Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-02-23

nanlinlty; ana are tod tnat no objection,
for any such cause, was made by him
and his party to any appropriation. The
true difference between his and our ci-
forts will be found in this: we labor to
sare money from illegal and useless ap-
preparations; he labourcd to abuse those
who had, in pursuance Of legal and use
iul appropriation, honestly paid it away.
What were the doings of this magnan-
imous gentleman in committee of which
he was remarkable member? Here is
the rccord-book of that committee. !
have selected, as an ordinary sample of
this gcntleman's labors of rctrcnchment,
four cases, and will trouble the House
with few quotations, and few remarks
upon them.
On the 25th April, 1928, the Commit
tee being in session.
"Thc Chairman then stated to the
Committee, that he felt it his duty to
mention, that Il citizen now a resident Of
this District, had inquired of hiu wheth-
er, in any of the accounts of the contin-
gent expenses Of the Government, the
I
of five thousand five hundred dollars,
paid to the late Daniel u. Cook, late
Representative in Congress, from the
State of Illinois, for certain diplomatic
services, upon which Mr.. Cook was sup
posed to have been sent abroad during
the last summer"
"Ihc Chairman stated that he did not
feel at liberty to communicate the name
of his informant, but in regard to the
purpOrt of the commune he felt no
such reserve, and it was for the Commit
tee to make such order on the statement
as they might deem proper.
cit was on motion of Mr. Cambrelcng,
ReSolrcd, That the Committee consd-
or the communication.
Sir, this Committee, under this resolu-
ton sent for witnc sscs: honorable mem
bers of both Houses and the Postmaster
General were called before them. Why
not call for the man himself, for Daniel
p. Cook, against whom this anonymous
information had been made? He was
dead. The man at whom the gentle
man from Ncw-York magnanimously
aimed his arrow, slept quietly in the green
bosom of his own beloved Illinois. The
voice Of the namelcss iniormer, embo-
died by the resolution Of the gentleman,
though it might pollute every threshold,
and violate the harmony of every house
in the nation, could not reach the sanct-
uary, or interrupt the rcpose of the tomb.
Permit me to speak word concerning
Daniel y. Cook; because every man who
hears me did not know him as many of
us did who sat in this House with him.
lie was man whom the gentleman from
Newly ork would probably not call a
genius; but his mind was of that cast
and capacity in the transaction of human
affairs, to which every man would wish
to commit the management of his own.
His sense was that of the every day in
tcrcoursc of men; and would pass, like
the most precious, or most useful metals,
wherever such a commodity could be in
request. A man, in whatever may be
required Of manhood; child in all that
singlencss of heart and purity ofpurposc,
which render childhood so amiable.
With those who knew him well, he had
so fixed himself in their hearts, that
though they might wish to forget the pain
Of their loss, they can never cease to
remember his useful public labors, and
many cndcaring social qualities.
Our relations with Cuba have long
been interesting and important. Gentle
men will call to mind that VIC have fire.
qucntly heard from Europe, that Cuba
might be transferred from Spain to some
other sovereignty. Such report was
rife in this country in the winter of 1861.
1t is believed by friends ofthe last adj
minstration, that a confidential Agent
was by MIR. Adams sent to Cuba, to as
certain, ifpossiblc, the truth of this re-
port; and that Daniel p. Cook was that
agent. He had, it was believed, been
paid out of that fund which Congress
has ever since the foundation of the
Government, annually or otherwise ap-
propriatcd, and placed in the hands of
the President, for the compensation of
confidential services. All this may be
known to the gentleman from Newly ork
now; and had there been fraud in the
transaction, we should have heard it on
this occasion, called at his mouth, by its
harshest English name.
The gentleman might have known the
whole affair at that time. This appears
from the following letter from Mr.. Clay
then Secretary Of State:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, May l, 1928.
To james Hamilton, jr. esq. sc.
SIR: | have received your letter under date this
day, stating that "it having been asccrtaned that
the late Daniel p. Cook late "A Representative in
Congress, from the State of Illinois received a sum
OF mnnnN from the rnNnrnnnnnf dnrinn the snrinn