north america-2-第50章

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aid　into　the　hands　of　certain　government　treasurers　at　New　York；　but　they　had　orders　to　honor　the　draft　of　the　political　friend　of　the　Secretary　of　War；　and　consequently　50；000l。　was　immediately　withdrawn　by　Mr。　Cummings；　and　with　this　he　went　to　work。　　It　is　shown　that　he　knew　nothing　of　the　business；　that　he　employed　a　clerk　from　Albany　whom　he　did　not　know；　and　confided　to　this　clerk　the　duty　of　buying　such　stores　as　were　bought；　that　this　clerk　was　recommended　to　him　by　Mr。　Weed；　the　editor　of　a　newspaper　at　Albany；　who　is　known　in　the　States　as　the　special　political　friend　of　Mr。　Seward；　the　Secretary　of　State；　and　that　in　this　way　he　spent　32；000l。　　He　bought　linen　pantaloons　and　straw　hats　to　the　amount　of　4200l。；　because　he　thought　the　soldiers　looked　hot　in　the　warm　weather；　but　he　afterward　learned　that　they　were　of　no　use。　　He　bought　groceries　of　a　hardware　dealer　named　Davidson；　at　Albany；　that　town　whence　came　Mr。　Weed's　clerk。　　He　did　not　know　what　was　Davidson's　trade；　nor　did　he　know　exactly　what　he　was　going　to　buy；　but　Davidson　proposed　to　sell　him　something　which　Mr。　Cummings　believed　to　be　some　kind　of　provisions；　and　he　bought　it。　　He　did　not　know　for　how　muchwhether　over　2000l。　or　not。　　He　never　saw　the　articles；　and　had　no　knowledge　of　their　quality。　　It　was　out　of　the　question　that　he　should　have　such　knowledge；　as　he　naively　remarks。　　His　clerk　Humphreys　saw　the　articles。　　He　presumed　they　were　brought　from　Albany；　but　did　not　know。　　He　afterward　bought　a　shipor　two　or　three　ships。　　He　inspected　one　ship　〃by　a　mere　casual　visit：〃　that　is　to　say；　he　did　not　examine　her　boilers；　he　did　not　know　her　tonnage；　but　he　took　the　word　of　the　seller　for　everything。　　He　could　not　state　the　terms　of　the　charter；　or　give　the　substance　of　it。　　He　had　had　no　former　experience　in　buying　or　chartering　ships。　　He　also　bought　75；000　pairs　of　shoes　at　only　25　cents　（or　one　shilling）　a　pair　more　than　their　proper　price。　　He　bought　them　of　a　Mr。　Hall；　who　declares　that　he　paid　Mr。　Cummings　nothing　for　the　job；　but　regarded　it　as　a　return　for　certain　previous　favors　conferred　by　him　on　Mr。　Cummings　in　the　occasional　loans　of　100l。　or　200l。　At　the　end　of　the　examination　it　appears　that　Mr。　Cummings　still　held　in　his　hand　a　slight　balance　of　28；000l。；　of　which　he　had　forgotten　to　make　mention　in　the　body　of　his　own　evidence。　　〃This　item　seems　to　have　been　overlooked　by　him　in　his　testimony；〃　says　the　report。　　And　when　the　report　was　made；　nothing　had　yet　been　learned　of　the　destiny　of　this　small　balance。　Then　the　report　gives　a　list　of　the　army　supplies　miscellaneously　purchased　by　Mr。　Cummings：　280　dozen　pints　of　ale　at　9s。　6d。　a　dozen；　a　lot　of　codfish　and　herrings；　200　boxes　of　cheeses　and　a　large　assortment　of　butter；　some　tongues；　straw　hats　and　linen　〃pants；〃　23　barrels　of　pickles；　25　casks　of　Scotch　ale；　price　not　stated；　a　lot　of　London　porter；　price　not　stated；　and　some　Hall　carbines　of　which　I　must　say　a　word　more　further　on。　　It　should　be　remembered　that　no　requisition　had　come　from　the　army　for　any　of　the　articles　named；　that　the　purchase　of　herrings　and　straw　hats　was　dictated　solely　by　the　discretion　of　Cummings　and　his　man　Humphreys；　or；　as　is　more　probable；　by　the　fact　that　some　other　person　had　such　articles　by　him　for　sale；　and　that　the　government　had　its　own　established　officers　for　the　supply　of　things　properly　ordered　by　military　requisition。　　These　very　same　articles　also　were　apparently　procured；　in　the　first　place；　as　a　private　speculation；　and　were　made　over　to　the　government　on　the　failure　of　that　speculation。　〃Some　of　the　above　articles；〃　says　the　report；　〃were　shipped　by　the　Catiline；　which　was　probably　loaded　on　private　account；　and；　not　being　able　to　obtain　a　clearance；　was；　in　some　way；　through　Mr。　Cummings；　transferred　over　to　the　governmentSCOTCH　ALE；　LONDON　PORTER；　SELECTED　HERRINGS；　and　all。〃　　The　italics；　as　well　as　the　words；　are　taken　from　the　report。　This　was　the　confidential　political　friend　of　the　Secretary　of　War；　by　whom　he　was　intrusted　with　400；000l。　of　public　money！　　Twenty…　eight　thousand　pounds　had　not　been　accounted　for　when　the　report　was　made；　and　the　army　supplies　were　bought　after　the　fashion　above　named。　　That　Secretary　of　War；　Mr。　Cameron；　has　since　left　the　cabinet；　but　he　has　not　been　turned　out　in　disgrace；　he　has　been　nominated　as　Minister　to　Russia；　and　the　world　has　been　told　that　there　was　some　difference　of　opinion　between　him　and　his　colleagues　respecting　slavery！　　Mr。　Cameron；　in　some　speech　or　paper；　declared　on　his　leaving　the　cabinet　that　he　had　not　intended　to　remain　long　as　Secretary　of　War。　　This　assertion；　I　should　think；　must　have　been　true。　And　now　about　the　Hall　carbines；　as　to　which　the　gentlemen　on　this　committee　tell　their　tale　with　an　evident　delight　in　the　richness　of　its　incidents　which　at　once　puts　all　their　readers　in　accord　with　them。　　There　were　altogether　some　five　thousand　of　these；　all　of　which　the　government　sold　to　a　Mr。　Eastman　in　June；　1861；　for　14s。　each；　as　perfectly　useless；　and　afterward　bought　in　August　for　4l。　8s。　each；　about　4s。　a　carbine　having　been　expended　in　their　repair　in　the　mean　time。　　But　as　regards　790　of　these　now　famous　weapons；　it　must　be　explained　they　had　been　sold　by　the　government　as　perfectly　useless；　and　at　a　nominal　price；　previously　to　this　second　sale　made　by　the　government　to　Mr。　Eastman。　　They　had　been　so　sold；　and　then；　in　April；　1861；　they　had　been　bought　again　for　the　government　by　the　indefatigable　Cummings　for　3l。　each。　　Then　they　were　again　sold　as　useless　for　14s。　each　to　Eastman；　and　instantly　rebought　on　behalf　of　the　government　for　4l。　8s。　each！　　Useless　for　war　purposes　they　may　have　been；　but　as　articles　of　commerce　it　must　be　confessed　that　they　were　very　serviceable。　This　last　purchase　was　made　by　a　man　named　Stevens　on　behalf　of　General　Fremont；　who　at　that　time　commanded　the　army　of　the　United　States　in　Missouri。　　Stevens　had　been　employed　by　General　Fremont　as　an　agent　on　the　behalf　of　government；　as　is　shown　with　clearness　in　the　report；　and　on　hearing　of　these　muskets　telegraphed　to　the　general　at　once：　〃I　have　5000　Hall's　rifled　cast…steel　muskets；　breach…loading；　new；　at　22　dollars。〃　　General　Fremont　telegraphed　back　instantly：　〃I　will　take　the　whole　5000　carbines。　。　。　。　　I　will　pay　all　extra　charges。〃　。　。　。　。　　And　so　the　purchase　was　made。　　The　muskets；　it　seems；　were　not　absolutely　useless　even　as　weapons　of　war。　　〃Considering　the　emergency　of　the　times？〃　a　competent　witness　considered　them　to　be　worth　〃10　or　12　dollars。〃　　The　government　had　been　as　much　cheated　in　selling　them　as　it　had　in　buying　them。　　But　the　nature　of　the　latter　transaction　is　shown　by　the　facts　that　Stevens　was　employed；　though　irresponsibly　employed；　as　a　government　agent　by　General　Fremont；　that　he　bought　the　muskets　in　that　character　himself；　making　on　the　transaction　1l。　18s。　on　each　musket；　and　that　the　same　man　afterward　appeared　as　an　aid…de…camp　on　General　Fremont's　staff。　　General　Fremont　had　no　authority　himself　to　make　such　a　purchase；　and　when　the　money　was　paid　for　the　first　installment　of　the　arms；　it　was　so　paid　by　the　special　order　of　General　Fremont　himself　out　of　moneys　intended　to　be　applied　to　ot