth of his yearly allowance. When the SOL
dier fails of receiving, in quantity and quality,
as much and even more than he is able to care
fully expend, it must be the result of accidents,
which under some circumstances unavOida-
BILE, or infidelity the part of the officers to
whom the government has confided the disburs-
ment of it's supplies.
That corruption exists, and has been practiced,
there is doubt but whenever it's author is dis
covered his immediate exposition and punish
ment have followed. Several persons, who oc-
cupied positions of the highest trust and respon-
sibility have been detected in their fraudulent
practices, and the government has been swift in
bringing them to Justice; but the last, and, pro-
badly, most audacious and extensive instance of
official corruption has been brought to light in
the past few weeks and it's author, one Solomon
Kohnstamm, of New York City, subjected to
penalty that will carry dismay to the hearts of
all evil doors. This scoundrel Kohnstamm, oc-
cupying high social position, and enjoying the
most implicit confidence of the public and gov
eminent, succeeded by means of forged papers,
in defrauding the government out of about three
hundred thousand dollars, and when detected
relied upon his natural adroitness, immense
wealth, and hitherto unsullied private charac-
ter to extricate him from the difficulty, but he
soon discovered that neither his native shrewd-
| ness, money social position would avail to
| rescue him from the penalty of the law which he
had so presumptuously violated. The following
extract from the Washington Chronicle of the
LIST inst, fully explains the nature of his crime
and what disposition has been made of the Gull
prit =
1.-The criminal was a man of wealth he had,
therefore, apparently no inducement to his crime
He defrauded his government of enormous sums,
by forged papers, at time when every patriotic
impulse should have prompted him to deal fair
ly with an overburdened treasury. He used his
social position to corrupt employees, whom, as
an honest patriot, he should have encouraged to
their duty. His frauds were mainly connected
with the supplies furnished his country's defen-
ders, when they were being hurried forward to
| the capital of the nation to put down the armed
resistance of traitors. Even after the various
indictments were brought against him. he impu-
| IDENTIFY calculated on his escape, fancying that
| the meshes of the law were like cobwebs ONLY
| designed for minor criminals, while the great
| offenders could break through; and when as
tonished by the verdict, he sought to escape it's
tiles. But in vain. With all the outcry raised
about corruption, it is not safe thing to defraud
the government Justice has not been less sure
| in his case because DELAYED on the Indictment of
which Kohnstamm is found guilty (There are
others hanging over his head.) This culprit has
been sentenced, by Judge Nelson, to ten years
imprisonment, at hard labor, in Sing Sng.'
1t is to be hoped that the example which the
government has thus made of this man, will
prove a Statutory lesson to such as may now be
engaged in, or may contemplate the preparation
| of similar frauds.
|