Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-03-03
NUMBER Z.


proof was not made Ito the Secretary Of
War;" their charge must be regarded rs
the nero assertion OF u negative. Grant
ing for the sake OF the argument, that
with all that wisdom after the fact. ac-
quircd by the light of six years, the Com
missioneis have asccrtained that the
truth regarding some or all Of these cred
d its. would not now justify their allowance.
and still it will not follow that they ought
not to have been allowed ut the time, on
proof which was then satisfactory to the
Secretary of wal.
1t is sufficient on the point of "propri.
ety. 10 cay that the action in these cases
cannot be properly passed upon without
n full knowledge OF the circum stance un.
der which ID was taken. The Commits
sioncrs lacked ihatknowlcdgc and could
not have acquired it even if they had
tried TO do so. So much for the general
feature of such credits rs were allowed.
Now in relation specially TO the 10
callel MARINE Corps list" and the "list
held by G.. Z. COchrane' (which the
Commissioners say were credited by mere
private endorsement"
made no mere private endorsement
Oh papers Tor The allowance OF credits,
and if had done so, my subordinates
would not have been justified in regard
ing them. The MARINE Corps list" came
to the War Department with an official
letter, dated Oct. z 1864, from proper
officer to give the facts in relation 10 the
localities ''sct opposite their names -
The li,; was forwarded to Major Littler
with directions to credit provided they
have not been heretofore credited"
OF the Cochrauc list know nothing,
having no recollection of any such list or
transaction as that set oith; and am
informed that the records OF my otfic @
furnished no information on the subject.
| never knowingly ordered credit in
blank, and il there is a genuine signsture
of mine or the list described by the Com
missoners as the Cochrane list. it was
obtained through some misreprescnta.
lion, misunderstanding, or fraud; but un-
iii see the list and can determine as to
tho genuneness of it ard my signature,
shall certainly think there is forgery
in il. The Commissioners it seems have
seen none OF these mere private endorse.
ments, but assert their existence on verb.
al testimony" They say, 1--WE have only
verbal testimony of the special orders TO
credit the names borne on the Marine
Corps list offered by Pike and Colby and
Cochrane" They do not say in terms
that these private endorsements were
mine. but inter from the context that
they mean it,
But in determining the responsibility
for credits and thci, consequences-whlch
the Commissioners place entirely on my
shoulders there are some other points TO
! DC DOIIlt III inlIltl uC ADAbNN ee'N 'O'''
authorities sought aud accepted these
credits and knowingly paid bounties for
them. The General Government could
neither exact nor regulate these pay
ment.. All it could do in That regard il
did do, that is, set the example oil paying
bounlies FOR and to actual recruits only.
Ii is Il significant tact that there wero
few or no frauds in the matter Of govern
mcnt bounles. 1t was clearly the duty
OF the towns ID see that their bOunties
were honorably and properly disbursed.
II was my duty TO see that the men wete
obtained for the service. How well tho
former was performed is indicated by the
report of these Commissioners how
well the latter, may be inferred from the
fact that the army was languishing for
recruits when entered on the duties OF
Provost Marshal General in 1868, and
that notwithstanding ali its casualties IL
contained more than million OF men
when the wal closed in 1860.
It looks like very sharp practice. to say
the least of il, lOr tue authorities in Maine
10 have sought and accepted paper credits
and To have openly and vOlun arily paid
large sums of money 10 scOundrels Tor
their part in preparing them, and then
long after the war. when the people are
smarting onder the pecuniary conse-
quences Of their Jolly, Tor another class
of author lies 10 come out and condemn
the General Government as cul pablo and
as the cause Of the burdens which they
inflicted upon themselves.
Though had power to regulate local
bouuties or Gorestall frauds in them, l
was when the war closed actively engag-
ed in the prosecution OF persons per-
petraling these frauds; some thirty or
forty of the worst cases were under ar
rest by my Bureau, about twenty Of which
had been regularly tricdby u. 5. authors
ty. convicted and sentenced to fine and
Imprisonment. One OF these, G. N. De.
lany, witness before these commission
ers, was found guilty. among other things
ol defrauding recruits of money voted
ply the. towns and cities of Maine, anu
was sentenced to ten years imprison.
mcnt md fine oil $4,000.
l at Washington was comparatively
Withdrawn from these fraudulent prac-
tccs carried on in tho States, under tho
very eyes of the State and town officers,
and as understand the law, within their