Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-07-21
GENERAL JAcKsoN's ACCOUNTS.

Combination, has occasioned people to look a
! little into Gen. Jackson's accounts; aud il ap-
pears very satisfactorily that he drew large
sums without any apparent authority Of law.
| Ills friends instead Of attempting to jusi-
! fly his conduct, insinuate that the accounts
Of Cincinnati, by Mr.. Adams or Mr.. Clay, and
accuse them OF the meanness Of furnishing
matter against rival, d" that they may stand
upon the ruins Of Gen. Jackson's reputation"
This charge against Mr.. Adams and Mr..
Clay, (says the Cincinnati Gazette) is too
grossly absurd 10 deserve an answer. The
accounts of the War Office re the property Of
the public, and AZ open TO any citizen of the
| United States as they are TO the President
and no gentleman could be guilty Of troubling
the President for the copies of documents
which could be obtained by application at the
proper Office.
This titful mode Of answering the charge
will not do. Gen. Jackson still remains the
only candidate for the Presidency, that over
has been guilty Of attempting to impcach the
honor OF his competitor.
! Our business however, now that we have
the facts, isto appreciate thcm-and in that
we can hardly err. The question is, whether
| Gen. jackson was entitled to the eItra char
ges which he made, for periods, when he wa
living upon his farm and rendering no public
service.
Topay this, 80, 400 year, and his subsist-
ence 1905 year, no objection is made,
! though, had he been the disnteresied patriot
his supporters pretend he is, we think that he
might have scrupled about that. Gen. Wash
ingion charged merely for his expenditures
while he was actually in the public service
Jackson: We did, however, expect that in a
matter of dollars and cents he would have
strictly coniormcd TO the provisions Of law.
Instead of drawing $500 year for pay
and subsistence, for periods, during which he
was attending to the business Of the farm, he
conirived, by claims for ertra rations, forage
for horses, pay for servants, rent for his own
! house, fuel, &c. &c. to swell his income TO
more than double that amount. This kind Of
sinecure business embra ced the greater portion
Of the time from the summer Of 1915, when he
his resignation in May 1921. This was acting
Cncinnatus to some purpose.
| 1t is true that during this time he visited the
southern posts, Tin the winter and spring Of
| lsl6) and paid two visits to Washington city;
one under orders, and the other against all Or
der and decorum, 70 ntimidate Congress, by
threatening TO cut otr United States Senator s
ears, when they were investigating his conduct
in the Seminole campaign. He made some
treaties with the Indians, but while doing SO,
in addition to the running charges, as before,
he claimed without the color Of legal provs-
inn, 50 per day az Indian Commissioner, be-
sides travelling expenses for self and suite, &c.
And in one Of these treaties stipulated for a
township of land to be ceded to hmself-ths
part of the treaty, probably unexampled in the
annals Of modern diplomacy, was frowned upon
and rejected bv the United States Senate.
The extra rations were paid under the 5th
section Of the act Of March 10th, 1912, which
provides for ALLOWING " 10 the Commanding Of
ticers of each separate post, such additional
number Of ra'ions, as the Presidunt Of the L.
States shall, from time to time direct, haring
respect to the special CT cuntstances ofeach
post"
Now, though the farm might, by what the
Jaoksonites call iatitudinarian construction,
or by the "second section,'' be termed
"posi," yet il was very evident that no re-
spect was paid to the special circumstance.
AS to the item of forage-the 18th section
Of the act Of April Gath 1916, provides. that
when forage is not actually drawn, in lieu oft
SO per month for each horse shall be allowed,
"prov;ded that neither forage, nor money
shall be drawn by the officers, but for horses
actually kept by them in service.
Gen Jackson's charge ran for seven horses,
during period when he had not one in actual
4ervicn a charge of between and 500
year tor horses employed in the service Of his
own farm; besides pay, rations, &c. for the
servants who worked with them. As for the
house rent, fuel, &c. while living IN his o,rn
house, VIC cannot imagine what section tha,
comes Under.
While he was at Washington in 1915, in adj
diiion TO The current charges, as above, we find
for ROOM rent, and .taei for month, $l62!
and for medical assistance 500. Under what
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