The State guard., 1848-07-11
The Volunteer Clothing Charge

doouIdiCe uouDly sure, we lay DeIOfe yOl
 very conclusive letter which is extracted
 from the "Harrisburg Union" of the god
 It serves, besides, to kill two birds witt
 one stone. It not only knocks up the clo
 thing charge, but it comes just in time tc
 refute very silly charge that is HOW afoat
 among the "Washington correspondents, ,
 that at the dinaer given to MT. Crittender
 in this city, Mir. Senator Cameron made
 a speech which leanedlto Gen. Taylor.
 How little truth there is in this imputation
 sufficiently appears from the following let
 ter:
 GENERAL CAss AND THE VOLUNTEERS.
 We are happy in being able to lay be-
 fore the public the following letter from
 Gen. Cameron, full explaining the position
 of General Cass in reference to the cloth-
 ing of the volunteers. This letter shows
 that Gen. Class took that course which
 was most beneficial to the volunteers, and
 which no doubt proved entirely satsEcto-
 " to all when it was understood.
 To Me editor of the Democratic Ugion
 A friend has put into my possession the
 Reading Journal, contaiaing a letter from Sergeant Wm. Grsei, of Captain Loeser's company, of that city, from which the following is an extract:
 'Now let me tell you how Senator Cass was treated by the volunteers. You will recollect that we (the volunteers) were mustered under the act of May. 1946, by which we were allowed $3 50 per month for clothing and in circular dated Au- gust IT, ls47, we were again assured of receiving the same. But it seems that Mir. sCass, with good economical heart, offered bill to cause the volunteers. to be furnished with clothing in kind, at the same rates according to grades, as is pro- vided for the troops of the regular army Thus, you sec he has reduced our pay for clothing from $3 50 to $2 50. This, suppose, is the compensation we get for fighting our capital. As soon as the lst PennYslvanians received the news that this tamons bill had passed, they extended C rope across the main road leading to the cityo Meaico, and hung poor Letois Casst Some officers, touched by their politics, or. dered it to be cutsdown, but the boys had him in his just position again after. where he hung till evening, when he was taken down aud doomed to the stake ?'
 Having, since the commencement of the war, taken part in all matters rela- ting to the comfort of our volunteers. which have been agitated in Congress, I am enabled to explain the charge made .unintentionally, l have no doubt-by Mir. Graee against Gen. Cass.
 The bi'J from the Military Committee, reported by Gen. Cass, originated with the gallant Colonel Davis, who is preemi. nently the friend of the volunteers, and it was intended for their benefit, and has been of great service to them. The vol lntoers in our army are allowed by law s3 50 per month for clothing themselves, while the regular soldiers are clothed by he government. In this country, where clothing is cheap, this sum is more than but when our troops got to Mexico. where the prices of everything were greatly enhanced, this sum was | ound to be inadequate. The clothing be. ng scarce, too, the volunteers were often n distress, while the regulars were com. 'rtably clad, because the quartermaster's apartment had an abundance of clothing n hand for their use. The distress off UT brave men were made known 10 Gen. Iass and others, by letters from the army; nd, upon consultation, this bill was passed, | flowing the volunteers to receive from he government stores, if they desired it, whatever articles of apparel they might eed, at the.price it had cost the United States, which, on computation, was fouEd | 0 be $2 50 per month for each man, In ther words,' the government agreed to ell to the volunteers their yearly clothing | the rates of ss2 50 per month, while it ave 10 them, by previous laws, $3 50 CT month in cash, from which to make he payment. Thus you will see, Messrs. Editors, instead of taking dollar from he volunteers, Gen. Cass was instrument Il in giving them dollar month more lan they were entitled to by previous lws, and of giving them, too, the only leans by winch they could be furnished ,ith comfortable clothing in foreign md. Without this law, while the regu- ITS would have been well clothed from UT well-filled military stores, the equally ,eritorious volunteers might have been nffering for the want of clothing in dis mt land, where they were beyond the each of sympathy of their relatives and tends. No man in this country has .ronger attachments for the private sol iers than Gen. Cass. Like all men 'ho have risen from humble life, his sym athies and feeling are readily excited in ehalf of those who have none to protect lem. He might forget the demands of n officer so high in command, but he ould not overlook the wants of private oldier.
 It is due Sergeant Graef to add. the hu- lane intention sof Congress, in the pas age of this law, was, for time, inter- lpted by decision of the accountant of ,e accountant department, which gave it ie construction complained of by him ut so soon as this construction was known ere, the subject was re-examined at the lstance of Gen Cass and others, and the obstruction intended by Congress given ) the law; which authorizes the volun- sers to receive from the public stores the anne clothing as is now furnished to the