Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-04-15
Personal Explanation of Mr. {. >.
Faulkner.

MIR. Faulkner-l propose 10 Cali tue
attention of the House to an article that
appeared in the Washington Repubi-
can, which l believe is the recognized
organ of the Administration in this city.
The editors head this article in large
capitals, "Serious charges. against 9. j.
Faulkner" and proceeds in the course
of it to state what those charges are. l
hardly think that | should dignity that
article to the extent of having it read to
the Clerks table, so as to be incorpora-
ed in the Congressional Record, but, If
any gentleman so desires, that can be
done, l propose simply to notice one
or two Of the matters contained in that
article.
Mr. Speaker, ! should have been very
much disappointed, might indeed say
mortified, if, in the flood Of obloquy and
defamation which, for the last two mon
tbs has, from the same source, been
poured upon almost every active and
leading man on this side Of the House,
| had not come in for some share OF a.
buse from this reckless and habltual de-
famer. 1t might well have been con-
strued into evidence of my insignificant
cy which might have been wounding to
my personal pride. 1t is, however some
consolation to me that with an official
life extending through many years, and
challenging the most unsparlng scrutl-
ny, and with an eager disposition upon
the part of those hyenas of the press to
feed upon filth and garbage, they have
found nothing worthy of attack except
the prevented and easily-explained mat
ters contained in this article in the
Washington Rcpublican,an article mark
ed by cousumatc ignorance, and which
would be wholly unworthy of any no
tice here if it did not connect Itself with
proceedings before this House and a
committee of this House.
This leading organ of the Admins
tration, in his ignorance, has contound-
ed two transactions that have no posi-.
BILE connection with each other. l will
refer to them separately.
Early in the session, some of my i'm
povAished conStituents-men who had
been in the employment of the Govern
ment as mechanics and laborers at Har
per's Ferry about the opening of our
ciyel conflict in I96l-sent down their
petitions to be paid their wages for
March and April, 1861, which they al
legged had been honestly earned aud
which had never been paid by the Gov
eminent. l forwarded these claims to
the proper Bureau for examination and
settlement. The reply came that these
demands could not be paid by the de-
partment; first, because the claimants
were believed to be disloyal and second
ly, because the appropriation OF that
year had been carried to the surplus
fund, and was DO longer under the control
of that department; and it was further
stated that relief could be given only
by Congress. l accordingly had the
subject referred to the Committee on
Military Affairs, where these claims are
now pending, subject to their consider
alton and action. This embraces all my
connection with that subject.
The other transaction, which this COM
mon defamer has so ignorantly con-
founded with the one just stated, was
this; In 1853 Dennis Murphy, of my
county, was appointed military store
keeper and paymaster at Harpers Fer
ry l was one of four solvent men who
became his securities in his official bond.
He settled his accounts-and so they
appear upon the books of the department
with the most scrupulous accuracy
to the lst of January, 1861. His settle
ments being quarterly, no futher account
was required of him until the LIST of
April, 1861. Before that last quarterly
settlement could be made the Confeder-
ate forces took possession of Harpers
Ferry, the vaul: in which his vouchers
were contained was broken open, and
every voucher but one destroyed. In
the absence of these legal vouchers the
accounting officers of The treasury had
to treat him OF course as defaulter; but
having the highest moral and persua
sive evidence in their possession that he
was not detaulter, they permitted the
matter to slumber until the 9Th Of jan
uary last. when the first information
was given to the securities of this ap-
parent balance on the books Of the treas
ury. 1t was then deemed expedient to
present a petition to Congress, in which
all the facts of the case were carefully
set forth; aud as Allen @. Hammond,
the security thus petitioniug, resided in
the State Of Maryland, Mr.. O'Brien, OF
that State, very kindly took charge Of
the petition and had it referred to the
Committee on Military Affairs. That
committee sent the petition to the Chief
OF the ordinance bureau to examine the
statements contained in it, to return CO.
pies of any papers bearing upon the sub
! ject, aud TO express his opinion upon all