Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-04-01

the detractor, promises a compensation
that warrants repetition. When men reach
that point where public honors and public
reputation are held in contempt by them, the
time has come to order them before The 're-
firing board"
Mr.. Speaker-In the commencement of my
remarks, said that would at least attempt
to show to this House that the clamorous and
incessant warfare made upon these ''enroll-
ments' for the past five years has been war
fare upon the legislation of Congress and upon
the legislation of Maine. | have already
told you how and from whence came the men
who make up these naval allowances, and
what disposition was made of them. | add,
these constitute the entire number of credits
or allowances to Maine of men then or prey-
ously purporting to be in the service and not
heretofore credited with the exception of four
hundred Marines" put to the credit of vari-
Gus towns by gentlemen having their place of
business in this city. l may allnde to these
"Marincs" again before | close. What |
mean to say is that the entire number of credits
of all kinds, Naval" and Marine" who were
assigned to Maine, or the towns in Maine, as
previously in the service and not quoted, are
the thrtytwo hundred and forty mine Naval
enlistmcnts and the four hundred marines.
Beyond these | challenge the production of
any evidence or pretended evidence that such
credits were allowed or claimed.
The assignment of these men to towns grew
out of anl was sanctioned by the law of Con-
gress approved July 4, 1864. None of the
kinds of credits named were allowed before
that. After the passage of that law and before
the completion of the Investigation by the Leg
islaure Feb. a. 1865, every one of these
credits had been quoted When the LegiSla-
ture of 1865 came together the excitement
over these matters was beyond comprehension.
The Legislature, moved by the clamor of the
outside, ordered an Investigation. Let me tell
the story of that State lnquisition and its re-
suits. 1t was ordered early and pressed with
vigor. The investigation was conducted in
secret and witnesses were not allowed to d.
yulge their testimony At the very close of
the session the Inquisition submitted their re-
port. 1t was signed by every man, headed by
Sanborn of Readtield, whose own quota, to
his personal knowledge had been largely filled
by this very class of credits. He was tianked
by Webb of Portland, able, sharp, and honest,
bv Lang of kennebec. and Roberts of Stock
ton. Their report was unanimously accepted
Did they convict any person, private or Off
cial. of wrong or impropriety even: Not one.
They did say that "abussS and crongs' had
been practiced In what? In THAT the inter-
estS OF our State have suffered from the want
of agents to obtain recruits on the credit of
Maine outside of our territory. Those who
from this State, have been permitted to oper-
ate for their own profit and benefit. without
regard 10 State. interests. The Committee
therefore recommend that provision be made
for the appointment of agents to obtain re-
cyuits and credits for this State, in such States
and territories and ON board such ships and
squGdronS as under the regulations of the Fed
eral Authorities may be open TO State agents,
and that appropriate penalties be attached TO
every sale OF recruits obtained by such agents
to be credited upon any quota. They accord
| ingly submit the accompanying bill"
Did they denounce these ''credits" ms wrong
and iniquitous? Did they brand them as
fraudulent? The report does not so affirm.
| Their complaint was that ''indivduals" and
not .'the State were obtaining and placing
| these 'recruts and credits Therefore they
recommended the appointment of agents by
the State, to go into Estates and territories
and on board SHIPS and squadrons, with suit
! able penalties attached to every sale of re-
cruits, &C." No complaint here of the quail
ity of these recruits and credits. but that the
State had not practised the dcbauchment.
Aword as to the accompanying bill" of
this inquistion of 1865. Let me read two or
! three sections of this patriotic and reforma-
tory Bill" as follows:
SEC. l. The Governor shall nominate, and
with the consent of the council, appoint a
suitable number of persons not exceeding ten
| in all, to act as State recruiting officers, in
/ such states and territories in rebellion. or on
! board such ships and squadrons as under the
regulations of the departments of war and of
| the navy may be open to recruiting agents Ill
| behalf of the state
| Sect. 3. Any recruiting officer appointed
! under the provisions of this act who shall sell
/ to any state or town any recruits he may OBJ
tain, or shall in any way aid or assist in filling
| the quota of any state other than the State of
| Maine, or any tonn IN hts state, for each Of
fence upon conviction or indictment. shall be
punished by fine Of fire hundred dollars and
/ by Imprisonment not eTceeding one gear.
Is il surprising, Mr.. Speaker, that class
| of credits thus dignified and honored by this
high action, should he sought for by towns,
municipalities generally, and sometimes by
! private agency: Five hundred dollars fine
and years Imprisonment Is putting an eX-
| travagant price upon paper rcredits"-''wrong
and iniquitous" enrolments. No stigma was
put upon these 'credits they were not pro-
| nounccd fraudulent their obtanment
| by the state was commended and urged.
/ This Committee was appointed, to expose, to
hold up to public scorn and contempt; to de-
nounce not only the ''credits' but all men
who had to do with them. Their Report was
only a complaint that private parties ''have
been permitted to operate for their own profit
and benefit" Let the state go into it and all
is right.
SO determined was this ''Inquisition" that
the State should have the sole honor of put
ting in these wrong and inquisition' credits,
that they not only attached high fines and
imprisonment to private enterprise, but they
provided that the State agent should be sub
/ jccted to all the rules and regulations" that
make up the military trammcls OF the United
/ States army.
The country was dissatisfied with that re-
port. They denounced it as ''whtewashing
rcport'-nobody had been exposed or dis
honored They demanded a victim The
people were excited, for money came hard.
Some body must bear the blame. Let him
be held up to be chopped at and pointed at.
SO the tumult was kept up until the next
meeting of the Legislature.
Then another investigation was ordered,
and a committee was appointed composed of
gentlemen, who for ability, learning, and in
tegrity, have been equalled by no similar
number of men in any Legislature of Maine
since | became acquainted with the State.
In the Senate Hon. Geo. w. Woodman of