The Arkansas banner., 1844-12-25
TO THE pHRHC


 My enemies during the last canvass charged me with converting to my own use thirteen or fourteen thousand dollars of the public | money of the United States, which had been placed in my hands as Governor of Arkansas, to pay off the expenses of Regiment of mounted volunteers. The violence of these assaults on man in private life, seeking no | office or station, and desiring none, the time 1 and quarter from whence they came, leave but little room to doubt that they were intended | for the double purpose of injurng the demo- cratic party, to which feel proud to belong, and also of sinking me in the estimation off my fellow-citizens, with whom have lived and acted for more than twenty years, and whose uninterrupted confidence and respect l believe have enjoyed.
 So reckless, indeed, were my assaiants, that they did not content themselves with asserting that had converted the money to my own use, but went one step further in their system of islander, and declared that had removed from the State with my property to avoid its payment
 This falsehood was propagated with the full knowledge that my property was sufli- cient to pay six times that amount and that no consideration could induce me to abandon a State with which all my interests are iden tifed, and to which l feel attached by all those sacred ties that can bind man to his country. take this occasion to assure those who have any apprehensions on the subject, that whether rich or poor, Arkansas will be my home as long as a kind Providence spares my life.
 4bo ,,,1 great political questions, felt that 1t would be out of time and improper to complain of individual injustice; and preferred to wait until the excitement of the canvass was over, when my motives could not be liable to mis- construction, nor the malevolenee of party spirit forestall my defence. did not fear that islander, coming from the quarter it did, and tnged with deep malice as it was, could produce the forfeiture of the good opinion of my fellow-ctiZens, or receive the impressive character of truth, by waiting for a proper 1opportunity to repel 1t. The time has near arrived, and l owe it to my friends and to myself, to briefly state the facts with regard to the judgment against me ia favor of the United States, and then leave the public to determine whether they warrant the bitter dCCuSdt!OHS, WHICH IL IdS BtEil lily I0i LO encounter. In 1896 a Regiment of Arkansas volunteers was called into the service of the United States to cooperate with portion of the regular army then on the Sabine, with view to protect our territory from anticipated Mexican aggression. In the same year was elected Governor of the State, and entered in the discharge of the duties of that station
 The Quarter Master who had been appoint ed for this Regiment having resigned his office, and there being no such officer at or near Little Rock to perform the services of Quarter Mas ter--the sum of S25, ,000 was received by me, as Governor, to be disbursed in paying the expenses of that Regiment.
 As it was the first year of the State Gov ernment, and everything was to be organized, the duties of the Executive were necessarily more onerous than they have been at any subsequent period; as were also the duties devolving on other departments.
 In addition to this, was in such low state of health as to forbid the idea of person. ally attending to the examination and adjust ment of it--a service the Government could not compel me to perform, but which l should have discharged with pleasure, if eircum- stances and health had permitted.
 Capt, R. D. c. Collins, disbursing agent of the United States, proflered to take the trouble and responsibility upon himself, to which l readily and thankfully acceded, as knew the Government placed the utmost confidence in his capacity, business habits. l and integrity. So unlimited indeed was thai l confidence, that hundreds of thousands ol dollars of the public money remained in his hands for long periods of time without be- ing accounted for. or disbursed. l therefore turned the fund over to him; and the whole business being, as believed, in compelen hands, gave myself no farther concern witt regard to it, and certainly had no reason to suspect that 1t would not be transacted in ; correct and formal manner, and to the satls - faction of every person. Some time aite the volunteers were discharged, the Treasury Department required me to render accounts
 of the disbursement of the fund thus placed Il in the hands of Capt Collins immediate ly applied to him to render formal account 9. of disbursements with proper vouchers j. s- which he promised to do speedily, but di
 not comply. After lapse of several months ' made an imperative requisltion upon hln for the vouchers covering his payments, ant
 he turned over a confused mass ot lniorma 'r papers, intended for vouchers, at the sam
 time declaring there were many more, whlcl 7 he would hunt up and deliver in short time but this, however, was never done. mak . no imputaton: his errors resulted from tn
 generosity of his nature, and no one can be
 lieve he ever thought of wronging huma
 being; the confusion in his business toward
 the close of his life could be attributed t
 nothing but inattention and neglect Tn
 expenses of the volunteers were heavy, ther 70 being eleven companies, and all mounted
 and am pursuaded no reasonable man Ca t, doubt that the fund, (e&cepting one thopsan
 dollars), was faithfully disbursed by Cap }, Collins The difficulty however, IS, that n he ever took vouchers for the balance fo of which was sued, they could never be tount al Those who are best acquainted with the na lG of of