Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-05-13
Correspondents Of the Muscatino Daily Journal.
FROM WASHINGTON.


scandal about the Treasury Department just
now. Your readers al know that Frank
Blair made savage attak upon Secretary
Chase, just before leaving the House 10 60
into the field. His illegal appointment to a
NJ jor. Generalship, the Presidents lame
message upon the subject, his still weaker
second message upon the same subject, con.
Trajectory Of the first, are well known to the
country. l III nix nothing has transpired
VIII Oh has so mortified the friends OF Mr..
Linc Ia as his conduct in this unfortunate
business. 1t has driven from his supper,
some of his best fir ends, and has made all Of
them blush. When Fernando Wood, the
leader of the Copperheads generally, and Mr.
Dawson, the leader of the Pennsylvania COPS
perheads particularly, object to resolution
of inquiryofsred by Bob. Schenck, it is o
sorry case for the chief executive. We'll
may Thad. Stevens declare that Abraham
Lincoln can stand great deal, bat he can
not stand the Blair Family" It's absolute
" necessary that be should shake them off
If he does not, the unity of the Union par
ty will be endargcred, and the very cause o
the country imperilled.
The Frank Blair assault upon Secretary
Chase, however, was merely the beginning
of the war in that quarter. Mr.. Brooks o
New York followed, other copperhcads tool
no the STRAIN, til ut last the friends Of Mr.
Chase demanded an Investigation, and spe
cial committee Of the House is now at worl
in the premises. a
Many Of your readers are no doubt aware
hat there are several hundred females EN-
ployed in the Treasury Department, trim
ming bonds, copying, assisting in the print
ing division Of the establishment, etc, etc
Many of them are permanent residents OF tn
city, more are from different parts Ct thu
country, as in the case Of the clerks. Many
of them are widows, or the daughters o
widows. Most Of them are intelligent, ex
cellent women. But submit that his ex
per,ence of the world must be imperf, ct in
deed who does not see that among so many
it could hardly happen that there should no
be some lndiscreet, some, mo better thar
they should be-" However that may be
there is prcdigious scandal astir upon tn
subject The town is full of stories. 1t il
the best time for the gossips ever saw any
where. fla hundreth part Of the store
floating around be true, that congressional
committee will have q sweet time of it
They had better go into the practice Q
| obstetrics at once.
The grard seraglio is in the printing divis
ion. Inueed, there is where all the interes
centres The work done here is under tn
supervision of one clerk; who employs hi
own operatives. The Secretary has nothing
| to do with them. Mr.. Clark himself is,
think, upwards of fifty years Of age, havin
serious, d'gnifed appearance, not at all in
timating the i5ur,ish propensities and prac'l
ces wherewithal the public charges him, and
| believe, correctly. The reputation OF lad e
outside of Clsrk's bureau has not been at
tackled used 10 have several ladies unde
my supervision, bot one Of 'em being tai
low .colored, cross, slatternly, termagent sor
of an institution, | was relieved Of the Who'll
command at my own request SO they can
not shake ther flowing locks ct me; the
cannot sly did it.
D ,partment will be thorough in all respects
There are abuses, no doubt, ard all VIII
know Secretary Chase, know full well tbs
n. will co,rect them Immediately upIn thei
discovery. Nor Is it to be doubted that
the Committee pursue their invest gait rs a
they ought to pursue them, the result will b
di, ect'y beneficial to the Secretary and ind
,ectly damaging to the Blair tribe.
The Republican of last evening had tn
good sense and judgment 10 print the follow
ing editorial al tiele upon your fellow towns
man, Gen. Ed. Hatcn. The article is heade
Long deserved and we'll meri,ed pronoti on,
and here it is:
Sat the earnest request Of Major General
Grant, Sherman, Hurlbut, and others, We ar
glad to learn that Col. edward latch, of tn
gallant I'd Iowa cavalry, has been promote
10 aBrigaditr General. His long continue
success while in command Ct a bri sade an
division, for more than year past, aLtfaete
the attention of ali the Commanding General
of Tennessee. Up to the battle Of the 4th {
Decembtr, in which he was severely wound
ed, he was a terror to the rebel Generals Fol
rest ard Chalmers, whom he had so ofte
met and defeated. General Uu,lbut, in h
letter to the President, said: He vas tn
best cavalry officer he had ever met with
had done as much effective service since tn
encouragement Of the war as any officer {
the army, and that his promotion would be
marked testimony to Uniform good con ,Ve
and gallantry; that he had been constant
and actively in the feld, and for six mon; b
past, it had been almost succession Of ba
ties and skirmishes.' The special report {
the Inspector General Of the 18th army corp
describes COL Edward Hatch, Of the I'd low
cavalry, in command Of the cavalry division
as nan cautious, attentive and rapid in bus
ness an officer of daring, dash ard abilt
in the field. He combines, In an eminent d.
gree, the qualities that make the officer an
gentleman, and had never been off duty
SINGLE day by sickness, leave or oihei wis
and though thorough disciplnarisn, is tn
pride and favorite of the whole command
No officer Of the war has made for himse
and the country moSe perfect record IS
commander and gentleman. Ills adopte
State may well be proud Of him and his brav
regiment. Such has been tie perfect on an
The honorable position the I'd Iowa cavair
attai, ed, that all vacancies by death or othtl
wise have been Immediately filed wi;hor
the aid Of r. recruiting officers. All have RI
,n'isted. General Hatch, with his command
always proved more than match for the ret
els Forrest and Chalmers, and when he
aga able to take the field, be will comman
by hi. daring dash. and ability the aItentio
of the pablIc and his numerous friends. u
is the son of Nathaniel Hatch, Esq, Of thi
city, formerly of Maine. H1 49,.
ave have seen copies Of some Of tn, evi
dence in favor OF the promotion of Col. Hatct
anI it furnishes proud record. Among th
documents are two cemmendat0fy letter
from Major General 8 A. Hurlbut to Rres
dent Lincoln, one from Major General W. ]
Sherman, and an extract from the SPECIAL re
port of cavalry division Of the 10th Arm
Corps. General Grant also recommends
Colonel Hatch in terms Of high praise" p
Now ali this and more being true, is it nc
strange that Hatch was SO long in getting hi
ctorS Nofwiths audinU his fxtraordinarp