Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-10-12

ou'lSiy Wv oNDs'
Ii ere we find it stated, that the War
Department was rob5ed''-that the
robbery was Facilitated BY tie loose mode
Of making ADVANCES, by that Depart
men; and that the Secretary has &C.
knoquledged tie fact in his REPORT to
Congress. Now mark the issue s.
We turn to the report, and find thai NOT
a fact is correctly stated. We insert
the Report that the heohte may knov
wi in what fdcltty documents are referred
to by the Gazette.
THE REPORT.
Wan DEPARTMENT, Fen. l, 1922.
TO The President Of !
tie Senate
SIR: Pursuant to resolution of the Senate
OF the 10th ultino, directing the Secretary for
the Department OF War "to lay before the
Senate the amount of money furnished the
agent at the Bank of Vncennes, in the State
OF Indiana, for the purpose Of paying the pen
soners in said state and also to give the name
OF the agent, the names Of the pensioners paid
by SAID agent, and the amount paid to each,
and the time when paid; the balance of the
money, if any, in the hands OF the agent at the
present time, and at the time the agent was
dismissed; aud whether the agent be liable III
his individual capacity for any amount OF mo-
ney not faithfully applied, or the directors OF
the Bank OF Vincenncs IN their corporate Ca
pacity.'-i ha, e the honor to transmit here
"! It'll report of the Sd Auditor OF The frea-
sury, in relation to it. The agent ss consider
ed 6 liable in his individual capacity for any
amount OF money not faithfully applied" and
suit has been accordingly instituted against
him Il, recover the balance which Is due, as
will appear BY reference to the aforesaid re-
port OF the 81 Auditor.
l have the honor to be, &c.
(signetD J. G. CALHOUN
Here is not one 7pord about advances
nor confession by the Secretary, That the
Treasury was detrauded by such advan-
ces. MOI cent, in fact had been advan
ced. The money was reunited to the
Bank at Nlncenncs 10 pay pensions &C
tnaliy due. The Bank OF Vincennes was
selected by the Secretary OF The Treasu
~, for the deposilc and safe keeping OF
the public money, VINO was supposed to
be fully satisfied OF It's solvency before
he selected it for that high trust. The
bank failed, and suit was instantly insli
tuted wilh . prospect OF recovery, against
Mr.. Ewing, The President of the bank,
for the pension money remaining in his
bands, as he, not having made the de-
poslic OF it in the back To the credit of
the government, became personally re-
sponslb!e.
II is certainly deeply to be regretted,
that in the zeal 10 pull down charac-
tiers, SO little regard should be paid to
facts, where so ready a reference Can be
had TO documents.
But we are amazed that the most i'm
prudent supporter Of Mr.. Crawford, in
his zeal to attack the administration,
should venture to refer to any transact
ton connected with that bank. 1t natn-
rally associates with the loan which the
Secretary made to that Bank of 5000
dollars, with the failure of that bank, in
debted to the government 10000 dol
lars, with all the loans and losses of a
similar nature in the western country.
In the best administration there will be
occasional losses and mismanagement
and such we stated in our addresses "to
the people," had occurred under the
present, Notwithstanding it had made
great Improvements in The detail and
of business. For the most
part, such losses and mismanagemen!
belong, inevitably, to all extensive trans
actions. These, the Gazette, aud other.
papers Of a similar. stamp, represents as
belonging 10 all the departments, but tie
Treasury, against which they never wis
per charge. We, however, undertake
To affirm, that there are more instances
OF loss and improper management in
that, than any other department, which
though painful, we will not hesitate to
poin, out. In rcpe!ling those charges
against the other departments, we are
determined when attacked, no, TO conhne
ourselves 10 mere defensive operations.
These attacks have been borne long
enough. Ii thcy will separate the fate
OF MIR. Crawford from the President and
other me,nbcrs of the administration, zve
also will separate him from ,hem.-We
are justified in the course, by The law OF
REPRESENTATION and let the conse-
quences be Oh those who chnse to put
the cause Of Mr.. Crawford in hostility to
the administration, oiwhichhe is mem
Der.
Well then, the Bank Of Vmcennes
failed, with $4,000 placed in it Che
cause selected by the Secretary, who
ought TO have been well acquainted with
its solvency,) by the Secretary OF War,
10 pay pensions, actually due. Itfailed;
and it would seem that the Secretary o!
War is Responsible. Be it so. What