Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-04

make good use of the privilege.
"EBeast'' Butler-Gen. SchencL's
Provost Marshal i'm the Peniten.
tinry.
i tFrom the Washington Correspondence Of the Chica
/ so Timesl
This disaster at Plymouth, your readers
will observe, is in Beast Buffers depart
ment, and he is directly responsible fol, its
occurrence. That the Confederates had
some such design in view has been
known at his headquarters for more than
two weeks past 1t would have been quite
within the power of an able commander, in
| Buffers place, to have taken such measures
as would have averted the calamity. But
Butler made light of all the intelligence
| that was brought to him; and behold the
result.
No man knows Buffers character better
than Gen. Grant A decided. though not
prominent feature of the plan of the lat
ter was, that Gen. Butler should be super
seded by Gen. w. F. Smith. Mr.. Lincoln,
ever inclined to tempOrize, and knowing
what storm this would bring about his
head from the radicals, is trying hard to
save Butler; but Gen. Grant is ineXorable.
He knew that with Butler, in command at
Peninsula would be abortive. Finally Lin
coin has compromised the matter by per-
mitting Gen. Smith to be assigned to the
command of all the military operations in
that department, but leaving Butter in full
command as civil governor, so that he could
still play the petty tyrant over women and
clergymen. Hence Buffers demand of the
President to be allowed to retain the COM
mand of the troops in the department.
A good deal depends on what Mr.. Lincoln's
answer to this will be. If he refuses to
comply, and sustains Gen. Grant he knows
that the radicals will make capital out of it,
and may withdraw their support from him
in the Baltimore Convention and give it to
Butler; for they have made Old Abe under
stand that Butler must be sustained in
everything. Mr.. Lincoln's prospects in the
Convention are but shaky now at the best,
and it would not take much to throw him
overheard and to place Ben. Butler in nom-
ination instead. On the other hand, if he
sustains Butler and ignores Gen. Grants
wishes, it will interfere with the plans of
the latter to such an extent as to defeat
them. This is only one instance among
many, however, of the serious disagree
ment between General Grant and the Pres
ident.
The court martial sitting here in the case
of Fish, late Provost Marshal of Baltimore
under Schenck, have found Fish guilty of
the charges preferred against him,-fraud,
peculation, embezzlement, &c.-and have
sentenced him to be dishonorably dismissed
from the army, and 10 be imprisoned for
twelve months in the Penitentiary at Al
bany, N. Y. This is very severe sentence,
much more so than that inflicted on Col.
Belger, who was the Quartermaster at Bal
timore, also under Schenck, and who was
simply dismissed from the army. The
members of the court which tried Fish are
well known for their kindness of heart and
mild disposition; and this severe sentence,
therefore, indicates an unusual degree of
turpitude on the part ofthe convicted person.
The sentence has been submitted to the Pres
ident for approval. 1t is most likely that Old
Abe will reverse the sentence and order
Fish to be discharged. | would not be sur
prised if he should even order Fish to be
restored to his rank in the army,-that of
Colonel! 1t is such men that the Admins
tration delights to honor. Besides, in all
that Fish did at Baltimore, he acted under
the express and explicit orders of Schenck,
then In command of that military depart
ment. Fish was protege of Schenck's, and
never did anything without consulting the
latter and getting his sanction. In hun
dreds of instances Of the most glaring wrong
on the part of Fish, when complaints and
the proof were laid before Schenck, his in
variable reply was that Col. Fish was right
aud had full power to act in the matter, and
that he would never interfere with what
Col. Fish did
If any one ought to suffer for FisE's mis-
doings,-and heaven knows they were bad
enough,-Schenck is the man, and not Fish.
Rut as Schenck's Influence at the White