Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-07

Z
tion of them are entirely worthless, though
heretofore doing very we'll. Those laborine
for share of the crop seem to be doing bes
and remain at home pretty well. This one
man Bingham, has done more harm in the
short time he has been here Aan any regi-
ment Of soldiers ever did. He occupies q
false pretending that his whole
mission is patriotic. Like other vampires
all over the South-the scum upon the
surface OF all revolutionary times-have
their vile and contemplate ambitions and
purposes and are nothing more than the
excretions ofmalarial periods, which cause
foul blains aud cancers upon the body
polite. "Ifs an i'll wind that blows good
10 nobody" Let us see if this much ado
about nothing, may not bring the, COM
munity riddance of this vile old monster,
By gentlating him completely.
For some time he has been using the
frank of one or more Radical members OF
Congress to circulate their incendiary
documents. He had no right thus to act.
A member of Congress cannot assign or
transfer his frank. 1t was given for his
use. Bingham erased his name from a
letter franked to him by a NJ. G. and
directed it to other parties. The
postmaster examined the matter and found
that he had no authority to forward such
matter. Bingham said he had right to
use the franks and demanded his papers,
but was refused. This is positive testimo-
ny OF fraud upon the postofice department.
He tried to induce the route agent on the
Nashville and Decatur railroad to forward
his franked matter, but he declined, having
no authority. Bingham was threatened
with prosecution by the postmaster. He
was looked upon by all as a criminal who
would be punished soon. He was very
careful to stamp his letter to Mr.. Chase,
knowing he would be detected if he used
his franks. Just at this time, when these
franks and exasperations were exciting the
public mind, and he was supposed to have
at least fallen into the hands of Justice, the
boys, supposing it would be no harm be-
fore the law grasped him, put a mark up
on him and give him a color he seemed to
fancy.
Now, to escape punishment, shall this
old miscreant be allowed to identify him
self with the majesty of the government of
the United States, which he was daily de-
frauding of its revenue, and not only go
scott-free, but be allowed to torture the
noble boys, most of whom are proven to
have had nothing to do with the affair :?
He has Just the wit and calibre to make
capital of this harmless matter, and the
shamelessness to prosecute these splendid
boys as men, and through them, he and his
associates denounce the whole South, and
call upon it the maledictions of Congress
-contiscation, military rule, etc. What
has Bingham ever done for the govern
ment? He ran away from the fight, con-
tributed nothing but gasconade and abuse
of the South. He is said 10 have taken the
government receipts of many persons, col
lected and used the money, and now coolly
tells them that they are on file in the War
Department, and that if the South becomes
loyal to and is readmilted into the Union,
it may be Congress may do something
wait and see
He has sought martyrdom; this affair
was Just the thing he wanted. His own
fertile brain could not have gotten up Just
exactly such scheme TO his own liking
He glories in it, instead of bowling his head
in shame, and like Judas, go off and hang
himself he has the impudence and effron-
terry in this community, which he has de-
famed and befouled for years, to bolster
up his individual criminality and corrup-
tions, and the punishment he has received
with the dignity and power of the govern
ment, and like the whole tribe of skulking
curs now that all danger is past, come out
from their hiding places, and call upon
everybody to behold what they have done
for the country. He persists in calumni-
ating the boys after their innocence has
been proven. When Col. Norton, of Ohio,
was in command here in 1862, Bingham
annoyed him with so many complaints and
reports against citizens, and gratuitous
advice, that the was ordered out of
his quarters, and told not to ap-
pear again. A number of Northern gem
tlemen are here in business, as there are all
over the country. We have Col. Spalding,
Capts. Lucas and Becker, and Lieut.. Nc
Guire, and perhaps others whose loyalty
was proven by years of service during the
war, yet are not ''slicked," or even com
complained of Besides these, Miss Wslls'
Miss Sturgiss and Miss Dubois, teachers of
the freedmen's school, all of whom have
sustained the very best character, can at
test the fact that they have met with no
one here who have offered them the slight
est insult. Our telegraphic operator, Mr.,
Rallston, is a Northern man, and a true
gentleman, and will bear testimony of the
good order of our citizens, and the kind
feelings manifested by them to all persons,
both black and white, who behave. them
selves.
1t is vain to connect this affair with pol
itics 1t is simply a thoughtless inAiction
upon turbulent incendiary and criminal,
whom they considered as already in the
clutches of the law. All was quiet and
peaceable, and the people were hopefully
pursuing their avocations, very little con-
cerned about politics, hopefully resigned to
the reconstruction policy of Congress, until
this monster opened the pandora's box of
political and social discord. "Ruat coeIun,
fiat juSticia." JUNIUs.