The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-08-02
THOMAS EWING.

THOMAS EWING.
AS this individual is about to favor the citizens
of "dark Monroe" with his presence, we have
conceived it to be our duty TO give the people a
short account of this same Thomas Ewing.
In the year 1880, there was law passed by the
Congress of the United States entitled, "An act
for the relief of certain officers and soldiers of the
Virginia Line and Navy, and of the Continental
Army during the Revolutionary war.' This was
alaw making provision for giving each officer and
soldier of the Virginia line and navy certain
quantity of land out of lands appropriated for that
purpose The certificates or scrip for these lands,
issued by the Secretary of the Treasury were, by
this act, made assignable, and were also made
receivable in payment for any lands thereafter to
be purchased at private sale, after the same had
been offered at public sale and remained unsold.
This law was continued in force for two years. In
the year 1892, when Thomas Ewing was mem.
Der of the Senate, he procured the passage of an
act entitled "An act to extend the time of issuing
military land warrants to officers and soldiers of
the Revolutionary army" In 1888, Mr.. Ewing,
being still member of the Senate, procured the
passage of another act, entitled, can act grant
ing an additional quantity of land for the ocati On
of Revolutionary bounty land warrants This
act contained the following proviso: "That the said
certificates of scrip shall be receivable in payment
of any of the public lands liable to sale at private
entry" Thereby making them equal to cash.
Now we wish to show to what extent Thomas
Ewing and the Stanberrys, who were partners in
this nefarious plan of cheating the revolutionary
soldier out of his just dues, carried this scrip spec
uation. The true amount cannot be arrived at,
as there was considerable entered in the name of
Ewing's agents AT the time these certificates
were purchased, the bank of the United States was
asking Congress for recharter. Mr.. Ewing was
member of that Congress, and could, consequent
y, be furnished with any amount of money he saw
proper The sum stated to have been borrowed
by him from the U. S. bank was twenty thousand
dollars, and it is supposed this is the whole amount
paid by him for the two hundred and fifty-two
thousand dollars worth of scrip specified in the
table hereafter inserted.
But this is not all. Not only was Thomas
Il d
ator, but he was procuring the passage of laws to
enable him to build himself princely fortune, by
specializing off of the widows and orphans of
Revolutionary soldiers. Not only did he do this,
but at Somerset, in 1886, he called upon his God
10 pitness that he haa neuer directly indirectly
speculatel in scrip to the amount Of one cent
Let our readers peruse the table hereto attached,
and then ask themselves, if this is the man the
wings are to bring here to enlighen the people of
Monroe. Let them compare this statement with
The above declaration and see if tins man, Thomas
Ewing, is to be relied on.
But further. In relation to this matter, the fol-
lowing is extracted from the Journal of the Senate
Of the United States:
"SENATE, March 8, 1871.
"Mr. Clay. Of Alabama, submitted the following
resolution, which was considered by unanimous
consent, and agreed to:
"ResOioed, That the Secretary of the Treasury
be directed to report to the Senate, at-the next
session of Congress, the amount OF scrip hereto
fore issued on the Virginia military land warrants,
giving the amount of each year, the names of the
persons 10 ,chOm such scrip Was assigned, with
the year of such assgnment.-Se Senate Journal, p.
23S"
The day after the passage Of this resolution,
Thomas Ewing was appointed Secretary of the
Treasury. Having failed at the extra session to
comply with its acquisitions, the following pro-
ceedingz were then had in the Senate:
"SENATE, August IL, Is4l.
tMr. Clay, of Alabama, submitted the following
motion for consideration:
r, sOlned, That the Secretary of the Treasury
be directed to inform the Senate, without delay,
why no report has been made in answer to the fol-
lowing resolution, passed by the Senate at the last
session, to wit:
: "Resolued," &C. (reciting the foregoing resolu-
tony
tThis latter resolution came up for considera-
ton on the 18th August, and, after being amended
by striking out the words without delay" was
passed. - ee Journal, PIP. 1853, 1853.
On the goth of August, Mr.. Ewing sent to the
Senate letter apologizing for the non-appearance
of the information required, supposing il was not
wanted till the regular session. Time passed on
and no report made its appearance. Instecd, how
ever, it is said that through the instigaton Of Ew-
ing, every clerk was removed from the land office,
and supplied by tools Of his own. The next day
President Tyler reinstated all the dismissed clerks,
without consulting Ewing. Still no report Had
Thomas Ewing complied with the requsition Of
the Senate, he would have been made the witness
of his own infamy. His place was al length sup
piled by the appointment Of Mr. Forward, then
came the looked for information. Then came the
information contained in the following abstract: