, 1866-06-29
NUMBER IS.
Government swiIdIer..

Is we'll known that Government has An.
pointed Commissioners TO examine into ana
Punisn all frauds committed against the Govern
ment oy army officers aud agents during the late
Val IL VIII be better IL the Commissioners
iathtully perform their duties, ferret ont ras.
ealltes which have been berpetrated, and bring
Sne misereants to justice. From Maine TO Cali.
iorhlA the most reckless plunderinR has haen
going on, and officers ranking from Sergeants
up 70 MAJOR Generals have been engaged there
IN we DO not by this mean to say that All oA;.
GERS nave been derelict in this matter; but II
nouLu surprise the people if they could only
AnO" tne number and names Of those who wers
engaged in plundering the country during the
t uour OF It's greatest trial; and the sum total of
tl snese Peealaaons would prove absolutely aston
avrssS, M TQSe ~ eeaRforiRks RI riRsreStiPEl Il kP0# ApF
nave been purchased at from.S9 to $3.50 head
NniIe the contractor only received from $50 10
SlOO per head for the horses delivered-the dif
ference between the prices paid by Government
and those received by the contractor going into
the pockets Of Quartermasters and other officers
ana purchasing agents. 1t would also be inter-
esung to know how many tons Of hay and grain
out OF every thousand paid for by the Govern
ment were actually delivered to the7armies.
The sums paid by lucky contractors 10 certain
omcers and agents, for the purpose of securing
contracts for the supply of clothing, arms, am.
munition, ships, horses, etc, would appear very
curious in the eyes of an overtaxed people, il
they were all footed up in the grand total.
There is no doubt that the expenses of the war
were fully seventy per cent. mere than theV
would have been had Government and army
officers and agents been honest, and business
oeen conducted on specie basis. Forty per
cent. OF the expenses may be properly attribu-
tedto the depreciation Of the currency, and
much OF this depreciation was caused by the
rSscally extravaganza and wholesale swindling
of those buying articles and paying money on
behalf Of the Government. Thirty per cent. Of
The expenses, beyond doubt, were directly caused
oy downright Peculation and swindling by off,
cial agents.
II Is well known that no army officer can grow
rich on his regular pay, yet what a vast number
OF officers throughout the nation. who entered
the service poor, or comparatively so, have,
after few years experience, retired from it
wealthy. and are now enabled to live in aflu-
snce We trust that the Commission lately pro-
Vided for by the Government Swill be composed
Of intelligent and upright men, if such can be
found-such for instance, as those who are now
at work exposing the rascaities of the Freed
men S Bureau-a9d that they will pursue their
IL bdrs With relentless vigor, until the last scoun-
diel is punished. While denouncing those bold
and open traitors who opened the war, we should
not forget those meaner rebels who, Under the
guise of friendship and patriotism, constantly
afforded aid and comfort to the traitors in the ,
field, by plundering the Government of its re-
sources and revenues, thus weakening it to such
a degree as to greatly diminish its power for ef-
fective operations against the open enemy in the
field, and not alone have the Government coff-
ers been made to suffer by the official harpiea
who have been preying upon the country. Right
and left the "hogging game was carried on, to
the great injury OF gallant private soldiers, who
were in more ways than one made to suffer and
endure wrongs, in order to better the fortunes
and conditions Of such of the shoulder-strap
gentry, whose greed and lack of conscientious
scruples impelied them to resort to the most cor
rupt practices, in order to put money in their
purses. On with the purifying Commission, and
bring the offenders to justice and punishment,
Dr. else gracefully surrender the country, and ali
i contains, into the hands of unscrupnlous OPP
orators and heartless speculators on the misfor-
unes of their Nation.-S. +. Call.