Tri-weekly journal., 1847-11-30
THE PRICE OF A LIEUT.. CoLoNELCY.

HE hlOE Ut II LEU L. OOEONEIOI.
In the late canvass between Judge Embree
and Mr.. Owen we had occasion to show to our
readers what, in the estimation of the latter
gentleman and the President, was the market
value, at Washington, in February last, of a
Captains commission in the army. The fol-
lowing extract from an article of the National
Wing will demonstrate that Lieutenant Col
onelcy had also its price and what that price
was. Indeed, Mr.. Polk seems to have adopted
and applied, Ito his own party of course with
uniform success, the Machiavelian maxim of a
corrupt British Minister that-"every man has
his price"
The statement referred to by the Wing is said
to be rife ofate in the political circles of Wash
tngton, and tits coniectured that this notariety
Of the transaction has more or less to do with
the disposition evinced by the Administration,
in the Fremont trial ard otherwise, to throw
Mr.. Benton overboard--the Administration
finding itself in the exact position of the pos
SCISSOR Of contraband goods, when the hue and
cry is made, anxiously looking round for a
chance to rid itself of the suspected commo-
dity.
When the bill legalizing the monstrous false
hood, that war existed between the United
States and Mexico, by the act ofthe latter pow
er, went to the Senate for its concurrence, a
movement was made and carried, to refer so
much OF the bill as related to this false declar-
alton to the committee on Foreign Affairs, while
the rest of the bill was sent to the Committee
on Military Affairs, with the distinct under
standing in the Senate, that while the supplies
should be voted without delay for the extrica-
ton of Taylor and his gallant army from peril
time might be afforded for deliberation upon
the question of absolute war against Mexico.
1t will be remembered that this understand
ing was violated by Mr.. Benton, the Chairman
OF the Military Committee, who of his own
mere motion, reported back the war bill to the
Senate, and thus precipitated the question of
absolute and unconditional war into the midst
of the Senatorial body, coupled with the ques-
ton of voting the supplies for the relief of the
army, then supposed to to be in a most dan
gerous position.
We have recently heard this conduct of Mr.
Benton, on this occasion, accounted for on
this wise:
That, pending the consideration of that por-
tion ofthe war bill which was referred to the Mil
itary Committee, Mr.. Benton was advised by
the Executive, that, in the contemplated ar
engagements for increasing the army, his son-in-
law, then Lieut.. Fremont, should be created
Lieutenant Colonel; and that Immediately af-
ter the receipt of this communication from
headquarters, the Senator from Missouri made
the report he did, and thus drove the Senate in
to concurrence with the House bill.
If this charge against Mr.. Benton be true,
the elevation Of Mr.. Fremont lcaS the price of
the loar-for it was well known, that had the
understanding of the Senate been faithfully
complied with by Mr.. Benton, the House bill
would never have passed with the lying pre-
amble which the Administration prepared to
hide its own wicked and unconstitutional acts
from the public eye.