Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-07-16
HON. JACOB THOMPSON.
The Truth of History INDICATED
His Explanation of she Alleged
Frauds I'm His Department.

His Explanation of the Alleged
Frauds I'm His Department.
MEMPHIS, July 15.-The following ap-
pears in the AUaLanche this morning:
Oxford, Miss, July 8, 1973.-To Jas. M.
williamson, ESQ.,, New York. Dear Sir
Your letter of yesterday was received By
me this evening. l thank you for the ex-
tract clipped from the Avalanche, headed
GA Large Defcit.n The facts in the case
are few, and have been so often paraded
before the public in all the distorted forms
that malignity and prejudice could give
them, that l recur to them with reluctance.
| have always had faith in the power of
truth and its ultimate triumph over
falsehood, but after twelve years the
Second Auditor takes up the account
and presents the matter to the public as
though the same thing was new
had lust 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 on these bonds
is regularly collected and paid over to their
tribes. 4 clerk in the department is charged
with their custody and if the coupons are
regularly brought forward for collection the
head of the department presumes as a matter
of course the bonds are ia hand. In this case
during my administration of the depart
ment Mr.. Bailey, clerk of high standing
aud unquestioned talents, was charged with
| this duty. Early in the year 1851, after all
the Jaruary coupons had been brought for
! ward aud regularly collected and he had
| been called on TO make out u full
statement of his account for the Auditor,
| which, in itself, was full and satisfactory,
| 1t become known that l would in few
DAYS resign my place in the cabinet owing
J to contemplated withdrawal of Mississippi
| from the Union. Then i was Mr. Bailey
sent me his confession that he had, without
| nv knowledge or consent in any way, de-
| liversd oYeE to Messrs. Russell L Co., large
| government contractors, bonds to the
amount of 1921 900 and taken in their stead
acceptances of the Secretary Of War for the
4 no statnd ha bod +-I-~-- a.
| same amOunG. S..-SU>- 49, ----A UshSAA WIG
responsibility of doing this to save the credit
oftheWar Department. and had not advised
me of what he had done because he knew
| would condemn it, and would not allow
him to touch o single bond. As soon
! as the confession was r ceiVed, the Keys OF
his safe were taken from him aud the con-
tents carefully counted, and ths state OF
thir es showed his confession to be true in
every particular. The clerk was dismissed
for his infidelity to his trust, and Congress,
then in session, was Informed by COM
| munication from me of what had been
done, and this, coupled with the request that
a committee consisting exclusively OF polit-
ical opponents should be appointed TO eX-
anime into and report upon all the facts.
The committee was appointed, ana a most
thorough search was made into all the cir
cumstances and facts in the case. The COM
mittee were unanimous in generating the
Secretary from all blame whatever in
the matt r, and their report was received by
Congress, without dissenting voice. This
was at time when party spirit ran high,
but still at time when members OF Coz
gress scorned to endeaVor to athX to the
name of public servant any stigma I'M
Justly or falsely. After more than twelve
years the Auditor reaches the account and
by rejecting the acceptances Of the War De-
partment, in which think he acted cor
rectly, he gives this deficit SIS something
naE. The Second Auditor of 1861 claims
the honor of making this discovery, when,
in truth, was the first to make all the facts
known. For fidelity, efficiency and promp
| ltuG6 Ill 6llS duHiLlsLi dtlOn VI lLC
Interior Department from 1857 to
1861, l am willing to be compared
With any administration of it, either before
or since That time. Certain It is, that nc
business was twelve years behind time.
have written this much toyou for your own
information. Iwould no. have you ignO-
rant Of the facts, but l have so often ex-
planned this matter and know SO well that
I i l. f,lly foA yF-sti
the propriety of 14y c0nalet that ! must
leave nalgners and the eyil-disposed to
, think and say what they please. You can
do what you ple'se in saying anything to
, the editors. do not scpposs tAey msant
to 90 me- any Injustice in publishing th'
dispatch. If they had th"n"L- minute
they ~ ""l~ nave remembered puhl;aAins
my explanation, addressed to The Cincin
/ natl Enquirer, which they pronounced
demonstration. Yours truly,
I TuOrTDSONr