The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-07-31

il be his VIII, to let me die for the brightest nope
that ever dawned on political freedom shall have
by the hands Of men east down, and the beacon
light Of the world gone out"
To The Editor Of the Union:
sin: In your paper of Tuesday evening, have OBJ
served communication from Copper Harbor,
Lake Superior,) so pregnant with errors or mis-
representations, THAT am constrained by regard
to truth and the public interests to ask the use of
your columns to correct some Of them. know
not who your correspondent is; but judging from
the extraordinary zehl with which he labors TO fore
stall public opinion of certain government agents on
Lake Superior, whose conduct has recently become
obnoxious to very grave suspicion, think it no
unwarrantablc conclusion that he has either been
most egregionsly imposed upon, or that he is ami
mated in his encomufns upon the officers al
uded to, by motives much more special than
in his admiring comments upon the handsome
scenery and novel life upon the lake. He is
evidently more than indiffercntly anxious to vim
dictate and extol General Stockton and his faith
full deputy, Mr.. Gray. Otherwise, what necessity
would there be for asserting facts which do not ex
st1 Your correspondents states that the only tene-
ment the island, (Porters island, the site of the
mineral agency,) is miserable log-cabin, in which
Gen. Stockton, for the want of better quarters, is
compelled to keep his Office. The room which he
occupies is only about feet square-just large
enough to admit a bed for himself table, and two
or three chairs In this salt-box of a room, he is
compelled transact all the business relating to the
mineral lands embraced within this important agen-
cy. As many a dozen men at a time are pressing
forward TO his sbee-gum apartment, endeavoring to
have their business Transacted
"The Office of the surveyor of the mineral lands,
in charge of Mr.. Gray, 10 still worse adapted to the
transaction of public business. He is compelled to
occupy the gnrret of the log-cabin, &c.
Nov, 20 far from this being true, "the miserable
log cabin' Of which your fastidious correspondent
speaks is an excellent hesced log house, well finished
and ceied, with three gOod-sized rooms below, and
three above stairs, amply sufficient and convenient
for all intended purposes The construction OF this
house cost the government some fifteen hundred
dollars, and was designed rs the agsncyhouse !;
whereas Genersf Stockton has converted 1t into a
sort of hoieL--doubAess q means of augmenting
the perquisites of his station. Hence he has stintcd
himself and the convenience OF thc government SER
vice. 10 his sbee-gum'' and "salt-box" psnetrGlia
of "eisht feet square" So much for this misrcprc-
sentatfon
Your correspondent expresses like sympathy
for the privations and long-suffering of Mr.. Sur
veyor Gray The apartment which Mr.. Gray oc-
cupies above stairs, is an ample room, some fifteen
or more feet square, and quite comfortable--nay
quite luxurious quarters, when compared to those
Of the other surveyors who are where Mr.. Sur
yeyor GRAY should be, if he was faithfully dis
charging his dutics--out in the woods and the
weather, among the rocks and swamps, driving
the compass and chain through almost lmpenetrable
wilds 1t may, perhaps, be question with the
government as il certainly will be with the public
why Mr. Gray should be lolling at his ease in the
agency. house on Porter's island, while Dr. Hough-
tom the other surveyor is traycrsng large tracts OF
the mineral lands, and sustaining all the hardships
and perls which pertain TO his emPloymenE Ana
il may become q further question, while am on
this head, why Mr. Gray, who was an unreienting
tool Of The wing party and neglected the public SER
vice, for which he was receiving handsome salary,
last year. to minge in the orgies OF federal-Clay-
clubfes, should not only be 80 sedulously retained
in office, but be admitted TO the privilege of almost
total exemption from labor, which he is employed
and paid to perform' 1t is fact that up to the Sd
Of July, MIR. Gray had surveyed only tico miles,
whereas DIR. Houghton had measured some fire h'.n-
dryd miles of the mineral lands! And this ID the
gentleman against whose discomfort your CORE
spondent so pathetically appeals forsooth because
he is occupying at his ease an excellent apartment
in a very comfortable house. -
The design of this letter from Copper Harbor is
perfectly apparent to me. II is the sequel TO
movement which was made last June, VIE: to schife-
rash and TO shield from Just apprehension the pres
eut n,perintendent of the Lake Superior mineral
lands On the very day that General Stockton
opened his Office a sort of soi-disa public meeting
was gotten up there, in compliment to the General,
in which the president Of the New York and Lake
Superior Mining Company was the prime mover
When Il ia known that General Stockton has certl-
fed TO the Ordnance Department locations by this
company of between one and three hundred square
,nIks upon which leases were granted, when not
single foot had been actually located, IN agrant VIC.
laon of all the laws and regulations, some ortpor
NAV he formed of the secret Of this most disinferesd
and palabe tribute the official worth of the super
intendent What might have been the potency Of
this expression Of public opinion " in protecting Gen
Stockton's official conduct from censure and nvcst
CATION up to the period fits dspensatiop, will moi
now say. But, certain it is, that large and glarine
u 49,. ttnxr and in.
woke exposure, have rendered his cscutcheon need.
full of neU coal Of embarrassing; and hence this ef
fort of your correspondent to forestal examination
into his conduct by pathetic epcs OF his patiently
endured prvations in the public service and the "
norant or else sinister Communications OF hrs conduct
In animadverting upon the conduct OF Genera
Stockton and others, do not mean to include Major
Campbell, of whom everything that your cores
pondent has said is hereby confirmed.
p''' POSTEA PLUS.
n+we have omitted large portion OF the
above communication, in which the writer proceeds
to complain of the survey of the mineral lands ana
arraigns the agents of the government for gross
malversa,on in Office. These charges are OF a Sc
rous character, and they demand full and rigid in
vcs,;oo,ion. But, as it might lead to protracted
and angry war in the papers, in which elimination
would be followed by recrimination; and as we arr
advised that the Secretary Of War is determined e
investigate the justice of these complaints and the
truth Of thcm--as he will receive any specifications
in writing which may be submitted, and is determin
ed to 20 to the bottom Of the subject and, with thai
view, will appoint commission Of two Of the mos
respectable gentlemen he obtain, who will go up
on the lands, and probe everything for themselves
we have thought il best to let matters take that
turn. We have not the slightest doubt that the at
tention Of the department is thoroughly exc''ea V
the Importance Of the duties which may devo've ~
on il. and that il will unquestionaoIy Co.
them II is scarcely necessary, ,nele ...;o, which
% %%s much lead to much
a"5 after all fail to lead 70 the best ana w''es' re-
' .,,lts --lIr,ou.