If Virginia
Should Ever Become A Part Of The Southern Republic, Washington
Cannot Remain The Capital Of The Northern Republic.
In such case it
would be almost better to let Maryland go also, so that the future
destiny of that unfortunate city may not be a source of trouble, and
a stumbling-block of opprobrium.
Even if Virginia be saved, its
position will be most unfortunate.
I fancy that the railroads in those days must have been doing a very
prosperous business. From New York to Philadelphia, thence on to
Baltimore, and again to Washington, I had found the cars full; so
full that sundry passengers could not find seats. Now, on my return
to Baltimore, they were again crowded. The stations were all
crowded. Luggage trains were going in and out as fast as the rails
could carry them. Among the passengers almost half were soldiers.
I presume that these were men going on furlough, or on special
occasions; for the regiments were of course not received by ordinary
passenger trains. About this time a return was called for by
Congress of all the moneys paid by the government, on account of the
army, to the lines between New York and Washington. Whether or no
it was ever furnished I did not hear; but it was openly stated that
the colonels of regiments received large gratuities from certain
railway companies for the regiments passing over their lines.
Charges of a similar nature were made against officers, contractors,
quartermasters, paymasters, generals, and cabinet ministers. I am
not prepared to say that any of these men had dirty hands. It was
not for me to make inquiries on such matters. But the continuance
and universality of the accusations were dreadful. When everybody
is suspected of being dishonest, dishonesty almost ceases to be
regarded as disgraceful.
I will allude to a charge made against one member of the cabinet,
because the circumstances of the case were all acknowledged and
proved. This gentleman employed his wife's brother-in-law to buy
ships, and the agent so employed pocketed about 20,000l. by the
transaction in six months. The excuse made was that this profit was
in accordance with the usual practice of the ship-dealing trade, and
that it was paid by the owners who sold, and not by the government
which bought. But in so vast an agency the ordinary rate of profit
on such business became an enormous sum; and the gentleman who made
the plea must surely have understood that that 20,000l. was in fact
paid by the government. It is the purchaser, and not the seller,
who in fact pays all such fees. The question is this: Should the
government have paid so vast a sum for one man's work for six
months? And if so, was it well that that sum should go into the
pocket of a near relative of the minister whose special business it
was to protect the government?
American private soldiers are not pleasant fellow-travelers.
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