Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-22

TmE BuREAU aNvEsT1GATHoN.
{ Col. H. Y. Beynson, the Washington
correspondent Of The Cincinnati Gazette,
and bis father, the Rev. Mr. BoyntoE, are
said to be The prompters of the charges
which the Hon. Fernando Wood has been
10 Che House of Representatives against
Gen. Howard, the chief of the Freedmen's
Bureau. Being Radicals, they must have
regarded the conduct of affairs of the
bureau by Gen. Howard as most fragrant,
else they would not have stirred the mat
ter. How different does the New York
Tribune treat this affair. In recent
issue that paper said:
''Gen. D. o. Howard is fortunate in
his calumniators. Years ago it was An
drew johnson who maligned him in long
and frequent veto messages on the Freed
mems Bureau bill. Afterward it was
Gen. Gordon Granger who went spying
among the subordinates that he might find
matter on which to ground indefinite and
general abuse Of the chief of the bureau,
which it win be remembered was subse-
quently. delivered in long report, which
read very much like the effort of an anna
teuf correspondent of a fourth-class
newspaper. Now it is Fernando Wood
who impeaches the honesty of his admin
istration of the affairs of the freedmen.
If the witnesses who are to sustain these
charges have no better standing with the
public than the accusers, the prosecution
viii prove contemplate persecution. But
there is little doubt that the result of the
case, which some one has aptly termed
sMackerelville VS.. Hayelock,' will be the
complete vindication of Gen. Howard"
II is by such stuff as this that the TIT
bat,ae attempts to break the force of the
proposed investigation. President john
son undoubtedly did direct the attention
of Congress to the Freedmen's Bureau,
and intimated strongly that it would do
no harm to keep strict eye upon the work
ings of that machine; and in so doing,
says the st. Louis Republican, he was
simply performing one of the most i'm
portant duties incumbent upon his high
office. The President is not merely the
executor of laws, but he is, or should be,
the guardian of the peoples rights and
the peoples money. Here was an insti-
tuition which, as it is now officially de-
clared, has disbursed not less than twelve
million dollars, and this immense sum has
flowed through the hands of Gen. How
ard without either check or restriction.
Congress ought not to have waited for the
suggestions of President Johnson, or the
report of Gen. Gordon Granger, before
given the matter thorough sitting, and
if the examination had resulted satisfac-
torily, so much the better for Gen. How
ard and the country; if not, then the evils
of mal-administration might have been
nipped in the bud, and the treasury saved
|. from further depletion. But when Con-
gress spurned the advice of President
johnson because they hated him, and
laughed at Changers report because he
was a conservative, they virtually
shouldered the entire responsibility
of Howard and his bureau, and
the onus of whatever errors or blunders
he may have committed they must share.
When committee of investigation is ap-
pointed at the request of Mr.. Fernando
Wood, Congress in effect acknowledges
that there may have been some truth in
the criticisms of President johnson and
Gen. Granger, and that at any rate it will
do no harm to look into the Whereabouts
of the twelve millions aforesaid; but this
is very much like locking the stable door
after the horse is stolen. Suppose, for
instance, it should be ascertained that a
few hundred thousand dollars, more or
less, have been wasted or misapplied by
Gen. Howard, what recourse is there
now7 No bonds were required of this Of
fcer for the faithful discharge of his du-
ties, and whatever funds, if any, he has
diverted from the proper channel, are
gone past all recovery. The investigating
process ought to have begun years ago,
and President johnson was right, emf
nently right, when he urged it again and
again. The Tri6euae'S comparison of
Howard to Havelock might as well have
been omitted, for, without the slightest
irreverence, we may say that ''the Chris
tian hero" business is drug in the mar
ket. Gen. Howard has blazoned his re-
ligious professions from the house-tOps,
and done vast amount of seasonable and
unreasonable preaching with tongue and
pen, but the nation just now is much
more interested in knowing something
about his practice, and if the fruit
should prove worthless, there will be
no difference of opinion as to the charac-
ter of the tree which produced it.
Gen. Havelock saved India from the
grasp OF the Sepoy rebellion, ana died be-
fore the British government had oppor-
tunity to reward him for his inestimable
services. Had he lived, and been appoint
ed commissioner of Sepoy bureau for
the education and elevation of the Hin
docs, from what we know of the man,
we doubt very much whether Havelock
would have invested $24, 900, which did
not belong to him in bonds of the First Con-
gregational Church, or ordered universe
ty built at government expense of worth
less brick, because he happened to be one
of the owners of the patent right. Com
parsons, as 'NIrs. Malaprop" would say,
are sometimes "odorous."
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