Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-04
THEx ARE srMrtrEislsG

his removal, even for the good reasons tii;lt !
now exist, win not be easily accomplished. !
he was relieved two years ago, for sufilci- |
entlcanse, BY the War Department; but The
President inierposed his personal authority |
to save him. which he did. to lie damage of
the country 1t the least in the sum total OF
the defalcation of Paymaster Hodge The
Washington correspondent OF the CINCINNATI /
Commercial QRadical.) referring TO the fact
that great deal has lately been said
about the honesty of Gen. Brice, about his
long experience, his capabilty. his long
and faithful service, the confidence
which Gen. Belknal. secretary of War,
has in him, the refusal Of the latter TO in
yestigate his accounts. and finally the re-
port thai Gen. Brie will soai be retired,
saws these reports ill the same relation to
the public that regiment does TO an OPP
posing army when il makes sudden S0rtie
Oh the flank OF rearof the enemy. 1t is
simply diversion fIodse-and his friends
that is, those who profit by his retaining
his present poSition-are endeavorinS TO di-
vert attention from the real merits of the
question with which the public have to deal.
The Commercials correspondent says lit
is not certain that Brice is honest. He has
had long experience, but he has escaped
colrt-,narfial and dismissal several times by
the skin of his teeth. lie is not capable,
as. the. Hodge dedication shows" This
correspondent says further, that f'if Gen.
Belkrrap has refused to investigate the case
of Gen. Brice, as reported, he bad better
look out for his own good name,
for the public is coming to know
the character of Gen. Brice, and it
viii not be policy, to say nothing Of duty
for Gen. Belknap TO stand between him and
the people" To show the character Of the
man-whom Gen. Grant mterposed his per-
sonal authority to save from being SIRE
lievedn in disgrace. We copy few ot the
charges and Specifications preferred against
| Gen. Brice by the Cincinnati Commercials
correspondent lie says: s -
Gen. Bricc ought not TO be retired: he
| ought to be tried 10y court-martial and dis
missed from the service. He Is incapable
! from intemperanee of attending to his
! duties, and therefore incompetent. Half 4
dozen charges may be brought against linn
and suhstantiated, any one of which would
he sufficient TO dismiss him by the sentence
of coart-marfial.
! | believe he selvea ON tie Plains with
! Gea. Grant. and it is probably there that
he contracted his habit of drinking. Ii is
! said that Bricc and Grant, one being pay
master and the other a quartcrmaSter, used
10 play little poker once in while, but |
, can hardly believe that of our h0uored Pres
ilent. When Col Andrews was retired
/ in 1864. Iiricew made paymaster General,
and he has made very poor Paymaster
General. His habits are very bad, and his
associations low. lie IS not tolerated in So
ciety, but chooses the company OF the
vicious His drunkenness IS Of such a
marked CHARACTERIZED his friends call il 4 dis
! ease. Day after day he has been locked
in his room in the Pay Department building
by Eaton and Hodge ON account Of his bes-
tial habits. He is generally taken TO Balti-
more, and kept fora week or two, in order
to get over his Sprcs. and It has been
, Hodges Practice Ia watch Brcc, and when
a spree was approaching, which occurred
every week or two. h. would keep him oil
7 the street us much - possible. and thus
cover up his fauES. instead Of PreterrinS
charges against him. Well Brice has lived
10 pay back the service. and has done II
most thoroughly.
If Gen. Belknap Is really III earnest i'll
I wanting to find Out the truth about Brice
laf him It.4 rapIr,ls of q
special committee of the Forielh Congress.
He can easily Get access To them. and
as an honest officer he viii look upon them
with amazement. They have never vet
been given 10 the public, for which fact, Is
he well knows, Brice is indebted 10 Judge
Spalding former member uf Congress from
The Cleveland District, and the biggest old
humbug ever IN the House. twas charged
on the flour of the House that there were
startling frauds in the Pay Department..
and the special committee promised TO
! unearh them if allowed 10 keep At
work: that they had uncarthed some,
and were on the trail of others.
Yet Judge Spalding opposed the continuance
of the committee. and prevented the pro-
duction Of the evidence which would have
sent Brice headlong from the service. But
the evidence has been preserved. and can
be seen by Secretary Belknap if lie desires
TO arrive at the truth and sustain his repu-
tatiOn as Il courageous upright and impair
tial officer. As % judge Spalding's part in
the matter. if he can justify himself in his
own conscience. it is all he can I've expected
10 do.
If Gen. Brice had been forced from the
Pay Department in 1867, does anybody be
lieyc that Hodges stealincs would have
amounted to the fri9hful figure Of over half
4 million of dollars?
For evidence in regard To the drunken
ness Of Brice. refer gen. Belknap 10
the testimony taken by Congressman Lin
coins Committee Of the regular army
clique IF paymasters, Hodge, Brooke, Glib
son. Eaton and others. Some of the wit
nesseS said he was intoxicated mOst of the
time. Others said that he wasa good officer
when sober, but that he was seldom sober.
When he took " a spree which was quite
often, he was wholly laid aside. And here
the statements to which ] would particu-
larry call Gen Belknap's attention ::
During Brice's drunken sprees. when he
was away day after day. in 1867 aud lS6S
Hodge had charge of the office Is the
Treasury Department responsible for
Hodges robbery? The reader must re-
. nplliR'f lti5iI l1oH4c btSsih MS SIedllIl8 III
1896 and '67. Who gave him the Oppor-
lunity? Who tempted him.
While Secretary Bclknap is about it. he
may rs well examine some of the testimony
relating to the notorious Claim Agent Low
THAI, who died at the right time to save
himself from Fort l.afiyctir. and Brira
from court martial. because Secretary stan
ton WAS in power then at the War Depart
mcnt. and he had no impartial love for the
regular amy Stanton gave MIR. Lincoln :
committee every facility during the inquiry,
cuusulct freely with ih" members. ami
threw no n''Sia,'lc> IN tie. VIZ. but about
this time. - lhr reader will remember, Mr..
Stanton, own truuiac aro-r with Andy
johnson. and he Hiai, retired. He was
succeeded 10y Gen. Gram. and from that
time the committee ~ e Nth discourage
ment a. the War Department. Gen.
Grant frankly told uucnhrr, nf The culn-
mite" that he dill not ~rmlafhizc with the
Increment against Bri1.; hat Bricc was Il
friend oi his; hat he l,I known linn "a
long time. and hat he hal every confidence
ina him.
TIM New York T,1a,,. Radical a il i
protests AGAINST mos outrageous abuse.