The Portland daily press., 1870-05-16
TIE PRESS.
Monday Morning, May l6 1870.
The Howard Investigation.

The Howard Investigation.
The investigation of the charges preferred
against Gen. o. O. Howard by that paragon
of public and private virtue, Mr.. Fernando
Wood, of the city and State of New York. is
drawing to close, and the report will soon te
printed. We predict that it will clearly ap-
pear That other motives than those of pubic
decency or the advancement of public morali-
W are at the foundation of the investigation.
Inc spectacle of ex-Mayor Wood appearing
before the country in the character of man
upon whom devolves the duty of exposing
spiritual wickedness in high places and ex-
posing to punishment and well merfed con-
tempt and shame the guilty Spectator in pub
lie funds is simply sublime and dsproves for
ever the doctrine total of depravity. 1t would be
ludicrous were it not for the fact that nothing
can be ludicrious which in any manner COM
promises the Christian character of General
Howard. The people of Maine and for that
matter of the entire country have an abiding
confidence in his integrity and honor, and
they will require proof of wickedness and fraud
before they change their good opinion. If he
has been imprudent or indiscreet, of which we
have not the slightest evidence as yet, the
people will readily distinguish between indis-
erection and crime. If, not being a man of
affairs, he has confded too much to others,
and done or permitted things which men bet
ter acquainted with the world and the wicked
ways thereof, would not have done, the public
oct 70 q
blame that should attach to his conduct.
Ii, CD the ttaei Gand, he is the victim of a
WcSfd coNspsiaeys organized primarily to de-
sSa4e &ae dishoagsss him, and secondarily 10
,Ais ssSSSsessstss Y e various organizations
With ,gh;ce biz G.FDss honorably associated,
iaeigdiae sa s---.cn, the Freednens Bureau,
ne roung Mems Christian Association, and
in short, the cause of religion, good morals
and education generally, that fact will appear
in due time.
1t is barely possible tie General may have
became temporarily tangled in the mesbes
spread for him by willy and designing foes,
and should he experience temporary diff
Guilty in extrcating himself, it will be a great
day in the Democratic calendar. Not that all
Democrats would rejoice at his downfall since
evidence is not lacking that many would re-
gard such misfortune to him as a national
disaster and contemplate the same with I'M
feigned regret. But this class is, unfortunate
ly, comparatively small and neither controls
the organization nor directs IFS sentiment.
The temper of the Democratic press conclu-
sively demonstrates that Gen. Towards dis
comforture will afford unmitigated satseac-
ton to the entire lett wing of Lees army in
Guiding that portion which spells negro with
two gg's and those who believe that the
church and the school house are the chief
bulwarks of the Republican party and hate
both accordingly. The infinite gusto with
which some of the simon pure copperheads
comment upon every dispatch unfavorable to
the General leaves no room to doubt that a
verdict of guilty would nearly compensate
them Tor the anguish they experienced at the
fall of Richmond.
We have full faith that Gen. Howard will
pass through the ordeal to which he is being
subjected "honor bright" and he is certainly
by entitled in the minds of all honorable men
W INV UShSht vi uuC pICsuiIiptlOu OI innocence
which attaches to all persons accused of crime
until the contrary is made to appear
The charges against him are fifteen in ncm-
Der, and are said to be drawn up with great
minuteness. The gst of the specifications is
that ne has improperly used funds in his Gus
tody as head OF the Freedmans Bureau for
the purpose OF aiding in the erection of the
Young Mems Christian Association building
the Congregational Church at Washington.
the Howard Church and the Barry Farm,
four OF the best and most benevolent objects
certainly to which frauduently obtained
FUNDS were ever appropriated since the world
begun. We submit that it seems preposterous
for a man IKE Generar nowaru or irIure,, .,,,y
honest or sensible man to ruin his reputation.
by perpetrating wickedness and fraud in BE-
half OF such objects and institutions as these
Men who start on Incorporated funds COM
mitted to their care, ordinarily do it for their
own benefit. II General Howard had stolen
or misappropriated money in his hands for
the benefit of the aforementioned institu-
tons, it is certainly a new thing under the
sun and we do hope that other men who ,ciU
steal may be induced to initiate his example.
Had Mr. Wood used all the money ever
coming into his hands through other than pure
and proper channels, in the erection of meet
ing houses and universities, how many more
spires than will be enumerated in the next
census, would now point heavenward-how
much more numerous the institutions of
learning throughout the land!