New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-08-26
"sHOD DY.~


alleges lsxity of management with regard to
the expenditures of our gigantic civil war;
plain country farmer, who reads only The World
or some other Copperhcad organ. would nat
urally conclude, from its Representations. thot
President Lincoln and the Heads of Depart
ments were in collision with contractors, pur-
yeyors. etc., to depete tho Treasury and I'LL the
pockets of favortes to the greatest possible
extent. But not the opposition only out inc
Republican press also, has frequently COM
plained Of the exhibition of spendthrift ways,
and urged to greater energy and severity IN
dealing with officials who connive at the Work
Of misrepresentation ofpublic money.
Dr. william A. Hammond held for some time
The most responsible office of Surgeon-Generai
Of the U. S. Armies. Complaint was at length
made that he wa using his official power to
enrich certain iayorites preliminary mVesu'
cation had. trial ordered and this trial-hsv'
ing consumed nearly four months-has resulted
in yerdio. OF Guilty. The President has APP
proved the finding, and ordered DR.. Hammond
10 be degraded from his Office. and to DO forever
incapable of holding any position OF trust or
profit under the Federal Government. The 80
lcitor of the War Department has been further
ordered to initiate prosecution against Dr.
Hammond and his favorites for the recovery OF
the large .ums-seyoral hundreds Of thousands
of dollars-which lac is convicted OF having
enabled those fayorites TO make at the expense
Of the Government.
Hereupon Dr. Hammondiss a card asserting
that ne has no idea that he will lose one irlend
by this action of the Administration and inti:
mating that he has been the victim OF conspi-
racy. false swearing, and malignant abuse OF
ctfeiai PoE'r.'
| We take thi- ~ matter Of course, We know
nothing of Dr. HammoRd's politics, II he has any
but believe that he vas friendly to the Admin
is,ration 80 long as it kept him at the head Of
the Medical service Of the Army. And we pre-
sumo he might have held his place to this day.
if he had been content to help bis friends
with any approach to moderation but when II
comes to ordering rotten, worthless blankets by
the million do!lars' worth, at exhorbitant prices
for hospital service that must be very patient
or q very blind Administration that would stand
such experiments on ts forbeasancc.
| But The Uorid-than which no journal has
been more fcrocous and screechy in It's denun-
Citations of Shodiy"-comes to the rescue
Though so savage against peculation in the az
grcgate, it appears to have weakness for pee
ulaton in detail when diminished to such a
trilc ~ two Or three millions Of dollars. Hear
it pettUcg the case Of DR.. Hammond
"The sentence Of ehs court In the Of Surgeon.
General Hammond hns taken by surprise. Snch i'm
pre-sons as had received II the merits OF the
were be sure made by perusp Of the printed argu
ments Ia tho court BY the Judge Advocate and
hy counsel for the ACCUSED. " the testimony had
nothing except such 40 was extracted by counsel
nish In the absence Of anything else very imperfect
basis for correct conclusions upon tho hcts oil aeon
tested yet when the papers are a. elaborate and
complete In the present instance they are sources OF
Information not TO be despiscd.
The argument OF Judge. Advocate BINGHAM on the
Of the prosecution bore such inherent evidence Of
D Sss sdyocaa ;so, hr ,h was' u,
lied upon il u, putting the oense Of General HAMMOND
IN It's worst possible light put cyep with tkat suQng
coorine vs. did not detect anything to indicate that
the prosecution had or relied upon evidence to convict
the accused Of being inspired to his improper practices
by considerations Of pecsNidy gam u himself di'
rect indirect We say improper prsctices. BECAUSE
il il clear that very wrong things were dore and per
mitted by the accused IL was wrong 70 so perempto
riy prefer Philadelphia to Baltimore market for
purchase Of medical supplies out Of feelings Of interest
IN Philadelphia city in her merchants person
al friends. whom the Surgeon General desired to bcne
tit, with no prospect OF pecnnlary reward to himself
II was wrong 10 ord the medical purveyor to prefer
certain parties in the purchase ot blankets In order 10
thereby indicate 70 Of those parties appreciation Of
services rendered thro the Dewsp pes in the
Of Dr. H. for the poet Of Surgeon Generals and for both
these aots due punishment should be inflicted 1.-THE ey
denoe discoses that these things and others done
by General Hammond for direct or indirect money
sderation. then no punishment warranted by law and
custom o the service Ia too severe; but IT, the other
hand il Is Of yielding TO clamoous cont &c
tors being imposed upon BY pretended friends with
ON thought on the part Of tho accused Of money
pensation o.. benefit then the country will say that the
sentence IN too nash and In view 81 notorious co-tnp
tions in OTHER prbc Offices which 90 unpunished and
unrebuked that otIsr motives. besides public wefrs
have impelled the eApl 'sion Of DIR. Hsmmond from
Office through the forms Of n,'tary judcature Every
body knows that neither the Pressat nor Secretary "
War. Judge Advocate General sbcyc INDUCING
personal spite and partisan revenge through the fern Of
when opinion by Mr.. Holt IL affixed TO publication
ofthe approval Of O sentence by Mr.. Lincoln"
Hon. John a. Bingham Of Ohio, the Judge
Advocate in this case, is widely known as q
lawyer aud jurist Of eminent capacity, and a
statesman Of unquestionable purity and worth.
No man who knows him can believe that he
pressed this prosecution one hair farther than
was required by convictions of justice and duty. |
Nor is there the faintest suggestion OF. motive
for i'll will towards DR.. Hammond OF the part of
the President, Secretary Stanton or Judge Holt.
Then why these insinuations OF "a personal
spite and partisan revenge" when the.e is moi |