Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-06-13
IFrom the world,l
The Thieves Friend nc Washing


TON.
h We have twice exposed the virtual COM
plicity of Secretary Stanton with the in
famous frauds committed by Captain II. w.
Hurtt formerly Assistant Quartermaster
In the Department of the Ohio. The evil
dence Of those frauds, comprising widely
ramified and long continued system OF EN-
bezzlement and plunder, was tracked out
and brought to light by Major Mclean, then
on General Burnside's staff. The letters OF
| Captain HURT himself are the most damn
ing of all the proofs of his guilt. Under
General Burnside's administration of that
department cOurt-mariial was appointed,
and the charges and specifications were
drawn up by the Judge Advocate of the
Department Major Burnett. The trial
was to have taken place in December last.
just before the trial was to, take place, by
direct orders from the War Department
Major Mclean was ordered off to Fort
Vancouver on recruiting service! General
| Burnside protested against this extraordi-
nary proceeding, both because Major Nc
| Lean was needed on his staff, and because
his testimony was indispensable on the trial
of HURT. This opposition forced Secreta-
ry Stanton to postpone the trial till Major
Mclean was got out of the way, which was
done. At length Secretary Stanton accom-
plished his Infamous completely with the
scoundrelism of HURT, by exiling Major
Mclean to the Pacific frontier. Having
spirited away the most important witness
in this case of wholesale embeZzlement, ne
dissolved the court martial at Cincinnati,
and ordered the case to be transferred TO
Washington, several hundred miles from
the residence of other witnesses cognizant
of the facts. s.
Hurts accomplices were persons having
direct and intimate relations with the Sec
retary of the Treasury, one of them being
III. d. Cooke, Of the firm of Jay Cooke d Co,
and another partner of his in the proprie-
torship of the Ohio State Journal, Mr..
Chase's home organ. Major McLean's tes-
timony would have dragged the deeds OF
these men to the light, and their corrupt
relations with the financial head of the ma
ton could not have been concealed.
But the case was transferred to Washing
ton, as we have said; Major Mclean kept
away on the Pacific coast, and several
months suffered to elapse while the thing
"blew over" The case was finally brought
to trial, and HURT found guilty. But no
one has heard of the fact till now. No pub
licity was given to the trial, or to the YER
dict, and the verdict itself has been before
the Washington authorities for two months
without action upon it. Meanwhile tre-
mendOus influences are being brought to
bear in the review of the case, still to de-
feat the ends of justice. .4t4.
1t is not enough that the accomplices of
HURT, the friends, the immediate political
and personal friends of Secretary Chase,
have been successfully screened from the
exposures which, but for Secretary Stan
toms corrupt and shameless course in avert
ing immediate trial, and putting out of the
have been made. 1t is now sought to rescue
HURT from the punishment of the law.
The verdict, as we learn, was an exceed
ingly mild one, and HURT counts confident
ly on being merely dismissed the service,
and then restored by President Lincoln for
his party services and value to the party.
Nor is his hope absurd. If Black, another
swindling Quartermaster, and Hall u Smith,
the two thieving horse contractors, can be
pardoned after their crimes, HURT may
hope to be for his.
Words cannot increase an honest mans
sense of the infamy of this whole transac-
ton. The bald facts, as we have recited
them, are enough. Yet there is no defense
or attempt at defense by Secretary Stanton.
He sits down infamous and contented," and,
worst ofall, there is no public opinion in the
Republican party which will force him to
defend himself, or resign, as man unfit to
hold any office; there is no care for integri-
ty and economy in the public service among
the Republican journals, which do not dare
deny these facts, yetdo not attempt to make
them impossible hereafter by denouncing
them now; there is no. protest among
the time serving Republicans on the
floor of Congress, whose friends and whose
friends friends want contracts and offices
and favors from the War Department; no
investigating committees, not one indignant
honest man, careless ofparty ties and anxi-
Gus only for the honor of the government
and the honesty of its high officials; and so
shameless, indecent dishonesty and prosti-
tuition of power proceed unhindered to the
accomplishment of their final result the
security of frauds upon the government
the immunity of criminals who are parti-
sans of the administration.