The Portland daily press., 1866-08-29

DAsTARDLY PUBLICATION OF PRIVATE LII

DAsTARDLY PUBLICATION OF PRIVATE LET
TIERS
In the Washington correspondence of the
Neao York Herald oflast Sundays issue is print
ed several letters written by Major Stuart FL
bridge, an officer of the staff of Cen Howard of
the Freedmen's Bureau, while he (Eldridge
was on official duty in the neighborhood of
Vicksburg, Miss. These letters were private,
and intended only for Col. Thomas the Assis-
us question arises as to how The Herald cores
pondent obtained possession of the official re-
cords of Gen. Thomas's office, they being of q
nature only to be obtained from the office at
Vicksburg, and the only parties who have le-
gal access to military records of this kind are
their custodian and inspectors, appointed by
proper authority. The conclusion is evident
that these papers, containing nothing that is
wrong except as construed by the malice and
ignorance of The Herald correspondent, were
placed by Gems. Steedman and Fullerton in the
hands of The Herald correspondent for the pur-
pose of injuring worthy officer, whom they
dare not meet before a military tribunal The
letters quoted are garbled. In reference to the
seizure of abandoned property, Jacob Thomp-
son is spoken OF as rebel, man for whom
President johnson had offered reward of o.
600. Then, standing to conceal the identity of
this Thompson, he is called Judge" and Col.
Thomas is accused of arrogance and imperti-
nence in presuming to consider him rebel
Inc properly SelZeu IN Jne southern States was
taken under peremptory orders, based upon the
act of Congress defining abandoned property.
and if Col. Thomas is liable to censure for any,
thing, it is for not carrying out the orders on
this subject then in his hands, without fearing
the trucking temporizing policy then lust
coming to light on the part of the Executive.
Major Eldridge's report of the condition of the
people of Northern Alabama and Georgia is
called by The Herald correspondent sanother
blow at the Freedmen's Bureau" and he calls
Major Stuart "an inspector of the doings of the
Bureau" This is false, because Major Eldridge
was sent to examine into the reported famine
in Alabama and Georgia, and he had nothing
to do with the freedmen. ~
The Herald garbles Major Eldridge's report
and places it alongside of that of Fullerton and
Steedman, as an attack on the Freedmen's Blu
reau. 1t quotes the paragraph of Major Ell
bridges report speaking of the possibility of
rebel citizens, agents of the Bureau using the
Bureau for political purposes certainly not in
favor of Radical principles, and in the same
breath calls it an instrument of the Radicals.
contradiction plain enough. Major Eldridee's
report, as published correctly, if it censures nv
one, censures the Administration, which has
forced on Gen. Howard the policy of apnoint
ing civil agents. This policy has been carried
to greater length in Georgia and Alabama
than in other States
Accordingly those States received the whole
OF the very small allowance of praise granted nv
Fullerton and Steedman to the Bureau. bnt
the censure of an honest inspecting officer
VINO may be supposed to speak the Sentiments
OF Gen. Howard himself on the policy of the
PRESIDENT, as applied to the Bureau, emphati-
cally the evils of which Major e. Complains. are
ascrloable directly and only to the President.