Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1837-11-09

| AND skvENTr dollars, the sum stipu-
lated to be paid for the six months ser.
vice. he ooly intended TO allow them
sev"nfy dollars for that period-A SMALL
MISTAKE on the part Of the clerks. o!
S20O To each man, That. in case the
services Of the Indians are procured
The officer TO ~hom ihis order was a.
rected, was Instructed 20 notify them
ct the Szisfake: and. IL they were 40,
viking 10 accept Of The nr,c ferms n.
was instructed TO distaad ,hrml We
understand, moreover. .ha, L;en,.nan,
pooLE, iu'o whose charge the Indians
were committed. on their embarsation
al Jeherson barracks. IA, been instruct.
cd 10 inform the Dslawarrs aud Shaw.
ness OF the facts which We have stated
anu oil the alternative which IL present.
ed to them: they mus, either serve for
the seventy dollars. or return to their
homes! IL is at all times difienl, TO
get at the precise import Of official or
1efs. but such. we have strong and I'm.
equrSocsl evidence for believing. is the
tenor %! the communication from the
war Department. The order making
the correction, was directed to General
Atkinson. aud was received her since
the departure OF the Indians for Flor.
da. We learn that a special messcn-
ger. charged with a dispatch from Gen.
Atkinson TO Lieut.. Poole, was sent on
board the steamboat Alton. which lief,
Tor New Orleans on Sunday last; bu.
II Is not probable that the message will
be able to overtake the Indians until
they arnve in Florida.
MIR. Secretary PorNsErr attributes
ms extraordinary error 10 a mistake OF
subordinate in the Department. M.
indeed, such was the fact. is il not STRANGE
that the different orders received by
The military and Indian departments
here. although written bv differen,
clerks. as we are told. should be of
precisely the same tenor, Can IL be
possible. that an error, involving the
United States in an expenditure of ma
ny thousands Of dollars, should escape
The attention of the host Of eagle-eved
officers al Washington, the Secretary O,
Warand all Isit not more likely tina,
Mr.. PoiSsETT became alarmed at the
effect which knowledge of the enor.
nous pay given TO the Indians. when
compared 10 The pi,iful sum allowed 10
the American volunteers. was likely 10
have upon the popularity Of the Ad.
ministration Does the Secretary Of
War suppose. that this pi:iful plea Of a
clerical mistake. will satisfy the In.
dams for the infamous fracd which ha,
been pracnced upon ,hem' With wha,
feelings must Capitin BEAN. who stat.
ed to the Indians the terms upon which
they were TO be employed. be prepar.
ed 10 meet them on their return. How
can he persuade them. tina, falsehood
and fraud was not contemplated by the
Government in the very onset. and
that he was an instrument for this pnr.
pose f: And what must be the condi.
lion OF the agent of these Indians, when
their disappointed and cheated brave,
shall return? He, We are informed
spent ten or twelve days in riding over
their country. collecting the tribe toge
Their, and when convened explained the
amount and nature oftheir paw. and AZ.
sured them ofthe honorable and liber.
al intentions ofthe Government. In fac,
we arcwell assured that one ofthe great.
eat inducements they had 10 engage.
Was the urgent solicitations Of their a.
gent Upon their return, disappointed
and mortified as they must be, If hi,
life IS not jeopardized, his situation
VIII at least be very unpleasant. He
VIII be compelled 10 admit that the
Great Father Is torked fopgued and ha,
Iied TO the red nien, not only ia paving
them Tor their land, bat also IN this ar
lar! The Delawares. we are told. bav,
gwen their best men for this service
In many cases they contracted consid.
cradle debts. in order TO leave tbei,
families comfortable. They did so IN
on The iaI'h Of their Contract with iii,
Government. What must be their feel
'ngS. then, when far from home. In bc
told that. owing TO a mistake IN a cIerL
Of the War Department, the con,rac
with them must be snnnlled-a frac.
lion only ofthe stipulated sum paid fol
'heir SIX months campsign-or tina,
hey most be discharged at once from
the servlce;-RpuJLcon.
We end, on inquiry, that the crea
mistake into which the Indians wer,
led respecting their pay originated in ,
clerical error, where an estimate r.,
services for six months appeared If
the bureau TO which il was sent :,
have been computed for \ small nor.
ton Of that time. The Secretary ",
understand, bad no agency in this in.
advertenee, and we think IL due 10 him
voluntarily TO state the fast.-.Not,ouo
EafeR;gsneer.
We Gnd The following in the Petsr,h,rv n.
tehigenesr. u 80 exactly espresso, our ov,
opinion Of the conduct 81 the Govetnmsnt 4,
employing Indians against the miserable sem.
'"9les, that &c insert u with peculiar ME,
sure There !, one view of m,ttsr nv
ever. which our friend of the intelligence, M,
not taken u - The moral influence Of tb,.
resort ~ the government TO sxtrin.ic All. IN
on the Indians vest Of the Mississippi W,