Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-14
THE eovEExMEEFAED sOUTHERN


The Radicals at Washington are raking |
every corner and creEice in the country |
for material with which to undermine !
President Johnsons administration.
Some time last summer, correspondent |
of the New York Tribune, who had been
nosing about some one ofthe Departments
in Washington containing Radical en-
ployees, alleged that the President had
sacrificed the interests ofthe Treasury in
favor of Southern railroad companies
Since the meeting Of Congress, the matter
has again been introduced 10 public no.
tice, and a resolutisn has been passed ap-
pointing committee 10 investigate the
mode and terms Of the transfers made by
military officials. The CinciRnati Ga
zette's correspondent says that
Under an order from President John
son, all these roads, with rolling stock,
track, bridges and entire material, were,
turned over to the original owners, and pay
ment ordered to be received in bonds given
by the company, to pay in monthly INSTALL
ments. These fell due and were not paid,
whereupon the Qnartermaster General pro-
ceeded to institute suit against the various
! companies for the amount Of their indebt-
/ edness. The President, on learning this
directed that the suit be given up; and 30
to this day the notes Of these corporations
remain unsettled. Not only Is this true,
but they are rendering claims against the
government for the use Of their roads and
rolling stock, and are even bringing in bills
for freight upon every pound Of military
material carried by the government over
these roads during the war, and so much
per day for the use Of all captured cars and
locomotives"
In regard to the roads controlled at this
point, we know that the expense of their
maintenance by the government was
enormous; and that as soon as the neees-
sites of the government stopped, there
was an urgent desnAnd by the War and
Treasury Departments to have them
turned over to the Original owners. -
The drain on the Treasury made by the
military management Of railroads was
immense, and millions we're saved by the
promptness with which they were re
turned to the companies to whom they
! belong
The question of claims by the govern
ment upon the companies for stock and
material, and the counter claim of the
companies for the use of the tracks and
material belonging to them, is a purely
legal one, and must be settled by the
courts No military officer at any time
had the power to exact bond from a
railroad company that it would not pre-
sent to the government whatever claim it
might think Just The Quartermaster
General nor any of his underlings had
any aushority Or show of right to impose
any such conditions The roads and mate
rial which the government found upon
them are private property. The
government has no right to use it
without making compensation. 1t
can only escape responsibility for
claims of this character, by judicially
proving The disloyalty Of the stockholders
and cOndemning the property.
We have no idea that the President has
done anything in this matter to the detri-
ment of the government We trust that
he will permit it to be settled fairly and
equitabIy, and if necessary by the legal
| tribunals ana 10 1