Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-08-16

cotorie which met habitually for purpose
of recreation in the rooms of Gen, Rufus
| ingalls,, on Pennsylvania avenue. Brice
being Paymaster General of the Army, haG
embarked extensively in the business Of
paying out the money in his charge upor
Lowenthars forgeries. If the fact that
they were forgeries had not been known to
him before the papers were first presented
at his office, it had certainly been disclosed
to him and established by the most en-
elusive evidence shortly afteryard
The clerks through whose hands these
forged papers had passed had reported to
Brice that they were forged and had been
rebuked for their Oficiousness. An agent
appointed by the defrauded soldiers-all OF
whom were colored men-had come to
Washington and had exhibited to the Pay
master General clear evidence of the crime
Of Lowenthal; but some convenient friend
had notified the forger, and he had gone %
New Orleans, where he had established an
office for the collection of new discharge
papers on which to base more
forged bounty claims. Thither the
agent of the soldiers followed, and the fact
that LOwenthal was engaged in the prepare
ton of forged claims for bounty money
was duly reported by Gen. Sheridan at
Washington. More than this, subordinate
paymaster, discovering the fact that checks
to large amount had been issued from the
Paymaster Generals Office upon forged pa
pers, fastened TO stop the payment of these
checks at the New York sub-Treasury,
Gen. Brice learned of this stoppage and o f
its reason, only to issue lew order remov-
ing the stoppage and directing the payment
OF the checks to go on.
The affair got partially into the newsna-
pers, and having now been brought to the
notiee OF Secretary Stanton, he induced
some of his friends in the House of Repre-
sentatives to move an investigation by a
committee of that body. The COMMITTEES
was appointed, and Mr.. Stanton detailed
clerks who were familiar with the Paw De-
partment to assist in the inquiry. Evil
dence OF the most damning character was
taken, and though the Investigation was
not completed the report of the committee
was partially prepared.
Hereupon Grant came into Office as Sec
rotary of War dd interim, and his first act
was to dismiss from the service the clerks
whom Mr.. Stanton had detailed TO aid the
committee. At the same time his friends
in the House of Representatives got through
resolution which, without mentioning this
committee, effectually stopped its labors and
prevented the printing of the evidence it
had taken and the presentation of its re-
port.
Upon this occurrence two OF the members
of the COLmibtes waited upon General
Grant at the War Department, to urge
him to withdraw his opposition and
allow the investigation to continue.
They represented to him plainly the ma
ture Of the testimony already taken. They
told him that il established the fact that
forged claims had been paid by Psymaster-
General Brice, he knowing them to be
forgeries. They represented to him the
duty of the Republican party and of all the
officers Of the Government to arrest such
frauds and to make the Administration
honest. To all this Grant turned deaf
ear, rudely rebuffing the gentlemen who
made the appeal, aud stolidly evincing bis
determination to sustain Brice iu the pay
ing OF these forgeries, and as iar as possible
TO conceal the IaCSs rom public knowledge.
Battled In their attempt with Gen. Grant,
the gentlemen interested in the investiga-
ton afterward went to President johnson.
1t was near the close of his term Of office,
and when he had heard the facts, Mr.
johnson told them that the only thing lie
could do in the premises was to retire Bricr.
This re did but ten days later, when Pres
dent Grant was inaugurated, his very first
act, performed before the appointment of
MS Cabinet, was to issue new order res
.oring Brice to the office of Psymastsr-
General.
The facts in this case, with the official
are fully set forth in the letter
If our Washington cores pondent, publish
ID this morning. That letter includes also
he suppressed report Of the Special Com
nittee of the House of Representatives,
precisely The same in form AMI language as
he Committee left it. @