The National tribune., 1886-07-22
THE PENSION OFFICE.
Some Explanations that Justice Requires should
he Made.

THE PENSION OFFICE.
Some Explanations that Justice Requires should
be Made.
To THE EDITOR: Knowing your deserved
reputation for fair play, / am sure you will
be willing to honor few statements of mine
| with some space in your journal. Some ex-
ceedingly unkind criticisms have lately been
passed upon what is claimed to be an official
| act of the Commissioner of Pensions, and as the
statements made have been highly colOred, /
desire to give you the facts as have obtained
them from the records of the Pension Office.
| The claim of Mary Reeves (eolored), applying
| for pension as dependent mother Of Andrew
Shaw, of Co. III, 18th U. s. eolored troops, was
| placed in the hands Of an Examiner in the
| Southern Division, who wrote letter TO the
| claimant advising her that her claim was re-
| jected on the ground that she was a slave at
| the timo of the soldiers death; but in doing 50
he was grossly careless, and acted without pre-
eedent and in direct violation of all practices
of the Office. His error in judgment doubtless
| grew out of the fact that he failed TO cOmpre-
bend the full text of the Commissioners ruling
| in another case, and sought to apply it TO the
case OF the dependent mother Of Andrew Shaw.
As a matter of fact, the claim was not rejected,
but was submitted for rejection to the Board Of
Review, where the Examiners error must neces-
sarily have been discovered. All cases, whether
recommended for admission or rejection, are
| submitted to and passed upon by the Board of
Review before the action is considered final.
The following is a copy Of letter addressed
by the Commissioner of Pensions to the Hon.
| A. j. Caldwell, NJ. c., of the Sixth District Of
Tennessee:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
LAW DIVISION. Pension OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, ID. g., May Is, 1850.
Hon. A. j. CALDWELL, House OF Representatives.
SIR Replying TO your favor of April a. 1886 con-
corning the claim Of Mary Reeves leoloredl, apply
Shaw. Of Co II, nth o. s. O. T., No 299 $50 com
planning that her claim had been rejected upon the
ground that the claimant was slave at the date of
the soldiers death, and therefore she not de-
pendent on him for support at that time, have the
honor to inclose you copy of my ruling No. l66,
| Coleman lcoloredl, mother Of Henry McBride Co.
r, 6oth U. ;. q. T., by which you will that in
the claim referred to no such theory has ever had
my sanction. The ruling referred TO treats all APP
/ plicants, white or black, bond Free in the same
way; the question Of dependence is a question Of
| fact. Very respectfully
| (Signed) JoHS G. BLACK,
| Commissioner Of Pensions.
While nearly every paper in the country has
taken the opportunity to criticize as an official
act Of Gen. Blacks what was in reality gross
error on the part Of one of his subOrdinates,
no attempt has been made to get at the bottom
facts, and from an unbiased point Of view 10
would seem to me that Gen. Blacks greatest
sin in the eyes Of his critics rests in the fact
/ that he is Democrat.
Comradesl will you show me the man who
has discharged the duties Of Commissioner Of
/ Pensions with less regard for party influences
than the present incumbent? He was a brave
soldier, he is an honest man, and daily proves
himself the soldiers friend. His standard of
| equity and justice is high one, and he never
| stops this side of il. lie fully appreciates the
trust reposed in him, and you are safe in be-
lieying that he will in the future, as he has in
the past, discharge his duties faithfully, con-
scientiously, and Independently.
When adverse and severe criticisms are passed
upon Gen. Black, know from my personal
knowledge of him that ignorance is the founda-
ton. Something that came to my attention
| recently will serve an illustration. CHANGED
upon a copy Of the Mason City Iowa. Rspu5H-
can, journal Of II pages, and claiming to be
the oldest-paper in the County. Ny attention
was attracted to an editorial, the first half Of
which denounced the supposed official act of
the Commissioner Of Pensions-refusing pen
sion 70 a colored dependent mother, on the
ground that she was slave at the date Of her
sons death, and, therefore, not entitled. The
editor wound up with the remark that, We
presume Gen. Black, Commissioner of Pensions,
bases his opinion on the laws Of the Confed-
crate States" / was unable 20 comprehend the
allusion until, on another page, / found long
editorial on the Hepburn Wheeler controversy,
| in which this Western journalist says that Mr..
Wheeler would never have called E. NJ Stanton
traitor and an arch-conspirator if he lStantonl
had been true 70 President Buchanan and his
! associates in treason, viz, Cobb, Thompson
Floyd, jeremiah y. Black, then Secretary of
State, noU Commissioner Of Pensions, and others
of similar ilk"
Here was enterprise. Judge Jere Black died
at York, Pa, in August, 1883. at the age of 70.
AS a matter of fact. he was not Secretary of
State, but Attorney General, during Buchanan's
Administration, and little did we expect in
1 IN i'm IL
| sioner of Pensions.
1t seems that it is possible-although as an
unproyen statement / never would have be-
lieved it-that there is Western journalist
who has never heard of Gen. John Charles
Black, who, when but little more than boy,
left his studies at Wabash College, Ind, when
Sumter was fired upon to enlist as private in
the 18th Ind. (three-months service.) On the
18th of April, 1861, he was mustered in at In
dianapols, Ind, as Sergeant Major of that regi-
ment, and Immediately left for the front, where
he served under Gems. Kelly and Patterson in
Virginia and West Virginia until the expirs-
tion Of his term of service, when he returned
to Indianapolis with his regiment and was
mustered out Aug. 4. 1861. He then proceeded
to his homo in Danville, ILL.,, and was commits
stoned, Aug. 10, 1861, as Major of the 9th ILL.,,
and again left for the front early in September.
On the 9th of June, 1862, he was promoted TO
Northumberland and on the LIST Of February,
1863, to Colonel of his regiment. On the 18th
of March, 1865, he was commissioned Brevet
Brigadier- General, u S. Vols, for distinguished
gallantry in the field, and resigned Aug. Is,
1860.
When the Editor Of the Mason City RepHb-
liean and others of his ilk pluck the beam OF
prejudice and ignorance from out their own
statements, veterans may be willing to see them
seek for notes in the acts Of him who bears
with characteristic fortitude the continuous
suffering left to him as an ever present re-