The daily gazette., 1876-03-31
Belknap and Grant.
The Presidents Unboun ded Faith
in the Secretary.
GENERAL HAZEN'S CHARGES
PROVEN AFTER FOUR
YEARS


PROVEN AFTER FOUR
YEARS.
Special despatch to the Work..
WASHINGTON, March 29.-Thc ely
mer committee have received conclu-
sive documentary evidence to show
that the President and Secretary of
War were officially informed in 1872
that the latter had been charged with
receiving portion of the profits OF
post traderships, and that neither paid
the slightest attention TO the serious
charge, though they discussed it in a
private conference. The following i'm
portant letter bearing directly on this
point was received to day from Gener-
al Hazen, now Colonel of the Sixth
Infantry regiment and brevet major
general:
CITY OF MEXICO, March IS, 1876.
To Hon. Hester Clymer:
DEAR SIR: The papers of the 4th
inst. brought me the result of the
Belknap investigation. By referring
to the proceedings of the House Mill
tary Committee of March, 1872, you
will find precisely the same intorma-
ton given by me then as that upon
which your investigation was founded.
Mr.. Smalley, the then clerk of that
committee, published in the New York
! Tribune the purport of my evidence,
which only referred to the black mail
ing of the post traders and not to the
final disposition OF the money, but he
added to it the presumptive disposition
which is now proven to have been true.
The Secretary of War took the news.
paper paragraph to the President (as
he has since said6 remarking: "Mr.
President, have you seen the article in
the New York Tribune of this morning
referrieg to meY" To which the Presi-
dent replied, 81 have, and do not be-
lieve enc word of it," The Secretary
then said, "If you do behave il am
no longer fit to hold a place in your
Cabinet" This was the end of the
matter, both with the President and
Congress, leaving it a question of ver-
acity between the Secretary and my
. self. l have waited patiently four
years, never doubling but l should be
finally vindicated, although at times
feeling very heavily the weight of the
displeasure of those high in power for
daring TO tell the truth respecting the
great outrage upon the army. My oh
ject from the first was not only to re.
lieve the army from this outrage, but
: to obtain the execution of most ex.
Q cellent law passed in 1866 requiring
\ he Commissary Department to furnish
r to enlisted men at cost, the article;
:, usually furnished them by sutlers.-
!. This most admirable arrangement il
virtually carried out in all other arm
es,and would be worth to the enlisted
men So, 600, 600 annually, and costing
: nothing but q little extra work TO the
= Commissary Department. This d
J partment has opposed thelaw from The
!. first. In setting this law aside vitality
IL and value were given to the post ira
y derships, which could be done in nc
y other way. The law itself has ever
G been omitted from the Revised Stat
# utes. To secure this most useful pur-
3 pose was my only end. In the autumn
: of 1875 the Secretary visited my post
receiving my most cordial hospitality
which was fully accepted. L though
this proper occasion for renewal O.
e our old and friendly relations, as WI
o had served together in the war.
therefore wrote him sincere lettel
looking to such result, although
/ felt entitled to some reparation, hav
r ing for four years experienced full
sense of the wrong inflicted on me BY
the Secretary in his virtual denial tt
s. the President of my truthful report. :
y The Secretary did not see fit to reply
Z to my letter. then orcluded to lei
!. the matter rest, hoping only for the
10 partial reparation that time give al
s. wrongs, when your letter in January
&c as Chairman of one of the committees
+. of Congress, called for the information
furnished you. For your complia 1c'
le with my request not to bring my name
forward in connection with the inves
tigation. tender you my thanks, ant
now release you from further obliga
tions in that respect, Very respect
: fully, &C., (Signed) w. B. HAzEN