Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-13
OUR NATIONAL DISGRACE.
Report OF the Special Commission Sent
10 Vienna 70 Investigate the
Charges Against General
Van BHren. f
The Verdict "CorruptiOn, DishenOr and
DiSgrace"-An Indellible Brand
The Union DishOn0red
by his Misconduct.


WASHINGTON, August 1.-THE
special commission has sent to the de-
partment of state a full report on the
Irregularities charged against General
Thomas B. Van Buren,, and replies
thereto, together with the correspond
ence, evidence and reports connected
Herewith. The correspondence is volu-
minous, and touches upon all points in
Yolved in the management of the
! American department, such as the
RECEPTION OF MONEY
by Van Buren for the privilege of erect
| ing bars and restaurants, corrupt con-
! tract for roofing the American court, and
variety of other matters which has
| heretofore been published. In cOnclu-
sion, the special commission find that
the commission to Vienna has been
managed corruptly and for personal pur-
poses, to the great detriment of the
/ American department, and in violation
of American honor, and has exposed us
TO
NATIONAL HUMILIATION
at Vienna, and throughout the world.
The evidence shows no taking of money
/ by any member of the commission ex-
cepting General Van Buren and Mr..
Mayer. In regard to Van Buren, the
| special commission do not hesitate to re-
port that they dissent from his justifica-
| ton of the taking of five hundred dol
lars as loan from Huzel, under the
circumstances, as shown in the evil
dence. They hold unsatisfactory ex-
plantations given by Van Buren touch
ing the thousand dollars which he re-
ceived from Messrs. Boehm & Weehl
They find an
UTTER WANT OF FRANKNESS
and inexcusable disregard of exactness
IN statements made by him to the secre-
| taTy of state in his letters of the twelfth
and thirteenth of March, in regard to
/ the number of concessions for bars, and
| touching kilograms from Vienna report
| ing the character of the corruption, and
| that in eXactness of insurances there
! given, misled the government into the
belief that no irregularities had been
committed, and demanding an investi-
CATION at New York, and thus compelled
the transfer of the inquiry at Vienna. As
to the justification set up by Mayer,
that all he did in taking and asking of
the moneys was done by him as a sub
ordinate, with the knowledge and ap-
proval of the chief commissioner; and
as to various
QUESTIONS OF vERACITY
raised by the evidence between General
Van BUren and General Mayer, touch
ing the illegal completely of the former
in the proceedings of the latter, and the
sharing by General Van Buren of the
two thousand dollars obtained from
Boehne & Wichl, the commission re-
frain from expressing an opinion for rea-
sons that they do not deem the discus
sion of these points essential to General
Mayer, since no such approval of the acts
nor portion of the moneys would, in
their opinion, render the acts proper or
constitute a valid defense for their COM
mission. They hold that it was the duty
of the chief of the American commission
to exercise so wise asvigilance in the ap-
pointment or exchange of his assistants,
and especially his first and confidential
assistant, and so exact a supervision and
management of the commission as to
protect it from the smallest taint or sus-
picion of
CORRUPTION,
and enable it to accomplish, at Vienna,
a reasonable success, and fifty represent
the integrity and honor of the govern
ment. Were a special committee to
admit the justice of General Van Bu-
ren's defense, for the acts which he ac-
knOwledges, and were they to pronounce
improven every charge made against
him by General Mayer, of having ap-
proved and shared his exactions of mon
ey, there would still remain the
GRAvEsT CHARGE,
save that of corruption, which could be
preferred against the chief of commits
sion appointed to represent in an assem-
blage of nations the industry, the
culture and fair fame of our republic
the charge of having permitted, through
period of months, from want of clear
sighted intelligence and due vigilance,
the loose management indicated by the
testimony and marked by irregularities,
which have arrested the success of the
commission and brought dishonor upon
the republic. The special commission,
therefore, without entering at all upon
the charges of completely made against
him by the majority, are compelled to
regard General VanBuren as responsible
as chief of the commission for
ABUSES OF AUTHORITY
committed by his confidential assistant,
and apart from the charges of corruption,
they find the management generally of
the commission which General Van
Buren, appears to have left to his subor-
dinates, to have been marked by lack of
judgment and foresight, an absence of
effective system and order, and loose
ness in contracts in instructions and ac-
counts calculated to insure the ruin of
any private business, and which, in a
great national trust like that intrusted
to General Van Buren, was, to the last
degree
DISCREDITABLE AND INTOLERABL
as indicating indifference or incapacity,
or both combined. The special commits |
sion speaks in terms of the highest praise |
of the new commission, appointed by
the president, with Jackson Schultz as
chief, and says that. the integrity and |
prudence of the present management is |
well calculated TO cause past iTregulari- |
ties to be forgotten and restore gen.
eral confidence in the American COM !
and to encourage the hope that
the art and industry of Europe may be
fairly represented at our own centen-
nial in 1879, In view of the fact that
bars have been multiplied by corrupt
practices and to the
GREAT SCANDAL
of the country, the commissioners recon-
mend that the American commissioning
be instructed to advise the imperial
manager of the exposition that authori-
ty given for the establishment of said
bars was given Improperly, and that the
American commissioners will no longer
sanction, supervise, nor be in any man
ner responsible for the same, nor consent
to their using the national name or ma
tiOnal colOrs. All of which is respect
fully submitted.
JOHN JAY,
THOMAS w. F. ELRATH,
vienna, July 5, 1873.
Governor Austin and Mayor Bracket,
of Minneapolis, interviewed General
Grant at Long Branch, Monday, in re-
gard TO the Manitoba affair. The gen.
eral asked the interviewers to reduce