Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-12-31

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OAPrURED.-O Our little community was startled on
thursday night by the rumor that heavy fraud
mad been committed in our midst by young man
raised IN the place, which rumor proved only too
true. The facts in the case are in substance as
toiloWs: For some months past cotton, shipped
rom different points on the Wilmington road fer
Portsmouth has been missed. The matter csea-
ted surprise, and necessitated nvestig which
has been quietly going on for more than a week
past, and evidence obtained which pointed clear
~ to John j. Peterson assistant Agent OF the Sea-
board depot IN this place, to the effect that eleven
or more bales OF cotton had been taken by BIN
Whlle en- PEASANT, remarked and re-shipped and
sold IN his own name. On Thureday number of
the employees at the SeabOard depot were ordered
to Norfolk for the purpose OF investigating the
matter which caused Peterson to suspected some.
thing wrong. His movements were watched in
the meantime, and during the evening it was dis
covered That he intended to abscond It being
ascertained that he had left upon the D. m
Wilmington train, the railroad officials in Ports
mouth were notified OF the fact, and thu authori.
ties in Wilmington instructed to arrest him. Ac-
cordingly upon the arrival OF the train there yes
terdsy morning he was placed under arrest and
brought back to this place yesterday evening
upon the o'clock train.
This matter has given much regret rs sur
prise. rs MIR. Peterson reared i'll this commu-
nifty and was we'll known.
MIR. Peterson arrived here yesterday evening
under charge OF guard from Wilmington, ana
is at the time OF this writing awaiting an exanins-
ton. lie was arrested yesterday morning at the
junction of the Weldon and Manchester roads
Weldon Ne10s, Dec. 25th.
The party here spoken of was arrested,
as stated, in this city Friday morning.
Thursday, Col. Fremont, Superintendent
of the w. & W. Railroad received q dis
patch from Mr.. E. G. Chic, Supt. of the
Seaboard and Roanoke railroad, stating
that Peterson would arrive in Wilmington
on that nights train, aud requesting his ar
rest. The matter was placed in the hands
of the City Marshal, who charged Oh officer
with the arrest. This officer seized Peter
son on the train arriving here Friday morn
ing at 4 o'clock, and carried him back to
Weldon on the 6 a. IN. train, two hours
afterwards, and delivered him safely into
the custody of the officer at Weldon. On
the way Peterson tried every plan of escape
that he could devise. He was to have had
an Investigation on Saturday morning.
From Macks Letter to the Cincinnati Enquirer
Why the Disabilities of Southern Men are
Not Removed.
People must not misunderstood the mo-
tives Of Congress in refusing to grant q
general amnesty, and preferrng 10 pass
bills every now and then giving pardons to
specially named individuals. This course
is pursued for purpose baser and more
vile than mere politics. Not alone that
they are thus enabled to drum up recruits
for the Republican party in the South by
excluding all who lean to the Democratic
party from the privilege of amnesty. The
chief object is to keep open the door for
corruption and bribery. A general am
| nesty would yield no money; individual
ann estes can be, and often are, made a
source of revenue to the men who deal
them out [ cannot say positively that any
member of Congress has been paid d.
rectly for securing the insertion OF name
in an amnesty bill, but can say that per
sons have paid as high as 500 for that
privilege. The money is paid to the infu-
entail friends of Radical members of the
Reconstruction Committee ; and / take it
that this state of affairs is not entirely un-
known to those members. Men come here
from the South to get their disabilities re-
moved. They want to be eligible for Office
of some kind. They are very soon directed
to some one who can have their names in
serted in the next bill, and for this inser-
ton they are willing to pay literally.
Their money is taken-nor do l believe it
all goes into the pockets of the men who
first receive it. These are facts of which
every member of Congress is aware. Time
was when the mere suspicion Of this truth
would have called for a searching investi-
cation. But corruption stalks so shame
lessly abroad, and SO permeates every de-
partment of the Government now,-from
the Executive who sells his Cabinet posi-
tons to the highest bidder, to the bureau
chiefs who extort dollar donations from
the starving clerks under them-that it is
dangerous to start an inquiry, because it is
impossible to tell where it will stop or to
what it will lead One of these days the
people will wake up to the fact that greater
crimes may be committed against nation
by thieves disguised in the livery of loyal
ty than by brave men wearing openly the
uniform of rebellion.