Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-07-19
HON. JACOB. THOMPSON.
The Truth Of History INDICATED.
His Explanation Of the Alleged Frauds
i'm His Department.


MEMPHIS, July 15.-The following
appears in the Avalanche this morning:
OXFORD, Miss, July s, 1S73.-To
Jas. NJ. Williamson, Esq, New York.
Dear Sir-Yourletter of yesterday was
received by me this evening. l
thank you for the extract clipped
rom the Avalanche, headed "A
Large Deficit" The facts in the
case are few, and have been so
paraded before the public in all the
distorted forms that malignity and
prejudice could give them, that | re-
cur to them with reluctance. / have
always had faith in the power of truth
and its ultimate triumph over false
hood, but after twelyeyears the Second
Auditor takes up the account and pre-
sents the matter to the public as though
the same thing was new and had Just
been discovered. The whole case is
this the Department of the Interior
is made the custodian of the bonds
held in trust for various Indian tribes.
The interest of these bonds is regular
ly collected and paid over to their
tribes. A clerk in the department is
charged with their custody and if the
coupons are regularly brought for
ward for collection the head of the
department presumes as a matter of
course the bonds are in hand In this
case during my administration of the
department Mr.. Bailey, clerk of
high standing and unquestioned tai
ents, was charged with this duty
Early in the year 1861, after all the
January coupons had been brought
forward and regularly collected and
he had been called on to make out a
full statement of his account for the
Auditor, which, in itself, was full and
satisfactory, it become known that /
would in a few days resign my place
Withdrawal of Mississippi from the
Union. Then it was Mr.. Baily sent
me his confession that he had, without
my knowledge or consent in any way,
delivered to Messrs. Russell K CO.,
large government contractors, bonds
to the amount of S921, 900 and taken
In their stead acceptances of the Sec
rotary of War for the same amount.
He stated that he had taken the re-
sponsibility of doing this to save the
credit of the War Department, and
had not advised me of what he had
done because he knew | would con-
denim it, and would not allow him to
touch a single bond. As soon as the
confession was received, the keys of his
safe were taken from him and the con-
tents carefully counted, and the state
of things showed his confession to be
true in everyparticular. Thee was
dismissed for his.infidelity to his trust,
and Congress, then in session, was in
formed by communication from me !
of what had been done, and this, |
coupled with the request that COM /
mittee consisting exclusively of polit- !
ical opponents should be appointed to
examine into and report upon the
facts. The committee was appointed, |
and a most thorough search was made |
into all the circumstances and facts |
in the case. The committee were
in exonOrating the Secre-
tary from all blame whatever in the
matter, and their report was re-
ceived by Congress, without a dissen-
ting voice, This was at time when
party spirit ran high, but still at a
time when members of Congress scOrn-
ed to endeavOr to affix to the name of
a public servant any stigma unjustly or
falsely. After more than twelve years
the Auditor reaches the account and
by rejecting the acceptances of the
War Department, in which think he
acted correctly, he gives this deficit as
new. The Second Auditor
Of 1861 claims the honor of making
this discovery, when, in truth, | was
he first to make all the facts known.
For fidelity, efficiency and prOmpti-
Jude in the administration of the Inte-
-ior Department from 1857 to 1861, |
I'M willing to be compared with any
of it either before or
,ince that time. Certain it is, that no
business was twelve years behind time.
have written this much to you for
FOUR own information. | would not
nave you ignorant of the fact, but |
nave so often explained this matter
md know so well that all honorable
nen are fully satisfied with the pro-
,riety of my conduct that | must leave
naligners and the evil disposed to
hinE and say what they please, You
an do what you please in saying any
hing to the editors. | do notsuppose
hey meant to do me any injustice in
publishing the dispatch. is they had
houeht minute, they would have re-
nembered Publishing my explanation,
addressed to the Cincinnati Enquirer,
which they pronounced a demonstra-
ion Yours truly,
j. THOMPSON.