The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-03-10
Cotton Frauds at the South.

We observe from the Washington
dispatches that urgent efforts are being
made to quash any investigation into
the enormous swindling transactions
from which the body of our cotton
planters has suffered to such an ex-
tent. 1t was hoped that the result Of
the investigation in the South by Hon.
W. f. Chandler, Assistant Secretary OF
the Treasury, relative to cotton frauds
alleged to have been committed by
Government officers, would be placed
before the public in a short time, but it
is now stated that Mr. Chandler will
not prepare a special report for publica-
ton. lie finds himself unable to do
Justice to the subject The thing is so
utterly rotten that he thinks it cannot
be touched with any hope of recovery,
and "the best plan is probably for
the Government to hold on to and
make the best it can out of the cotton
already seized Senator Davis, how
ever, persistently urges his motion
for the re-appointment of Senate
Committee 10 investigate the gross
frauds said to have been committed by
military commanders in the Miss;ssip-
pi Valley, and especially in and about
Nstchez When Mr. Davis on a former
occasion urged the appointment OF this
Committee, several Senators suggested
that they would support the motion,
probably, If specified cases of fraud
were given, and of an enormous char
acter. Mr.. VIM. Burnet, a well-known
citizen OF Cincinnati, who was at one
time Provost Marshal al Natchez, hear
ing of the motion, has sent lengthy
communication to the Senator, specify
ing about fifty cases of most outrageous
frauds and yilainy, in which, it IS al.
legged, military commanders and other
Government officials have been the
actors II one-half OF what Mr. Burnet
charges against these officers be true,
there can be no excuse for longer re
fusing the Committee of Invocation
contemplated by the motion OF Mr..
Davis.
In this connection we call the atten
ton of the Government officials 10 the
frauds which have been unblushingly
carried out IN the rich region of South
western Georgia We conversed yes
terday with reliable and prominent
planter from that region who states that
the Treasury agents seized upon cotton
without any discrimination whatever,
and against the oaths and afidavits that
proved it TO have been quite uncon.
nected with the cotton loan, branded
il with the Government mark, and sent
il away to Apalschicola They would
not give the owners, in many instances,
the opportunity to prove their rights
Whenever plenty OF cotton could be
found, they seized it upon suspicion D
1t was understood, however, that by
giving up one-eighth Of the cotton,
| the remainder would be unmolested.
oar informant states that he refused
10 pay the black mail; he would rather
lose all than submit; and the result
was that two hundred bales of cotton,
/ (strictly private property were taken
| away from his plantation, which Is about
forty miles below Albany. and sent
down the Flint river 10 De shipped to
New York. lie expects never 10 see
those bales again. he says that thu
case is an illustration of what Is going on
throughout that section Of country
The Official who seized his cotton, sftel