Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-02-13
ghs &anxpille Whia
KnoxvlIIs, Tenn, Feb. Is. Iss7.
More KxecntlFe Olenlency.


1t seems, if we may credit the reports
that reach us, that the public is ABOUT 70 20
treated to another and most ncSaDle ~ ~
bition Of the Observation-Disclosures tllae I'LL
President johnson has for the nogie 49,
of rogucs. Another example Is 70 pe So.
of the tolerance be feels for criminals vi" ~
have offended against the statutes U ~
limited states. and are undergoing the pun
;ahmant. awarded them by the courts nav
INC sbo,rn mersy to mail-robbers, counter
;a;sa-s ard embezzling officials OF various
I'D bs Is abou. TO extend the dement's OF
L;s nsrdoning prerogatiye to the most no.
"a IT. Now York has contributed during
e. ~ar IN the Sing Sing calendar. In
- Nr Solomon Kohnstalnm is about TO
THIS distinguished parsonage, having sue
ooadad - oorrupting saecessing disbursing
oescsrs In tempting scores Of ignorant per-
cons 10 their moral ruin, in driving at least
40 officers of the Regular Army TO suicide,
in defrauding the United States out Of
something like q quarter Of million, in
procuring no end Of forgeries and false af-
hdayits, and in making the Disbursing Of
fee public scandal and reproach, was
finally caught, tried, and sentenced to serve
ten years in Sing Sing. The penalty was
for ten years only, although the Grand u
nv of the United States Court had found
fortv-eight good and sufficient bills Of in
dictmeEt against him, each bill representing
either forgery to which he had been q
party, or O falsifed voucher which he had
collected. Before this result could be reach
ed, the Government had to pass through a
long and hard fight with the best talent at
the New York Bar that the criminal could
hire with money; and SO unreasonable were
the delays obtained by him, that resolu-
ton of inquiry had finally to be introduced
into tho United States Senate to ascertain
why he was rot brought to trial. The evil
dence produced before the Court showed
such series of offenses on Kohnstamm' {
part, and such state of corruption in the
Discussing Office, that in passing sentence
Judge Nelson was forced to say to the pris-
oner:
1.-THE magnitude of these frauds upon the
Government is appalling. A person wit
Messing your trial, and hearing the cyl
dence in the case, would almost come to the
conclusion that the DisbHrsing Oflee OF tne
Government in this city was estabnshea Ior
the payment of false and fraudulent, rather
than genuine and honest, elaine upon IT.
Your ofFense has none of the mitigating cir
cumstances attending a crime committed IN
haste, or on asudden impulse, or in thought
lessness but it is the result of deliberate
Judgment in choosing between a life Of
transgression and crime, and that Of virtue,
responsibility, and honor.
Your position in society and wealth were
used TO tempt and corrupt the more hum
bic, ignorant, and dependent within the CIR
Gle Of your influence. Ii there
was any ingredient of truth in these claims,
the amount was grossly exaggerated.ln
many of them the papers in support OF the
claim, and the claim Itself, were an entire
fabrication Many of the persons whose
names were used in getting these papers
were imposed upon, many names were torg-
cd, many false oaths taken--indeed your
offense involved in its preparation, in al
most every instance that has come before
us, the crimes Of forgery, and perjury Of
others; of the wages of which you were
the recipient"
It was conceded by all who knew the
facts in the case that Kohnstamm had been
surpassed by few other criminals on our re-
cords in the magnitude, baseness, and bold
ness of his offenses; and this opinion was
concurred in by the public generally. And
yet he had hardly been safely lodged in
Sing Sing Prison before influences were set
to work to procure his release Money was
lavishly expended to this end, and Presi-
dent Lincoln and his successor were in turn
besought for pardon. The tears of women
backed up the opportunities of paid coun-
sci and agents, and in one way or another
three members of the Cabinet were induced
to sign the petition. The opposition of Mr..
Stanton prevented the consummation of the
plot, and has kept this criminal I'D prison
until the present time. But il Is alleged
that the money at his disposal has finally
prevailed over all opposition, and that the
terms of pardon have been agreed upon in
defiance Of the requirements of justice and
public morals 1t is even stated that with
in the next fortnight the felon is to be re-
stored TO his liberty and the enjoyment of
his fortune on some paltry plea of the
threatened insanity, and the excuse that his
sensitive nature has been as much punish
ed by two years Imprisonment as common
scoundrels would be by a full term Of ten
years. We commend the case to the atten-
tion of the Senate Judiciary Committee,
and shall be glad If anything can be done
TO protect the public from the proposed
abuse Of the pardoning power.-Netc York
Tribune.