The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-04-25
Shameful IniQuity and Ezt0rtion.

IL ~~~1->%-d
e A few days since batch o. prom.sofy
notes we're received in this city TOT eoiec''on'
the history Of which Is so singular, and reveals
A. much strocitv. that we deem some notice Of
N ,A~,b, q Mace In these columns. These
800. .,sra all of the same tenor, SO that
discr,otion and history of one will answer for
49, ..boIe. The one we saw was dated at CO.
,ms,bis. S. c., Dec. 10, 1854; was made paya-
nle TO Capt. R. R. Swift, and was signed By
Capt. Larrabee, of this city, for the sum OF
one hundred dollars. On the back of the note
WAS draft on the payers father, setting forth
that the money was loaned as personal "a.
yor, while the recipient was prisoner OF
war, and requesting Its prompt payment on
presentation. So much for the notes; now
for their history. n
Capt Larabee, who was an officer in the
Maine 7th Regiment, like all the rest who
signed similar notes, was prisoner at Column
biz, exposed 70 the tender mercies OF rebel
rule and regulations. Capt. Swift was not
rebel officer, but was also q prisoner; an Off ]
Ger In the 18th Mass regiment. The prison-
ers were reduced to great distress, and starva-
ton stared them In the face. At this juno
ture Capt. Swift granted them the personal
floors represented by these promisory notes.
His proposition was TO furnish the sufferers
with Confederate money, for which ,he took
their notes, giving 5000 in exchange for "a
note for 500, TO be paid, VI ee~r.o, In green
backs. At that time greenback dollar was
worth in Columbia, as much as thirty il not
forty Confederate dollars, but even this cur
rency the suffering prisoners did not receive
for their promises to pay, but instead thereof,
they received, for their 500 notes, a memo.
ramdum directed to the suttler, upon which
was written, s.Good for two hundred dollarsH,
On the strength OF this the holder was allow
ed to take up at the suttler's the amount there
| Of, he charging them such prices as would
satisfy his insatiate spirit. Ofcourse, the note
given BY the prisoner would go but a little
way under such circumstances, in procuring
the means OF keeping starvation at bay, but
this was his only resource. Iu order to effect
even such negotiation, he was obliged TO
draw the draft ON the back OF the note to which
we have referred.
I - A. Ao~s~~-A%oAD t'1AoO .Wou4u ouPQOcO tuCAc
was extortion and inquiry enough involved in
such transaction TO suffice for almost any
| depth Of depravity, but the half has not been
told By transaction even of this extor-
tionate character, a bona flde obligation would
be imposed upon the makers of the notes,
which in honor they should discharge. The
only question would be, to what extent such
an obligation would be binding upon man Of
honor, whose necessities had thus been take d
advantage Of BY the extortioner. But no such
I question ID involved in relation to the notes in
question. aafSa q baa Sssa
It seems that a man named Coggin, who
owned extensive mills in Augusta, Ca, and
who was running them on contracts for the
Confederate Government, placed in Swift's
hands $4,000 in Confederate money, taking a
paper from Swiftto be used for the protection
of his property Ia case the United States
{ troops should take possession Of the place
this paper certifying that the money was given
\ for the benefit of the Union prisoners. and
Coggin expecting protection on the ground o
such a gift. Lieut.. Chandler lot the Maine 9Th
regiment. drew up the paper, and from him VI
derive our Information. He was obliged to Dc
this, as he was to give his note which has come
to him for collection, to avoid the horrors o
starvation.
1t was the money thus obtained, given os
tensibly for the benefit of the Union prisoners
aud belonging to them equally with Swift, that
the latter loaned on the conditions and
terms which we have stated.
aeese course promises to pay thus obtained, are
repudiated, and the notes sent ner- ~. ,-l,-..
ton win be returned mot dishonered, Tor nc
dishonor can be done to transaction conceiv
ed and perpetuated in such damning fraud
But is there no law that viii reach the mis-
creant officer who has been SO guilty in THU
ttahsaction, and upon the dark background o.
4 whose offence the darkest rebel act would
make light mark Swift, now being out Of
the service, may be beyond the reach of mill
tary law, and the offence, having been com
mitted IN South Carolina, Is beyond the reach
/ Of Massachusetts law. but who would blame
those upon whom his iniquities were practiced,
should they improvise a law and give him the
full beneftcf its severest penalties? oS