The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-05-31
General Whittlesey's Report.


Among the papers sent to the House Of Rep
resentatives ou Monday, by the President, was
mass OF documents respecting the Freed
~ l,on bureau, including full report from
oeh' "hittlesey, Assistant Commissioner of
Nortl carolina, to the Head of the Dureau.-
Nobody VINO knows Gen. Whittlesey has felt
any uneasiness with regard to t,,a asnors;oon,,s
which nave recently been cast upon his char
acter. His position in this State the nure re-
cord of his past life, the unshaken confdoroo
OF Gen. Howard all combined to pace hin,
above the petty ISLANDERS which some papers in
Maine have nevertheless not been above ra-
failing We find the portions OF his report
bearing most directly upon the visit of Gener-
ais Steadman and Fullerton, among the speci-
al dispatches of the Boston 4duertiser, as fol-
lows: .r.
Generals Steadman and Fullerton have Wis
lted This State, comma stoned, as they inform
Gu me, 10 examine and report upon the work.
.nes Oh tae bureau. In what purports to be
ther report, published III New York paper.
there are several statements SO suited 10 make
laise impression that feel compelled to cor
80 '' "oeu oe impossible for the most impair
.i'li person 10 avoid some mistakes. unless
ton OF witnesses and the sittinn of an;da-,.a
than rapid journey over wide Territory viii
allow. by listening to er Darte statam.1ts of
those VINO are bitterly hostile to The Rrrao,,
orwho think themselves wponoed hv ;ts a.,a,,ts
and having no time to make tboron~b IN ras,
usation, as they admit, these officers have hea,,
mised in several important cases. ''S-.
Hha H.yf x,vl,. .aI, 4 d. j
tion OF Inc settlement on Trent River, orDo
sue NeWoern. NO complaints had been made
against the superintendent of that village un-
~ very recently, when, at his request. a board
OF inquiry was organized This board gave
the case patient and impartial hearing. and
nad prepared their report but before the pro-
ceedinSs had been revised, or even forwarded
To me, they were demanded by General Stead
man by order OF the Secretary OF War, and a
potion OF the record sent TO the New York
Herald and published. The simple fact that
.io ,,;a, matter was under Investigation, with
view to correcting the evils Complained of is a
suncient defence of the Bureau. u
a second subject is reported uSon nv the
commissioners, under the head of "brutal Off
GERS shooting down freedman" In f}1is mar
agraph OF their report several false s9tements
are made. 1t is not true that Mr.. Boyden is
an empioye OF Colonel Whittlesey, apy more
than tine conductor and brakeman ot rail-
roau IN Maine are my employees because own
SUCK IN that railroad; or, than that the secre-
'aiy ssiy =, she ohlted States Treasury is my en-
pioye because own United States bonds. and
am interested in the proper management of
the treasury Department. 1t is not true that
Generals Steadman and Fullerton received
the statement OF the case from Mr.. James him.
sell, lor, as L have since learned. he did not
meet t&ein, and his statement in writing nrev-
iousiy made, Is materially different. 1t is not
true that the freedman, when escaping from
Tie guard under which he had been placed to
Work ms sentence, was pursued by James, or
that he was fired upon while attemntinS ato
cross the river in a canoe"
Ihese mistakes OF the commissioners NAV
he excusable ON the ground that thew .were
unable, owing to want of time, TO inquire into
the matter. The facts in the case are main hll
enough, without exaggeration, and are fi,lJy
set forth In the report of Lieutenant Goats
whom L ordered TO investigate the affair az
soon as obtained evidence that the freedman
was killed.
One oener subject upon which the commits
slonefs dwen at greas length is, "officers en-
gaging In private business" The charge
against me ofgiving false testimony will not
pc peiieved by any who know me. No such
question as that. quoted in the report was ut
Tered In my hearing. 1t was asked by Gamer
al oteadman IN writing, and answered i'm writ
ing. The question put to me was, Are your
oihcers cultivating farms, or interested in
farms % replied, "No, sir; y OF words OF like
import, Except indirectly, by furnishing mon
ey,so far as know" lie then in a loud tone.
as it to intiulidate me, said :-"We want To
know it any officers are concerned, in anv wav
directly or mdiroctly?" / replied: ssIf Won
wish it, General, will put my answer IN writ
ing" He assented, and / wrote at once the
note marked d., giving brief but explicit
statement, which supposed he desired. But
not satisfied, he addressed me communica,'
ton, requesting more definite information. IN
which replied at length, having nothin9 No
conceal or apologize for in my own conduct.
and knowing nothing against my subordinate
officers in this relation. - ''''' ''''''''e
have yet to learn that an officer in the
United States service has no right to control
his private property, or to invest his earnings
in any business which he may deem useful or
profitable SO long as he is faithful and hon
est, so long as he discharges his official duties
with diligence and. efficiency, he should he
protected against curiosity that prizes into his
private affairs, and against calumny thar
STAINS his reputation and wounds his char
~SS~As .......| . 4. .......