Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-04-01
OFFICIAL Cory.
Thomas M. VINCENT, Asst. Adjt. Gen.
War Department A. G. o, Washington,
Feb'y z 1870

TuoMAs M. VINCENT, Asst. Adjt. Gen.
War Department A. G.. o, Washington,
Feb'y. 7, 1870.
Tins Won will observe that this honorable
gentleman from Maine,' informs the War
Department that twenty-eight hundred and
forty-two of these NAVAL Credits are
.'borne upon the Enrolment Lists of the sew
eral Districts" Gowns and cities of this State)
and their claims certified to by the Provost
Marshals' and allowed to these Claimant Dis
trictsby the Commission. That of 'those claim
ed as General Credits whose names are borne
on the lists of the several receiving ships, as
enlisted from the State of Maine" fifty OF
them were assigned to the various districts
/ leaving still in the hands of the commission
four hundred and seven men.
Now let me saw to this House that it is not
difficult to form tolerably reliable conclusion
as to the probable disposition of these few
men.
If am not greatly mistaken, more or less
of the poor and deserving and oppressed
towns in the remote portions of the State,
were relieved by them. 1t will not be tor
gotten that large and rich towns and cities Of
| fercd bountics so large, that thousands OF men
went from their own poor. small bounty
towns to those offering inducements so eX-
travagant. In fact, the available men IN
many towns of this kind, were entirely alb
sorbed by these heavy paying towns Does
any man say that it would not be proper and
equitable to put to such deserving and op-
pressed towns, enough OF these "Generai
Credits y belonging exclusively to the State,
TO make good those whom poverty had com
nellod them TO lose? If he does, let him stand
NJ, NOW that we NAV see so unnatural Il curl
ositv. No man does or can object; justice
and equity conspire to vindicate such action.
1t was proper and right.
Before I proceed to another part of my
statement will saw a word as to where and
in what parts of the State these credits were
| assiened-tbese s.papcr credits" who have SO
long cursed timid men with the might mare, =
and stained with uncertainty and suspicion
the War Record of our State.
TO the first Congressional District, COM
nrisinp within its limits the large city and sea-
port of Portland and the thriving city of Bid
deford, Zone of which had three hundred and
eleven and the other, ninety of these men and
Kitterv eighty -four): there was allowed 15S
of these credits.
Coming I'D to the Second District which
| finds the outside at Bath, we find that 2GS OF
these men were allowed.
! Next comes this Third District. Augusta
| the center: this asserted Central depot OF
wrong and outrage With all the enlisting
depots Al d mastering offices; with general
|
Army and NAVY: with our facilities and dis
positiou to grab and hold-to find and ap-
| propriate-wc gathered the comfortable num-
| her of 4s9 of these branded representatives
| of n myth.
Then the Fourth Penobsco) District comes
in order. confess to some surprise at the
report of this District. Brokerage was un-
derstood to be rampant in this section. Anx-
ietv was conspicuous, as my friend from Ban
gor will testify, and yet but 232 of these cred
its are to be found in that great Congressional
District. Only about seven per cent. went to
her credit.
Now let us look at the Fifth and last Dis
trict, in which resides the distinguished gen.
tleman from Cherryfeld and also the author
of the Report of the Commission on the
Eoualization of the War Debt" When l read
from, the report of this ''Commiss those
words which would bring shrek from the
barbaric Fegee, that .swhen the army of the
Potomac Law painting and exhausted but
vigilant and watchful in front of Petersburg, y
| turned with fearful eve and hopeful heart to
this District and home of the commissioner
to assure myself that no branded recruit dis
honored her record. and that, regulating and
denouncipg all such sham recruits, she had
sent forward men, strong, able. brave men.
TO make one grand. final effort" What was
my astonishment when that terrible, teH-tale
Record revealed no .'strong. able. brave men, y
sent forward to aid and relieve the '.panting
and exhausted but vigiant and watchful" in
making zone grand and final effort" but in
stead Of these ..bravc men" eight hundred and
ninetv-one of these sswrong and iniquitous'
credits sprung up from their ''pigeon hole"
ambuscade, and the Fifth District had borne
triumphantly away thirty per cent of the en-
tire naval enlistments in Maine Vigilance,
in pursuit of ''paper men" proclaimed her vic
tory. and the army of the Potomac was left
sspanting and exhausted, but vigilant and
watchful in front of Petersburg" | am thus
particular about this District, that this House
and the people of Maine may know that the
towns of this far off portion of the State, skirt
ing the Provinces. the Ocean and the wilder
ness. had vastly more than anv ether portion
of the State. of these s.wrong and niquitous
credits" Ifthey are fraudulent, who perpe-
trated the fraud? From whence come this
thirty per cent. of all naval enlistments? Con-
suit these energetic gentlemen who have so
long ornamented the cities OF Belfast and
Ellsworth and other points in the more East
ern Maine; gentlemen some OF whom are to-
day in the enjoyment OF popular favors and
4I l tod