New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-07-26
Gen. Cas- Land Spectator.

Lewis Cas- has now been nearly naA a century
out of psternal guardianship, and in that time has
probably done less than fifty days work at any
bona fde productive labor. He has been nearly
all the time in Office, having changed his politics
at an early age 10 get IN. He has become very
wealthy in two ways-frst, by Official salaries,
holding for long time two well-paid othces at
once vet. not content with this, he trunped up q
claim. in s36. when his friends were in power
aud the Treasury flush and open FOR extrq seyv ces
70 an enormous aIn0unt-servces alleged 70 nave
been performed while he was m the receipt OF
these two salaries-which claia was lobbied
through Congress and the amount paid over to him..
AT this time Gen. Cass was a very rich man,
having made one fortune by Office and another by
Land Speculation facilitated by Office. The Cas-
farm iust below Detroit and now mainly included
within the limits Of the City was sold by him for
more hundreds OF thousands than It cost him hun
dreds Of dollars. And it appears that he was
at that time dipping into farther and gigantic Land
speculations The Lou,srile Journal OF the goth
brings US the following
A FrNANorAI OPERATION or GES CAss-ExrRAoR.
pf.ARy DKyELoPMENr-LoOK AT THs.-ln 1896 Lewis
Case. Henry Hubbard. Francis q J. smith Francis
MarkOe. Jr. and Ramsay Mciienry, al then AZ Wash-
ing,oh City formed themselves into an association IN
der the titlc OF the Western Land Association for
the purpose OF speculaiing In Western Lands. One Of
The Association certificates OF stock has been sent 70 Us
II IL as follows;
WESTERN LAND ASSOCIATIONS
BE il known that Lewis Cass Henry Hubbard, Francis
o smith, Francis Msrkoe Jr aDd Ramsay Mcienry, on
the 23h deyOf Apr lee. entered into an association with
the cOmb ed capa Of S2po0, for The purchase and sale
Of Pubc Lands In certain Western States ana Terrores
Of the Uuion, according 10 ceri articles Of agreement
bearing said date and signed by said parties and that
- proprietor OF - thousand dollars Of said capt
tai VIII. reof the Aggregate sum specified he under" n
ten certificate has been paid the SAID thousand dol.
Lars being portion Of the capital assigned Ia said -
said articles u agreement and subject % deduction OF
one-fh I'd part OF the profits sccuins thereon and 10 the
payment Of a proportional fraction Of the necessary
penses Of the continued Agent OF said Assocaon and 10 no
Be known also that said stock Is transferable whole
paus less ihsn thousand dolsrs by an assign
meni Of this certificate BY said - or his Attorney, aud
record thereof being made by the Secretary IN the transfer
boob Of the Association
Washington Clfy, 1895.
- Secretary. - President
This Association for purposes of land speculation
formed when Lewis Cas- was Secretary Of War under
Gen. Jackson. Cass himself the chief Of the specu
ators paid in $50 0O and others paid in 10000 max
Ing total OF sl20OO0 The contempat, capital OF
$4,000 was not obtained The plan Of the Associa
ton 20 enter lands IN the West and hold them up
for increase Of value Case being Secretary OF
War and IN virtue OF his official station having import
advantages private individuals the Association
gave him the control OF the whole business. He ap
pointed the agent 10 make the entries ofsndseleetng
his agent and agreeing 10 De responsible for his
acts The sgent to the West and made purchases
all under Cssss direction and the latter, directly and
through his agent, continued TO have the management
OF the lands.
After several years delay. the members of the Asso
Citation began % have strong suspicious that there was
hte probability OF their ever getting anything Tor
their money All their applications 70 Cas- tor informs
ZION OF no avail Nothing s~usiactory could be
learned from him After consultation with each 9th
er. they appointed Hon. Henry Hubbard one OF then
ownnunber. and then OF since u : Senator from New
Hampshire look after their interests and ascertain
If Cass and his agent had dealt by them fairly and hon
estly Mr.. Hubbard opened correspondence with
Case but failing in every effort 10 get any satisfaction
from him, he wrote final letter informing the Hon
Secretary OF War that he rascal, and the Hon
Secretary quiet aud client under the charge. Mr.
Hubbard charged him With windng his associates and
the Hon Secretary, instead of exhibiting resentment
attempting 20 prove his innocence, admitted by he
silence the justice of the accusation and even 10 this
day the Association has not been able 10 get anything
out of him.
We are authorized 70 make this statement by mem
Der OF the Association gentleman who paid $1,000 in
20 the hands OF Cass his agent and has received
anything whatever in confederation OF his money Our
informant requests IL the vainy denied % call
Hon Henry Hubbard for statement of the truth-io
demsnd OF him publication Of the letters that passed
between him and Csss. particularly the letter 10 the
Hon. Secretary Of War, charging hun with villsiny Ia
al II. forms We shall enclose copy OF this paper 10
Gen Case, and If he has anything TO cay let hun speak
out or authorize of his 10 speak for
hn. Mr.. Hubbard the public aware n promi
nent Loco-toco, and was the man that nominHted Mr.
Polk In the Baltimore Convention four wears ago
Il was bad enough ia all conscience for the head of
War Department 10 become member Of associs
ton for Specializing IN sndsto the advantages OF
bis high ONCE OF the very highest in the Govern.
ment for monopohzing lands, through the use Of an
immense capital, 70 the great disadvantage and
detrment Of the poor cmgrant such an operation on
the part OF Secretary OF War would have been IN the
EXTREMIST degree consura5le, even there had been
nothing dishonest unfair IN his treatment of bis
cates but Il Il l. fact charged that 70 the mon.
stroas improperly and shameessncss OF entering into
such speculation, the Secretary added the crime OF
cheating preaching his associates be deserves
immortality OF infamy
The man who Is Secretary Of War. speeulated So
extensively in Western lands aud who, by that aud
other means, has accumulated property % the amount
OF million Of dollar Is now candidate for the Presi
denCy. H. with high Office snd salary OF 5000 be
could operate thus largely As and-speculsor what
might he Dot be expected 20 do with = still higher
Office and salary OF S25Oo0 II no sense of propre,y
could refrain him from citing hnsc, with secret
association for the monopoly OF public lands when b.
was member OF the Cabinet What could BE- relied on
tores.rsn hiia irom similar proceeding II he were
President
Look ~ this thing fellow citizens. Wings and Demo
Gratis aud decide Cor yourselves in your own honest
minds Mih- specializing Secretary OF War whether
fsy OF me crime, laid to his charge by Hon. Henry
Hubbard and his other associates of deirsuding and
swndlns them, Is the man you win elevate TO the
Presidency.
Now we cannot believe that Gen Cas- has
been guilty OF ANY robbery OF his associates in this
business The money may have been lost in the
speculation wasted by uniaithful agents. but i,
is not credible that Secretary Of War would de.
grade himself 20 the level Of a common swindler.
We shall await an explanation with interest,"
Bu, Just look at the notorious and papahe features
of this business Gen. Cas- comes down upon the
Treasury with claim Of some s3Qo00 for extra
services rendered in making Indian Treaties, ~.
years before, when he was in the receipt OF tive
good salaries as Governor OF Michigan and Indian
Agent respectively. OF the money 50 obtained
be invests 10000 in company to buy ap public
lands on specnlstion--not to improve lands nor cul
tivate them, and thus give employment to Lsbor.
bar 70 snatch them away from Labor--to hold
them oat OF the reach OF the hardy settler unless
be could be induced to pay an enhanced price for
them. Hay should he pay this , Whist had Cass
& Co. done TO earn III IL is quite common to rep,
rebate all business investments indiscriminstcly
as speculative and pernicioas, since many Of them
are beneficial to the community. Bat what public
benefit coald accrue from this investment OF $780,,
900 in the purchase Of Public Lands by men who
never meant to tall the first acre, but only 70 hold