Arkansas intelligencer., 1845-06-07
For the Arkansas Inlelligencer.

|
The character of public men, is the property of the
People. Ia H. SANES'
| NiEssRs. EDlToRs:-
| If the above sentiment is true, (and what Dem
ocrai dare dispute il) the people of Arkansas are
the owners of some remarkably bad property,
several instances of This might be adduced. but
for the present, tha, of William Pelham. Surveyor
General of public lands in Arkansas will suffice.
This gentleman came into office under the ad.
ministration OF President Harrison. his chief re.
commentator being, that he was the strongest
whir in the State, i. o. that he made the most
noise, and dld the least good.
Th death of Gen Harrison in 20 wise affect.
ed the claims Of this dsinteresed politician 10 Of
fee. such men as Thomas W. Newton and Abb
salon Fowler-loo honorable to renounce prlncl.
pie for office,-were soon disposed of; but such
was not the case with the Surveyor General; no
sooner wns the death Of Harrison known, and the
tone of TyIer's administration fully ascertained,
I,fan he Immediately constituted himself the lead.
er of tho "Corporal's Guard" in this State, and was
loud and earnest in his vindication Of the Gap.
tans" course, he uas rriained-lhe traitor recelv.
ed the reward of his Feachery.
The beginning of the campaign of 1874, was
trying time to the Surveyor General, at one time
Clay and F,elinshuysen, at another Polk and
Dallas predoninaied in his affections, but finding
himself in bad odour with his whig friends, and
considering his chances for reappolntment in that
quarter rather dark and gloomy: he finally deter
mined 10 throw the whole weight Of his orerrhelm.
ing influence IN the Polk and Dallas scale. The
result is well known, and wns of course owing IN
a groa, measure, 10 the mighty influence Of Will
liam Pelham. Esq.
The Surveyor General was not disposed to let
Mr.. Polk renon long in ignorance Of the eminent
service that had been rendered by him. accordingly
he was one of the frs. to pay his respects to the
new administr on, and presented his petition for
re.appoinlment. urging therein. the "gredf tnfu'
ence' y he had exertod in carrying the State for
Polk and Dallas.
For sou,e ti.uo past, the Surveyor General had
been g:owing more and more democratic. TIL
from an ultra whg--lhena Tylerlte-he became
al las, so entirely and purely democratic, as TO
consider it one of the mortal sins 10 retain any
whig in office. David Shall, Clerk in the Sur
veyor's Office at Little Rock, capable and eff
cient officer. was removed by bis order--this was
perfectly right in the Surveyor GeneIal, :or Mr..
Shall although business man, and every way
qualified for the discharge Of the duties OF his
office--,cas no democrat: nay he was even openly
and publicly nccu-ed Of being whig. and no one
guilty of that crime, could any longer hold office
under tho democratic Surveyor General of Arkan.
sas. 1t is true that me malicious and SANDER
GUS persons are disposed to attribute other motives
to this act, and il, would not be surprising, if some
were even TO go so far gently 10 nsinuatc, that
if Mr.. Shall had not been so inquiSitire about
matters thai did not concern him, he would not
have been so unceremoniously decnpltated. But
who believes this? who for u moment would give
crcdcnce 10 such whig lies! no democrat surely
for has'n! The Survey yor General been good dem.
ocrat for The last ten or twelve months! As n
good democrat however, the Surveyor General
should rtainly clear his skirts Of this, and al
once say that MIR. ShalI's only fault was that Of
being wing.
There ure some other circumstances in relation
10 the official conduct Of this officer, which ure
perhaps not generally known. He has let out con-
tracts of surveying, and dirided he profits asithhe
Deputy Surveyor. He hus gone even farther. af.
tel making such contracts, he has in some inslan-
ces taken the uhole amount; and given the Deputy
Surveyor lie promise Of another contract. These
are facts, and facts that can be proven by the
most abundant and undoubtod testimony. Does
lie Surregor General ,cish TO hear his testimony?
MAGO> >ASCEN.
The Hon. Ashbel Smith, if the papers are 10
be relied upon, was drinking "striped pig" ut the