Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-04-03
From tie l.. s.. Ttlcpraph.

American people, of which 1 will now proceed to
speak. Many Of my readers are aware, that,
shortly after the election of Gcncral jackson, Cen
| Sam. Houston, formerly Member of Congress
from tennessee, and protcge OF the General re.
signed his Office Governor or Tennessee, and
TOOK up his residence among the Indians, beyond
| the Mississippi river. About the hrst OF January
thereafter, lie OH to tins city. Those who
Knew that both had aspircd to DO the fayoritcs of
tue PRESIDENT, and that there had been consc-
quent jealousy and GOODNESS between them, were
surprised ut the sudden intimacy which sprung up
between him and major Eaton. They fire.
quently in consultation. General Houston
was also frequently at the Presidents, and ut
OF the Presidents evening parties, when most OF
inc company had left the house, major Eatud, who
A~SS seated with him SOFA la tie cirC-riar
room, called me to them and asked at what hoar
nc must send in an advertisement, to be in time
tor publication L replied, at any hour before ten
O'CLOCK at night He said al will send you
Tomorrow morning" Gen. Houston remarked
"No; will call and take il mysci." In day or
two afterwards, the following advertisement was
handed IN, and published:
Proposals for supplying emigrant Indians with
rations, west of the Mississippi.
sealed proposals, and to bo endorsed Proposals
icr Rations, will be received by the secretary Of
war until the goth day of March 1880, for supplying
rations TO such Indians may cinigratc to their
lands west OF Arkansas and Missouri; said rations
TO consist OF one pound and quarter oil fresh beef
or one pound of fresh pork; with quarts of salt
to every hundred OF these or if sailed meat is ssu
ed, one pound of beef. and three quarters of
pound of pork; with quart of or corn moa!
to each ration OF meat whether fresh or salt; or
eighteen ounces Of flour.
The right to be rcSerued to the secretary of trar
to enlarge or alter the quantity Of the ratioa to be
issued; and the right Of continuing the contract 10
any PERIOD Of time he may think proper, and to
determine IL, at pleasure, ,Ohen any of tie condi-
tiOns shall be broken.
The points of delivery, not to exceed three in
inc country OF either OF the tribes, to be designat
cd by the secretary of war.
Ihc entire expense, whether Of transportation,
or issuing, or of building houses for the prescrva-
ton OF the supplies any other to DO borne by the
contractor.
Bonds, with approved security, will be required
for the faithful fulfilmcni of the contracts No
advances will be made.
by order of the secretary of war;
THOMAS l.. McKENNY.
Department Of war, Office of Indian
Affairs, February Is, 1890.
l have marked pa agraph in italics; the rea-
son Will presently appear. The celebrated Indian
bill was then IN progress in the house; and major
Eaton asked an appropriation of 1908, 600 of dol
lars. His estimate sent to the committee as then
understood, was for that sum; and j was told by
the secretary of the treasury that major Eaton's
estimate was at twenty cents per ration, and that
MAJOR T.. said TO him that it would take six millions
of dollars to suhsIst the cmigratng Indians. Major
Eaton remarked to me that he about 10 make
one OF the most important contracts that had ever
been concluded by this governments that he had
ascertalned, by report from the commssary rene
raj, that the ration To the cmigratng Indians had
cost TWENTY-FIVE cents; that gov. Houston mad len-
sentcd to take the contract ut eighteen cents; that
he had gone TO New y orlS, and obtained a partner
who was worth half Il million of money; and that
the saving 10 the government would be at least
four thousand dollars per day. lie estimated the
number of Indians to be from sixty to eighty thou
sand and that the issue, at the price which he
pcctcd to give, would amount TO $4,000 dollars per
day. L asked Of what the ration consisted. He
then gave it stated in the proposals. L under
stood major Eaton'S remarks intended to satisfy
me that he was about to make an advantageous con-
tract for the government; and that his object in
speaking to me was to induce me to take that view
of it in the Telegraph
told him that beef could be purchased in that
country at the rate of from one TO two dollars per
hundred; that the hide and tallow woulC pay the
expense and risk of delivery; that the Indians could
not all be removed i'll year; that large quaint
ty OF corn then raised, and could be purchased
at cheap rate, in the Indian territory; that the
whole country abounded in salt water, and that ,
consequently, the salt would DO u nomna! item in
the expenditure; that the ration could bo furnished
at SIX cents and thus, instead of saving four thou
sand dollars per day, the contractor would receive
eight thousand dollars per day, more than fair
price. / saw, from his councnance and manner,
that he was disappointed and provoked, and immc.
dIately determined to do all in my power prevent
the making of the contract; believing that ii was
intended to cover deep and premeditated fraud.
L accordingly sent for Mr.. John Shackford, now
the doorkecper to the Scnate-thcn a respectable
merchant of St. Louis, who happened to DO III this
city. told him my suspicious; that was appre-
hcnsivo that Maj Eaton and Mai. Lewis were in
tcrcstcd in the contract; that apprehensv of
their influence over Gen. Jackson, and that | be.
ievcd that the only way to defeat them was 10 in.
duce some respectable person to undcrhid General
Houston; that L was apprchensive the Government
would be compelled to give much more than the
ration WORTH and that | had selected him 10
mako the bid, because, in case he obtained it at
more than fair price, party suspicion would
attach 10 the transaction, he was known to be
the friend OF the late administrations and because
that, Us | hoped and believed that Gen Jackson
was not a party to it, | DESTROYS to save him
and his administration from the consequences of
the contemplated fraud. Mr. Shackiord took un
til the next morning to think of it, lie then cal
led, and told me that he willing to take the
contract at fourteen cents. laborcd 10 satisfy him
that he could make hundreds of thousands Of dol.
lars by taking it at much lower rate. He then
proposed that should become Interested with him
in the contract To this | replied that [ had re-
ilcotcd on the subject, and that although was 81
tisicd that could realize an independent fortune
out ot the contract / resolved TO have nothing to
do with it. That, however correct my motives
might be- could not escape suspicion, and Il con.
Scqucnt loss OF character. | urged him to reduce
his bid, which he then declined to do, but Inc in.
formed mo Afterwards that he did So Aware that
MAJOR Eaton and Major Lewis, had, at that time
an almost unlimited control over General Jackson
which had several times unSucccsslully attempt.
ed TO counterfeit, felt unwilling TO in direct
collision with them before him; but, believing that
the character of the administration at stake
and finding that Mr.. Shackford would not consent
to reduce his bid TO what conceived TO be a fair
price for tho ration, resolved TO bring the subject
directly to the notice of Gen. Jackson himself
On my way to the Executive Mansion, met Mr.
Bell, of Tennessee, Chairman or the Committee
on Indian Affairs, and conycrscd with him upon
the subject ] urged him TO see the President
Al