The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-09-18
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, Sept. IT. 1866.

General Howard has been devoting most Of his time
for three four days past in investigating the condition
Of the freedmen in and around Washington. There are
probably fifteen thousand OF this class in the city and
vicinity They not fed at government expense, but
supervising eye liz kept on them by the agents OF the
Freednen's Bureau. or course, when General Howard
goes among Them the freedmen endeavor to show in tho
most attractive mannsr-s0 that great hearted Official
goes away with the belief that the pets
getting swimmingy The young females Of the settle
men appear in fine linen and 1t would require closer in
vestig,tion than any moral gentleman would be willing
TO make discover their OF procuring the good
clothea Muscular black men, whose statements to the
bureau that they have employment utterly untrue
are growing fat and spending money In manner as
founding TO all who omit reading the records Of the
police court Petty crime and centiousness among the
freedmen Of both fssrully the increase In
this city, 10 shown by the daily police reports The
pets succeeding admirably in pulling the wool over
the eyes Of their working friends.
THE MENTAL CONDITION OF CAPTAIN WIRE.
Wirz, the Andersonvie prison keeper, seems TO have
undergone complete, though considering his precar-
condition. remarkable, transformation Of his
mind since his Illness During the early days OF his
confinement in tho Old Capitol he in the habit Of
borrowing from Captain West the superintendent Of the
prison. such classic literature the works OF Moliere,
Milton Dante and De Quincy; but since his illness he
has entirely discarded these authorities and IT is author
tatively stated has actually been perusng the we'll
known but not widely read work. Baxters Call to the
Unconverted.'
THE TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLAR EXCEPTION.
The twenty thousand dollar exception in the Presi-
dents plan Of reconstruction has elected considerable
comment North and South. Its opponents apparently
forget that slavery still exists in Of the Southern
States Kentucky for instance has abolished It,
All shareholders supposed fall within this excep-
Hon and all pardons extended TO that class con-
dtioned upon full and complete remuneration OF the
right to property in slaves All who are pardoned are
therefore committed individually to the abolition OF
slavery independent Of the action Of the State Legsa
Is this not sufficient for the exception
until the States have legally and formally declared their
adhesion to the doctrine Of emancipation
ABUSES IN THE SYSTEM OF OBTAINING PARDONs
II additional evidence were needed to prove the
abuses Of present system Of obtaining pardons it
might be found in the daily issues Of almost any Southern
paper Advertisements soliciting that class Of business
and guaranteeing the utmost promptness and despatch
paraded in all their col These attorneys ceme
with bundles Of petitions for pardons They passed
upon in the Attorney Generals office, sent to the Pres
dent signed conveyed TO the State Department for
the SEAL delivered to the Attorney General for transmits
sion to tho applicants and taken possession Of by the
attorneys who claim and actually collect fees for the
same when in fact they to extent instrumental
in obtaining them and IN any way expedited their
passage through the departments. George Hllyer and
A. W. Hammond Sou, Of Atlanta are actively solicit
ing this class OF business Let the public beware Of
them and understand that the applications for pardon
are in nowiss benefited by such attorneys.
THE MEXICAN QUESTION.
II true that information received here not long
ago that President Juarez had fed TO Ell Paso from Chi
haahua but from the tenor Of the advces 1t does
follow that the fortunes of the liberals rretrev
ably destroyed However that may b. Is certain that
there is change in the policy heretofos discovered by
our government In relation to Mexican affairs.
MAJOR GENERAL sLOcUM.
The revocation Of the President Of General slocum
order in Mississippi Is descanted upon at considerable
length in ofcia letters received from officers that
department. and the hope expressed that the apparent
antagonism may lead his early resignation His
cent nomination may decide him to resign. but he h
understood 10 fully in the Presidential policy
THE CAPTURED REBEL TREASURE.
The HERALD dispatches Of last week mentioned that
Mr.. Mcfarland was here on behalf OF the Richmond
Bank their claim to tho treasure captured in
Georgia when Davis attempted TO escape. The claim
rests on exceedingly unsatisfactory grounds There 10
little II any evidence that IL the property Of tho
bank banks There is still less that IL was not iegiti
matey connscased under the laws and well recognized
procedure Of the federal government II Is susceptible
OF proof that the money In question removed from
Richmond Confederate property position OF 10 was
thrown of the tram for the payment Of Joe Johnstons
army Tho latter general stated during his recent visit
70 Baltimore that such was case and that the
left for his army amounted to dollar and eighty five
cents per capia and he received that in
mon with the rank and file of his army The balance ID
now claimed by individuals corporations. Does any
one believe that the money would been left II Davis
had escspedY Do not all feel and know that II was con
sdered the property OF the Confederate government
and was so de Jacto II not DE JureS
THE TREASURER OF THE UNITED STATES.
General Spinner has LEFT Washington for several weeks
sojourn In New York. During his absence Standsh
Bury WILL by appointment of the President be the Act
ing United States Treasurer General Spinner has been
In that ONCE four years and half and has lost only
nineteen days that time, losing eighteen OF them In
consequence OF sickness For two years he has
worked seventeen hours every dny. II Is not known
any Of the government employees are ambitious Of
following his example of industry.
THE CONTEMPLATING OF GOVERNMENT CURRENCY
The utterance Of spurious one hundred dollar com
pound interest notes ana other dangerous countsc
shows the Importance Of the governments using alto
gether the paper especially adapted 10 genuine issues
end which IL now manufactured In the Treasury build
ing The larger quantity Of the paper purchased
in tho open market TO which the counterfeiter has
access but the Treasury Department expects ultimately
10 manufacture sufficient quantity for al lbs uses and
Of character not Liable 10 be successfully countseed
INTERESTING PATENT CASE.
An application for tile extension Of the John Nanny
patent combined reaper and mower Issued september
23 1851 and ressued in Ave divisions In 1856 Is now
pending before the Patent once II is second in npor
lance only 70 the Mccormick extension dsfeased Ia
1901 The extensios is opposed by Mr. Albert johnson
Of Washington the only contestant Of record; but
Messrs Coombs Coon who appear his counsel, arc
understood be retained by other parties whose names
are not made known The matter having been referred
by the Commissioner tho Board Of Examination OF
the iath and 18th inst able oral arguments were mad,
80. H. h...a b,r Ma..ru paIdwn Con In faxnr al