New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-05-01
THE HOWARD CONSPIK4CY.

THE HOWARD CONSPIK ACY.
of Genera, Howard-Te Hohynton
Famiiy-The Howard University and
the Cougre gatiOnal Church.
From the Philadelphia Buletin.l
The whole appearance Of the investigs-
| ton into General Howard 8 administration
of the Freedmen's Bureau warrants the sus-
picion that II has lis origin III apremedltated
conspiracy TO revenge certain fancled prl-
| vate grievanCes-a conspiracy TO Which Ter
nando Wood has gladly made himself Il party
for the purpose of using the occasion to fur
Their the designs Of the Democracy by MIRO
ducing divisions into the Repubhcon party.
General Howard is too well known to the
whole country 10 make 1t necessary to say
that he has won the very highest reputation
among his couDtryme0 as brave solder,
patriotic citizen, a most able executive Of
ticer. and an upright, pure, simple hearted,
sincere Christian gentleman. He has now
been very prominently before the country
for nearly ten years. No breath OF calumny
has ever dared to breathe upon his good
name. He has been held III affectIonate
honor by the people. whenever he has gone
among them, and whenever there is 3 com
munity capable OF appreciatlng personal and
official worth. Now Fernando Wood comes
forward and essays 70 backen his bright
name, and 20 prove him hypocriie and &
kGave! Congress, ii the request OF General
Howard's friends, orders an investigation,
and 1t has been promptly instituted.
Upon every principle Of justice to a Grave
and distinguished officer, OF un0Iemished
reputation, General Howard has the I'M
doubted right TO expect that he shall be &C.
counted innocent OF these charges until he is
proved to be guilty. He has frankly invited
| the investigation low IN progress, and 1t
| viii be thorough and impartial one. Ii
| miVht reasonably eVDPctRG tn Al nuDllc
sentiment would be allowed 10 remain Jun
| disturbed upon the presumption OF General
| Towards innocence, until 1t is proved that
| the great confidence reposed by the people
| in. that officer has been misplaced. But
| there is strange instinct il human nature
| prompting an easy belief in whatever is bad,
and there are masses OF people who will be
| turned aside from the strongest confidence
| 10 the uprightness OF q public man by the
| first straw of suspicion which malice or
, criminal ignorance Or reckessuess may
| throw across his path.
| II is already evident that this element CT
| human nature is being artfully played upon
| by the men WHO are now engaged il the tas 4
OF destroying General Howard's character.
| His real prosecutor is not Fernando Wood.
| He has been chosen as a willing a. Y, having
| his own political axe 10 grind, by those who
! have followed Their victim for long time
| past, seeking how they might destroy
]
! if not the master spirit. IL this conspiracy,
| IS u well known newspaper correspondent
| of Washington, named DOynton. the son Of
! the first pastor Of the COngregationaiist
! church in Washington, and the President OF
| the Howard University. This Church, ike
| the University, cWPs its existence aud sue
| cess mainly to the influence aud energies Of
| General Howard, and cQe jealousies engen-
| dered by the prominence occupied by
| General Howard ~ these tTo enterprises
| form the secret history OF this whole prose-
| cution. Boynton, protessed Republican,
and Wood, Democrat OF the very worst
| and lowest kind. have, each Tor his own pur-
| poses, joined forces, hoping 10 pull down 8
man who holds one OF the pcoudest posi-
| tious before his country that any American
| citizen can attain, Bornton's activity is
| seen in the cooriDg which is being given 10
| he Washington dispatches to NEWSPAPERS
| in different parts OF the country. He IS
popular man among The Wastingto cores
! pondents, andft is easy to trace h common
handi work in the tone Of the letters srd dis
patches already appearing IN the journals
which he influences with greater or less dis
tnctness. Although the investigating com
mittee holds Us sessions secretly. daily intl-
nations its doings, al designed to be pre-
Judicial to General Towards case, are
quietly scattered over the country, and the
tact verihes the truth OF the reported
avowal OF one Of the cOnspirators. recently
and rather publicly made, Never mind,
if we can't prove the charges; We Will start
them on him any how :"
IN thus deprecat;ng the prejudgment Of
General Howard'5 case, 0y means OF arttully
aud maliciously instigated newspaper dis.
patches, re have no intention of scree nIng
General Howard from the fullest investi &C.
ton Of all his official acts. But we would
demand for him that his good name shall |
not be taken away unjustly, and that is all
that he demands for himself. We would
ask, in the name OF Patriotism, and honor,
and morality, and religion, that the people
OF this country De permitted to maintain
their unshaken faith III General Howard
until it is proved that that faith is unde.
served.
One story, deliberately set afoat and in. |
dustriousIy disseminated ought TO be met |
at once and disposed Of. because il is of the |
kind most quickly believed, and most ia
furious in its effects. It has been sent !
abroad that General Howard and his |
brother have grown rich out of the contracts |
for brick furnished for the Howard Univer-
sity. It is a fact, for which we have better |
authority than any that has been a6duced |
to the contrary, that General Howard has |
had no interest in the American Building |
Block Company since it first supplied ma |
teral for the Howard University. He with |!
drew his interest from it before the first con- |
tract was made. His brother, who is a |
stakeholder in the company, has made loss /
of about two thousand dollars in the opera |
ton, which is the extent of the advantage |
he has derived by the operation.
We feel very coDfdent that the other |
charges against General Howard will |
prove as false. as this one. But false or |
true, if there was ever 3 case that deserved |
a generous suspension Of public opinion, it |
is the case Of a man like Oliver O. Howard, |
whom the people have so delighted TO !
honor, and to whose past services in the |
field and in 5he bureau the country owes so |
much.