Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-29
General Biair's Exposures of Seere.
fary Chase.

tary Chase.
Some weeks ago General Frank p Blsir. an
earnest Republican. aud an able officer who had
served with credit in the Western eamDaigns
exposed to the House OF Representatives the
nature Of Secretary Cbase's trade REGULATIONS.
and the machinery oy which those regulations
are made 70 inure to the political and pecuniary
profit OF himself and his partisans. and TO the
detriment Of the national cause General Blair
also charged upon the head OF the Treasury De-
partment personal corruption. and for the truth of
this charge, and Of the facts upon which all his
charges were based, and which be had laid before
an open Congress. he pledged his honor as "A gen.
tleman. as an arny officer who had served where
these regulations were in force, and as a Repre-
sentative.
A case cannot be conceived more loudly de-
handing immediaie aud searching investigation.
Mr.. Chase's Appointment of the corrupt scoun-
drel Callicott, known by him to be venal and
worthless character, was sufficient cause for such
an investigation If the integrity of Congress were
Of high order; but for the sustained and reiter-
ated charges OF Mr. Blair not to be investigated
j. itself sh~ meful dereliction of duty Mr.
Blair begged for an honest committee: the mat
ter was referred to the Committee on the Con-
duct of the War-the whtewashing committee.
whose room Is not merely the grave, but the tor
tare house of Justice.
W Utu MI DlAI udlc tDeSp charges. ~ was OF
Importance to break their force by DESTROYING the
credibility of the witnesses So A foul mouthed
and characterless person from Missouri, one
McClurg, was deputed to deny them, aud to
charge malfeasance in Office upon Mr. Blair
violation OF the laws in an alleged liquor specua
ton. The special committee OF three. TO whom
these McClurg charges was referred. excupate
Gen. Blair entirely and show that one Michael
Powers. an agent OF the Treasury Department,
for purposes OF speculation. forged additions to
original aud lawful order of Gen Blair So
the whole trumped-up case against Gen. Blair
fell conspcuously 10 the ground and one of Mr.
Chase's subordinates was shown TO be forger as
well
In his speech following the committees re
port, on Saturday, Gen. Blair reiterated many Of
his former charges against Secretary Chase
charges OF the most serious nature, and one of
them duplicating Senator Sprague, the Secreta
rvs new son in law. Not one friend OF Secretary
Chase arose in the House to defend him. The
leader of the House. Mr. Thad. Stevens, took
pains to disclaim the assertion that he was the
representative of Mr.. Chase ON its floor, and Nc
Clurg, amid lsud cries of "go on" puslan-
mously POSTPONED his reply to General Blair till
after that officer shall have returned to the field.
Our reafers are mistaken il they suppose any
investigation of all the thieving, the plundering.
and the treason-abettng in Secretary Chase's
Department will be suffered TO take place The
Republican majority in Congress will iout the
very appearance of decency. They rely conf
IDENTIFY upon the blind ianaticism of their follow
ers, who. ii Mr.. Chase only favors for
ending slavery will permit him to be guilty, or
dsbeeve that he is guilty, of the most shame
full personal and official corruption. They feel
no cOnstraint, external, from public opinion and
none internal from desire to official
purity and punish official corruption. The
foundations OF public morality are thus suffered
To be sapped lest election be lost; and in order
tn keep in place and patronage Il party leader,
that palSy's representatives, in Congress and its
journals over the country sit speechesS while an
officer high in rank, Representative on the floor
OF Congress and gentleman born in historic
family, brands into the forehead of that party
leader-a member of the Cabinet, an aspir.nt for
the Presidency-the brand of dishonesty, the
brand of corruption.
Such brandings leave scars, and although Mr..
Chase and his friends NAV to day affect indffer-
ence aud promise themselves that there will he
no Official exposure, they may rest assured that
it is not within the competency OF any party to
avert an investigation and stave off exposure
forever. The naajorites of all parties are inter
ested in good government. and honesty in the
administration Of it. Ii is therefore impossible
for the Republicans long to retain power. or the
practices OF the Secretary of the Treasury long
to be covered up and so unpunished IN. Y.
World
In this connection publish the following
items from TIE Washington dispatches TO the
same paper:
Mr.. BLAIR CREATES A SENSATION
The House to day taken of the even
tenor of its way the Tax bill. 10y speech of
Frank Blair on the report OF the special commit
tee. pronouncing the celebrated liquor order a
forgery. He personal on McClurg, his
colleague, that he was several times called 10 or
der by the Speaker. He then devoted the
mainder of his speech To Mr. Chase. whom he
denounced as the most corrupt man of any age:
that his trade regulations ere cheats and swim
dies that the enemy hid been supplied by them
with munitions OF war: that Senator Spraeue.
Mr. ChaSe's snn-in law. had made million
dollars through Secretary Chase.
THE SECRETARY DIsUNIoyIsT.
Finally. he said that the latter was opposed in
the cabinet TO putting down the rebellion. at The
first of H. had been in favor of the III, solution of
the Union; and concoctiug schemes
that would certainly end il carried ou,, in final
dissolution No replied To him. except
Thad. Stevens, who declared the intmatiOn that