Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-07-28
CONGRESSIONAL.
nrFENCE OF GENERAL CASS.
,euaRKs OF MIR. MccLELLAND,

REMARKS OF MIR. McCLELLAND,
cP MICHIGAN,
. !. ne Ho,se Of Representatives., July l, lS48-
1 'oths Girl and Diplomatic Appropriation Bill.
Mr.. McCLELLAND said
/ Nr CHAIRMAN: During Ave years Of service
,bis House, have never yet made strictly
",r,y speech upon any question, and would not
i.sspass now upon the rule prescribed for my.
III had not the character of distinguished
,,,en Of my own State been most violently at
.,eled and traduced The gentleman from Penn
:,lyania, mir. STEWART a few days ago, made
,,ay charges of grave character against Ge-
,.r,l Cass, aud although they are very loose,
nj .ome Of them exceedingly triding. yet pro
use 10 occupy short time IN discussing them
"A similar oaes made elsewhere. Ii my hour
mo, wholly consumed in this way, | may no.
nee other remarks made BY him and other gen.
,snen on this floor
Tie most prominent charge against General
c.,s i. that whilst Governor of the Territory
i Michigan, he drew, besides his salary as Go
.,.,r enormous amounts of extra compensa.
..,o-some making it. in the aggregate. SlOo,'
~ AZ. but the gentleman from Pennsylvania,
~, every disposition 10 increase it, has been
osI,.,l by some regard for truth, to reduce 1t to
IA ila [ propose to examine this charge, and
.I.ve il ~. pt,ble Of the most satisfactory ex-
al,a,,ion. One erea, error committed by those
rboh,ye endeayored TO distort this matter, is IN
,..n,,;np that each Of the three documents mo.
9TH Congress, Sd session; and Nos. liz and
- o5lh Congress, 81 SESSION. usually referred
;, on1 which contain all the necessary informa-
I'm an the subject relates to and embraces diff
.rsn, and distinct classes of allowances: and
nov are figured out and adroitly woven toge-
Nor az as TO make up the sum arrived at; while
The slightest glance and most cursory examina-
ION will show, clearly and uneoaivocally, that
bs documents are reports from the Secretary Of
war in answer to three separate calls of Con
sye.s for nearly the same information, and that
,bsy embrace, with slight variations, precisely
the same allowances, except that OF the amount
,l,tained in document No. s, S12,7l2 is left
ami Of The other two documents. Thus the
whole of the allowances in document No. 244,
and all in document No. 8, except the sum OF
sl2.7l2, are set forth and contained in docu-
men, No. liz.
Gen. Cas- was Governor of the Territory OF
Michigan an &C c6ieto superintendent OF Indian
2f,,cs N and ior this Territory. As &c oDeto
,lnsrin,epden, OF Indian affairs, he discharged
HI, dulles within the limits established by the
Territorial organization, which embraced and
1rIuded only The Indians and agencies within
\. peninsula OF Michigan and the agency al
Green Bay, on the western shore OF Lake Michl-
.sn. In document No. ll2, the accounting Off
sfs say "that as superintendent OF Indian affairs,
Gov. Cas- was paid no salary b. The Treasury
D,pafmen;; bu, an allowance OF fifteen hundred
toliars per annum was made 10 him by the Sc
,fe,ary o. War and paid b. the Treasury De-
2lr;meal during his SUPPLEMENTARY, 10 corer has
-p,ases Of Different, clerk ARE, flel stationery,
&c; and, besides this, ten ra.ious per day, equal
l. 80 dollars per year, were allowed 10 him from
las date Of his appointment, in 1913, I'LL the end
oils2l." They then 60 On 10 show The circum'
s'ances under which these allowances were made,
noting for that purpose letter 10 Congress upon
Ii. subect from Mr.. Calhoun, The Secretary OF
War, and ty whom they were made, in which
ne facts and circumstances are fully set forth
il appears, from This letter, that Gen. Cas- no,
only pe.ior med his appropriate duties OF superin
sp.en, but. in addition, actually executed those
Of asen, for several tribes which were without
agents, b,,h within and without his superin,en'
tsncy In reference 10 the allowance, Mr.. CAL
noun states (Doc. NO. liz, page - that shortly
alter Gen. Cas- received his appointment, ne
ma application Tor specific sum 10 cover The
garious ,. .soual expenses TO which he was liable
in the performance OF his duty as superintendent.
WITHOUT uhjec,ins 10 the amount which ne
Il ugh; necessary 10! the purpose, ne was Inform
4! lha. specific amount could not b. allowed;
III, a, the same time il was stated, that on pre-
>saag his accoun:, what was reasonable would
ia allowed. The claim, from its nature, could
,as be adjusted on equitable principles il being
impossible 10 STATE the items OF expense 20 which,
>rualrd as he was. lie was exposed from his in
s'course with The Indians" The duties which
Governor Cass performed as superintendent
,.iae similar 10 those OF Governor Clark, (gu-
-.tnor and superintendent Of Indian affairs for
a. Missouri Territory "but more extensive and
ii mel. performance amended with greater ex-
r.nse, ia lhe aljusinen, o. his accounts, refer.
s.ce Vas had 10 tae allowance which had been
male 10 the later, making such an additional
Allowance as The difference in The Two cases and
ssard 10 cqli'y rcqlred." Among the rea-
sons gwen by Mr.. Calhoun for The allowance was
me expense necessarily attending the intercourse
win he Indians al point 10 which there IS so
erea resort OF Indians as Detroit, and where,
ION tie neighborhood OF the adjoining province
. Canada, il is necessary TO extend TO them greater
ls.1i,;v and attention than any other place"
Inc case had previously bsen submitted 10 The
President, M Madison who expressed The
o9ioicn ina, General Cas- "should be remuner-
aei inr 'tese additional expenses" No'w''h-
Sanding all this, The gentleman from Psnnsyva-
MA in,imaes that these claims were "alowed by
Nj. Calhoun six wears after he was out Of ofhce."
What ne means, cannot conceive, unless 1t be
10 charge Mr.. Calhoun with a gross derelicion
D; duy. But me assei ton is 50 devoid OF all rea-
s'nab!-ness and pausi5ility, [withou, taking into
consideration the purity OF that distinguished
mans character, that it must be ascribed 10 the
srn.lernan's disiempcfei imagination, as no m an
70 ms proper senses would make SO unWarfant-
able aud d;singenuous an impu'a,ion.
Mr. BURr said: BY the permission OF my
TREAD from Nj chigan, wish 10 add word to
~ explanation he has already made. lspeak AS
u re ilem of extra allowance made by The Sc
c'eray Of War during Mr.. Monroe's admins.
rdjon, and OF that alone. | am authorized TO
az lha, this item was allowed during tha. admin
station, and thus the gentleman from Pennsyl-
7ania Mr. STEWART is utterly mistaken 10 sup
Posing tha; il was allowed subsequently. The al
GRANGE was 10 remuneratc General Cas-, as su-
pernenien. Of Indian affairs, for subsistence ac-
ualy furnished Indians from distance, who VI
>ne. him en- official business. These demands
nlon him became very heavy and very frequent.
N.ras an expense which he was under no duty
10 bear, and his salary was inadequate 10 sustain
H. From The very nature OF The expenditure
specific vouchers could not be adduced or obtain
ei. rhs sum was allowed, because it was sup
posed no more than was sufficient 10 cover the
actual expenditures, which Mr.. Calhoun was sa-
.l>lsi had been made by General Cass in the
course Of his official and important duties. Sir,
Undertake 10 say, i, was charge as just on the
par, OF General Cass, as its allowance was homo
Iaole and proper on The part of Mr.. Calhoun
DIS reasons are assigned On the account, and tnl.
y yintcalc the proprely of The allowance
Bot, sir, TO the narration. The accounting Off.
e. states iha, Governor Clark vas allowed BY
aw salary, as superintendent, OF 81 500 per an
dum. And on reference 10 his accounts, ii ap.
pears that the sum paid to him, to cover his ex-
penses Tor oice.rent, clerkhiIe, fuel, stationery
&c, was about s., 600 per annum; which greatly
exceeds The allowance to Gen. Cass Tor those OBJ
PCS excepting for the first seven or esh. years
o. his SUPPLEMENTARY" Thus the allowance
Of 1920 from October 9th. 1913, 10 May 18th
1922 when it was reduced TO 81 500, and OF thai
anDnn! from the latter date 10 July 81, 1881
made by Mr.. Calhoun, and sanctioned by Presi
ten Madison, Tor expenses and expenditures t.
which Gen. Cass was actually subjected 10 ihs