The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-13
A Crime for which the Republican
Party Is Responsible.

Since the remains Of the late Bureau of
Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned
Lands were transferred TO the War De-
partment, order has been evolved from
chaos, and something hike an exact view
OF Its condition is now obtainable from the
clear. concise, and conclusive reports of
Gen. VINCENT, who has the direction OF
this work.
The men who managed this bureau wero
also prominent in the direction of the
Freedmans Bank. Gen. HOWARD, Gen. BAL
LocH, j. w. ALvoRD, and other self-styled
shouting humanity and processing the
most ardent devotion to the rights of the
black man. were the patriots under whose
management he was cheated out Of his
pay, bounty, and prize money in the
bureau, and robbed of his hard earnings
in the Bank. They grow rich, built fine
houses at Washington, lived on the fat OF
the iand, sa-e liberal donations to
churches, and were looked up TO as model
Christians. While they were trading on
this sort of capital, at that very time they
were acting in collision with tho Washing
ton Ring. and helping Boss SHEPHERD.
with all their influence over the colored
population, TO carry out his schemes of
plumber. and to fasten his vulgar despot.
ism on the community. The Administra-
ton, the two Houses of Congress. the
Courts, and every element of political
power sided with these canting scoundrels
aud thieves.
The first report OF Gen. VINCENT ex-
posed the methods employed by Gen.
HOWARD aud his confederates TO defeat
thorough investigation of their transac-
tions in the bureau after the transfer TO
the War Department. Everything was
purposely thrown into confusion; the cash
book showing the accounts of Dsbursine
Ufcer BALLoCH was stolen; other books
were mutiated and destroyed; the records
were dispersed. and nothing was left I'M
done by which The truth could be con-
cealed, perverted, or denied. Yet, in spite
OF all these fraudulent combinations. Gen.
VINCENT has succeeded. by great labor. in
genuty, and persistent purpose, i'll I'M
masking the villainies prac tised on the
poor freedmen. His most recent Ie-
port on this subject is full of in
ftruchve information. Under classified
heads. he brings out into strong relief the
means by which the frauds were carried
on, partly by collision with officials in and
out Of the Treasury, and were hidden from
public view. A few extracts will give an
Insight into the system:
In the preliminary investigation had by this
Office in these cases, the fact became developed
that moneys, acPregating a large sum, which
h,d been sent by the chief disOursing officer
lten. G.. W. BALLOCnl to the local 0isbursing
Ulcers for payment to claimants, were not paid
20 them, but returned To the chief di-bursi 2
officer unclaimed. Notwithstanding such
1.ct. the vouchers representing payments Of
with The accounting officers Of the Treasury by
tie chief disbursing officer Of the bureau, and
upon which he obtained credit for the amount
the.eo were not cancelled, nor does IL appear Of
record thst he ever accounted To the Govern
Dent IN any way for toe amount"
In plain terms, the charge Is, that vouch-
ers were forged for money never paid to
claimants; and still no action has been
taken to make BALLocH disgorge it. Again I:
There can Re no doubt ps to the deficits, and
the Inference is that the large amounts of money
were, for some four years, used for private pur-
poses, ana in violation oflaw. All gains through
mat Ill gal use should accrue to the United
states. II u significant hat soon dftcr The legis-
idii0n doin0 array irth ne bTcHu, uhich action
boianecs, ~ houiIs n The Mie frlcdmGn's SGp.
rg Gnd Iltst ComudnD commenced.
" 10 property appreciate. We nave but TO con-
slider that II at the end OF any one Of the several
months the dcnct had been discovered the late
II
defauiting Paymaster HODGE. Had the discov-
cry been made at the end OF February, $50 Tho
deficit would have been SsCN,OD, nearly double
the amount Involved In tho main charge against
HODGE In other months IL would have heen
S,O6Io3s2, <GSl 4OO91 sos Si .G2, ana many other
Large amounts, respectively IN excess OF
Sj9O,O00."
These are samples Of the system. Cheat
ing, diversion of the.freedmen's money 10
personal uses, illegal investments in bonds
and appropriation of the interest by the
discussing officer and his associates, and
other frauds,.tun up in every branch of
this bureau. Nothing is palmer than that
there was conspiracy on the part Of the
chef managers to steal all they could from
the negroes, and that this success carried
them into the direction OF the Freedmons
Bank, where similar practices were pur-
sued The Philanthropio Ring was AS per-
ieotly organized as any other, and under
inc mask OF religion and humanity Il COW
Wen about as much rascality as the best of
thon' the difference being that HowARn
Sua LIS eonfederates chose for their victim