Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-06-25
Gov. Whifcomb---The Madison Bani
and New<paDcrs.

short time since, II VIII be FecOllecteu, thaI the
Madison Branch Bank through letter addressed to
Gov Whitcomb by the Cashier,) offered TO allow
him to draw on it for $4,000, 10 aid in clothing and
subsisting the volunteers for the Mexican The
Madison Courieris quoted by the Banner as saying,
in relation to the offer "if are correctly informed.
the bank rished to hold the Governor responsible
the refusal OF ma State Legislature and tn, General
Government to meet the demand" The Banner
fhereupou remarks, s'we find OH inquiry, that the
Branch Bank, insbe offer made to the Governor, did
not propose to hold him Individuality responsible, and
that conditions. stated in the Courier, inn
posed upon bins[,s. r.
The Courier did not say that the bank had proposed
but only that it wished" to hold Gov. Whromb re-
sponsible. Rsk -
Gov. Whitcomb is the lastsfnan to do injustice to
any man body of men, especially when they have
offered to do favor either to himself or to the public
His own statement of the matter, in a speech de-
lyered to the volunteers and citizens of this place.
WILL perhaps set all parties right in relation to each
other this subject. He had been violently assailed
and his motives misrepresented for not accepting the
loan it offered, and hence the proprie-
y of making the speech in question, as well to quiet
the minds of the brave young men who had volun-
teered to fight for theircoun6y, to vndicate him
self against these unjust aspersions.
He said then, (and he had himself given the first in
formation here of the loan having been offered tohim
that the letter contained offer to let him draw to
the of $4,000 for the above object but that
il contained no statement or assurance that the bank
would look any oaere else than to him for the repay
ment-that he was far from imputing to The present
Directors any intention wish to hold him ndivid
ually responsible that he trusted such not the
object, but that he believed land he was confident
there was no lawyer of reputation but would agree
with HIM that by the plain general terms of that
letter. he (the Governor) would have been legally
responsible, out of his pocket, to the bank for
the whole Of the loan ); only so, but that
he could be pressed for it as soon after II was ad-
vanced as the bank might think proper; that the
General Government (f it should make some general
provisions for the expenses intended to be covered By
the bank loan) would likely repay the bank,
and so leave him to suffer, for it most probable
that the United States would not pay tIoice. That
If the present directors should be disposed to hold
him responsible yet their successors representing the
stockholders might feel disposed and even feel it
their Duty trustees of others interests to him
for the amount. Under all these circumstances, he
said he had written to the bank to know whether it
would look to the General Government to the State
for repayment, and he shortly expected an answer.
This involved but little delay, and the money would
not be absolutely needed until he obtained
He remarked that if the bank yet insisted looking
to him individually for the whole loan. still he would
not say but that he would draw the money and apply
it to the use of the soldiers and risk the consequences
on his own pocket, as an1individual matter. That
he had already proffered $1,000 of his private funds
for this object and he would say but that he would
GO further and draw the Sl0,0 900, if necessary. He
would walt the answer Of the bank.
Now if Governor Whitcomb wanted to make "po-
litical capital out of this affair, stated by the
Banner he would have stated publicly in his speech
that he then intended to draw for and risk the go,
600 on his responsibility, for on the same day
he stated, to Messrs. Palmer, Reynolds and others
(wtose word will command respect wherever known
thet if the bank still insisted holding him liable
he ,could draD and apply The money notwithstanding
and thus make himself liable for the whole amount
He wrote letter the day, to another gentleman
to the same effect. He only wished to know if h
was to be individually liable, so that he could maxi
his calculations accordingly. In due time, the an
swer of the Madison Bank came Did it say that i
considered its first letter sufficiently binding on tn
State onlyi Not at all. On the contrary, it
to admit, that something more was necessary to
the State responsible, for it stated that if
acknowledgement that the State to be be liable
should be signed By the Treasurer Of Stateand by tn
Governor in his official capacity, and with the Stat
seal annexed, that then and in that the banl
Would look to the State only for repayment And tn
arrangement thereupon made accordingly. Nov
this conclusivey proves that this formal instrumen
necessary to make the State liable and that th
liability previously against Gov. Whitcomb, ant
repeat that lawyer, looking at the letter, will
doubt it moment.
And now how will the malignant slanjerers O
Governor Whitcomb feel after this exposition is un
dersood by the people! isconduc will only more an
more command their appreciation. His enemies hav
endeavored to represent him as niggdrdly man
and inefficient as an officer and in the first Q
these attempts they have called out facts (whic
would otherwise have slept that show conclusively
that their charges not only false, but that h
is ready to peril his purse, his standing-everytln
for his country Where, we ask, where is one Of hi
malign slanderers who has offered cent toward
supporting the war, from hisown pocket! o no, the
are too much gfessye for that. They are to
much Ike those in old Bunyan, who were continual
casting mud and filth the object of their persecu
ton, but whose robes only grew the whittier. And a
to his ine6fciency as an ofcer-with meager instrur
tions from the General Government-without a do
lar being placed at his disposal by the u s. for sui
ssting. clothing. transporting, &c., the brave me
who have volunteered in defence of country
without any organized militia to call out and beat