Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-07-18
RICHMOND, JULY "a

x3 ~ N -, " Il 18
O,h.NU.V1C.arED
, LAIN MATTERS OF rAcT-undenied and nv
denia6te.-No. VII.
ONE AT TIME
" CONSTRUCTIVE JOURNEYS,
honorable understandings better than obi satorv
bonds.
She Understanding ha.h eked oai at Last
pfc'' with h',oe'i"y Ard u~sch'fy uoIna.LC
From review Of the whole evidence in Cook
case, the following plain matters of fact appear
amongst Others. tending TO the same results:
COOK voted for MIR. Adams at the last Presiden-
| ua' election. Afterwards, Cook expected public
| mission to Colombia-afterwarJs Cook expected
anu received secret mission to Cuba. Cook re-
ceiVed this mission " at the cluse oil the 10Th
congress Cook was extremely i'll of pulmonary
consumption, on the close OF the 18th Compress
COOKS understanding of +" the understanding"
rssPecung the compensation, was, that i, should be
S5,0OO-Thai Cooks mission was kent secret
| that it was finally discovered by a casual CONVEX
| sauon-that Mr.. Clay was informed Of the nature
oi the conversation, and requested to give the ne
cessary information in relation TO its contents
mat after consulting with Mr.. Adams, Mr. CLAY
| VIII neither admit nor deny the contents of the
| conversation. Mr. Clay will not permit an ex-
\ animation OF the secret service fund: but CON
sents, that all other parts of the Treasury shall he
| accessible to the committee: Mr.. CLAY knowing.
at ,he same moment, that Cooks accounts were
locked up IN this same secret fund Mr. Claw
under authority from the President, will disclose
the secret, provided, it shall be received bv the
committee as confidential, not otherwise. This
refusal took place the LIST of May, 1925 and this
state OF things continued till the time Of making
the report by the COMMITTEES: After the report was
made Messrs Adams and CLAY becominq alarm ed
AZ ihs haii told yscry, changed their determine
ton Ut persevering in keeping Cooks mission Sc,
cre'; and in reply to call from Mr. Adams, for the
very Information refused TO the committee and for
more to cover il, Mr.. Clay makes a report which
is directed 10 be published in the papers of the
| 'wo Nationals. nths second report on the sam.
SUBJECT, withheld from the committee, Mr. Claw
states, that soicitude has been felt for the fate
oil Cuba by the administration, from its commence
ment. That, in December 1925 a secret missio,
| 10 CnDa mad been determined on, and gentleman
was designated for that scrvice--that in February.
| 1870 the gentleman delivered the mission-,h-,
III March, 1877, Ion the close of the 18th Con
sre's' ook wa designated for the same secrc,
| mi-sion-and that his instructions were ,,,IIv
| made out by the 18th of the same month only s
days after the close of the 18th Congress. Tba,
COOK, at the time of his designation, was extreme
y III WIN pulmonary consumption. Of which he
uted IN October following. Mr. CLAW states IN a,
Cooks health had been oyy during the preceding
| session 18th. or 18th, as the case NAV be: b,,,
was improving at the time OF designation. The
prooi by every witness is, that at the time Of hi.
designation, g on the close of the 18Th Congress
! COOK was extremely ILL., Its known 10 every one
that il was impossible for Mr.. Clay to tell. whe
| ther Cooks health would ever improve after hi.
designation. The designation, then. was ,paJo
whho"t tins knowledge, and al the moment OF
look extreme Illness OF an incurable pulmonary
| consumption. Cook, however, so far improved in
| health as to leave washington goth of March: was
Ia Philadelphia from the 9Th 10 the 10th April
consulting Dr. Physick TO the state of his health:
proceeded to New y ork the last of April; took a
passage to Cuba; delivered letter TO Governor
| Wives received an answer; and after a stav nf =
lew days, sailed for New Orleans where il must
DE presumed, he was detained few DAYS, and
reached his residence in Illinois by the last Of
May, or the beginning of Jnne-Mr. Clay says,
| some time during the ensuing Summer" Mr..
| Clay seems perfectly satisfied with Cooks per
1 iornance OF the objects of this mission Mr.. CLAY
states, that Cook brought confidential letter from
wives, and materials of his for report upon a
Pdf, o' All OIL the objects OF his mission The le;.
ter frem Wives Is on file; but no receipt of the ma
terials for a detailed report. The materials mis-
sing; yet Mr.. Clay asserts their existence and
seems perfectly satisfied with them, as fair per-
ormance oil Cooks duties under the mission. -
DoubtleS-ly lac is so. For il was not reasonabJ 70
expect more from dying man, whilst on his
chosen route home; having, a. il il stated. recev
cd his ordinary travelling expences by land in the
usual way. Mr.. Clay, in behalf of the u States.
has gwen, or Is to give Cook, $4,000 according to
| NooS understanding oil " the understanding" for
| materials oil information collected within very
| lew days---IO at most probably not more than i
~ tact, whilst Cook himself in the last stage NJ
| pulmonary consumption; and which materials have
not yet appeared Upon even a superficial view Il
| ooR Instructions OF March 18th, 1927 made ou,
| " hen he was extremely i'll, il will appear, tina,
hey call Tor pretty full view Of sundry statistic,
"i Cuba. Many OF the statistics called for of The
o@t difficult acquisition If il were the object Of
[ instructions TO call merely for the materials OF
'1se statistics, which may have been collected BY
HERS, II any there should be, then surely thu v
could no, have Offered the least pretext for such
i''i-'ioh ANY intelligent merchant residing In
| una, could have performed such service much
'"uer than Cook; but not, SIS 900 must be an in
credible compensation for such service. If Mr..
ooks collection of all the statistics described in
US ih5ructons, were TO be obtained, from his own
,'.onai observations and exertion-, then full
'''O"ledgf OF the Spanish language an acuuain,
ice with Spanish habits and manners. would bav,,
EN- indispensable prerequisites, whereas Cook
h'u ho' one. Besides, years would be- required for
ne que performance OF such service; attended
With health, bodily strength, and mental inteli
nee. NO services Of this character could have
cen expected from Cook. Then the materials
iust nave been the only expected service and for
Sc. ii obtained at all, obtained, within a few
ayS, S5OO0 were promised as Cooks compensa
ION, according to his understanding of " the I'm .
'erstanding" between Messrs. Adams and Claw
and himself THIS is not credible as pro-
! missed compensation for statistical materials: of
course 'he So,ooo must have been promised for
more important services. What OF these. had Cook
| TO boast He had but one. that indeed. was a
great one lie gave the vote OF Illinois to Adams
hat was his bossted and MIR. Adarns's valued ser
\ vice; worth, as agreed between them, SIS. 600
but MIR. Clay still refuses to acknowledge his un
Outstanding OF the understanding" as to the
precise amount ~ the promised eOmpensafion :
| Hear his concluding account, as to the prerise
amount thereof. Hear Mr.. Clay in his own words:
TIE eoppens.t'on promised NJ. Cook VA, IN. .,ms -
,tnoun s that wheh hso been offered ths citizen Of Lou
sans aieady referred to the same as that which o. %
4 he