The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-04-06
GEN, HAZEN HEARD FROM
HIS CHARGES AGAINST BEL
KNAPP 81 co. ESTABLISHED.
Grant, Belknap & Co. IS Persecution
of Hazen.

1t is well known that General W. B
Hazen had a difference of opinion with
Secretary Belknap on the subject of post
traderships, and that General Hazen held
very decided views asto the crookedness
of some transactions between the post
traders and the War Department Off
cials. He endeavored four years ago to
bring these transactions to the attention
Of the Government, but with no other
result than securing his own Punishment
to a remote and inhosptable post, where
he was cut of from civilized life and
where, in addition to other hardships, he
endured heavy domestic affection. His
wrongs were great, but he felt that it
would be useless for him to seek reme-
dy, so he bided his time.
Before the fall of Secretary Belknap
General Hazcn obtained leave of. ,bsence
to visit Mexico. While he was absent
the explosion in the War Department
came, but that it was not unexpected by
General Hazen. and thst he was not un-
connected with the event, are facts made
clear by the letter which has since been
received from him and made public by
the Chairman Of the Committee on War
Expenditures. That letter is as fol-
lows
Cry OF MEXICO, March Is.
Hon. Hester Clymer:
DEAR SIR: The papers of the 4th inst.
brought me the result of the Belknap in
vestigation, By referring to the proceed
ings of the House Military Committee of
March, 1872, you will find precisely the
same information gwen 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 ofthe money, but he ad.
ded to it the plesumptive disposition,
which is now proved to have been true.
The Secretary of War took the newspaper
paragraph to the Presidend, as he since
said, remarking: "Mr. President, lave
you seen the article in the New York
Tribune of this morning referring to me?"
To which the President replied, 81 have,
and do not believe a word of it." The
Secretary then said, "If you do believe
it 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 question of veraci
ty between the Secretary and myself
| have waited patiently for four years,
never doubling l shall be finally vindi-
Gated though at times feeling very
heavily the weight of displeasure ofthose
high in power for daring to tell the truth
respecting the great outrage upon the
army. My object from the first was not
only to relieve the army from this outrage
but to obtain the execution of a most
excellent law passed in 1866, requiring
the Commissary Department to furnish
to enlisted men at cost the articles u.s.
ually furnished them by suffers. This
most admirable arrangement, which is
virtually carried out in all other armies,
would be worth to the enlisted men ST.
600 600 annually, and cost nothing but
little extra work to the Commissary
Dep irtment. This department has OPP
posed the law from the first. In setting
this law aside vitality and value were
given to the post traderships,which could
be done in no other way. The law itself
has even been omitted from the Revised
To secure this most useful end
was my only purpose. In the autumn OF