Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1848-08-10

in his neighborhood--a letter of four lines, stating
that ne could not attend; and at Cleveland the
other day, when asked for his opinions on internal
Improvements and the proviso, he said there was
snch crowd he was. afraid,he could not be heard
and therefore he spoke on other subjects Now,
| the Baltimore Convention declared that Internal
4 improvements were unconstitutional, and Cen
Cass said, Amen he agreed to every word ia
that platform. He was man who had been on
all sides OF all questions; man of no principle,
no consistency, but a time-serving, vaciliatnp
weather-cock candidate, and that had secured
his nomination for the Presidency. Bun he (Mr
So thought his party now felt very much as Fa
ther Ritchie did-very much like giving it up
Had the Wing candidate ever vaciated, ever
changed his position, his principles! No. They
were laid down IN the Allison letter. and were
fixed as the everlasting hills having their f0unda
tlon in justice and truth-based on the ccnstitu-
tion of the country, and upon popular righs--tEe
emanation of a sound head and pure heart, it
was impossible that they could be wrong, or coud
change. 50. ,,s' - ::H
Gen. Cass was oncea great lover Of volunteers.
He was a volunteer himself, and was sometimes
called the "ud volunteer" But now-it was OH
the records of Congress, and there was no escape,
from it--he put it TO gentlemen ON the other side
Of the House, that at this session of Congress- 90
December 29th, In the Senate of the United Statssg
Gen. Cass introduced bill reducing the payef
the volunteers for Communication for their clo,alno
one third h.t' III
Mr. Wick interposed but y
:, Mr. Stewart declined TO yield the floor. ss his
hour was fast running away. He; would snow
gentlemen the bill; here.it was, as it Appeared ca
the records of the Senate: . az,
SIN the Senate ofMs United Stosss
December %, ls47. ,,,, !
$" Mr.. Cass, from the Committee on Millssry AZ
fairs, reported the following bill, which was
read and passed to second readng-g>
Z" Bill to provide clothing for volunteers in the
service of the United States.
:. Be it snactsd, 3c.--That in lieu of the q, orssy
which, under existing laws, is allowed to volsn-.
teers as commutatien for clothing, the PresiSsns
be and he is hereby authorized to cause tb vpnln
teers to be furnished with clothing in KIDD, at the
same rates, according TO grades, s p1auidaA
for the troops Of the regular army"
" The bill provided that in lieu of the Nancy.
+" clothing in kind" be furnished.to the eolpptee,s
at the same rates according tograde as was pro-
vided for the regular army. Now he re was let
ter which he had received from the '.diu,ant Gem
eral, stating what the allowance To the regulars
was: $50.
"ADJUTAaT GENERALS OryIcr.)
a.. Washington, June I6, 1913.
=" Sir In reply to your er JURY Of the 18Th in
slant, respectfully inform u ,ha, the average
allowance OF clothing per n nth 10 The soldiers OF
The regular army is about & IS. enclose here
with copy of" General Jrder No. IO.n current
series, in which youwi ind specified the articles
OF clothing, and their w lue for each year of the
term of enlistment. " Respectfully.
"R JONES, Adj. Gen.
To the Hon. A. s rEwART.
House of Rep resentatives, Washington"
This $2,35 was 20 all grades, dragons, artillery
men, &C.. but tIy examination OF the general
orders" referred. TO by the, Adjutant General, he
found that tfr. whole amount OF clothing for
infantry for FIVE years was $ll4,55 l-2, which by
computatior. it would be seen, gave Sl9l per
month to u infantry, and no more. Thus il an.
peared tb 1T this bill ofGen Cass reduced the al
lowance TO infantry volunteers for clothing from
$3.50, allowed by the act of ls46, to Sl,9I the
amoun'f allowed TO the infantry of the regular ar
may. The Union" it was true, and Mr.. Came
ror. said the volunteers could have their option
bit the languague of the bill was express nobody
co uld mistake it; it was that this clothing in
kind" should be furnished "in lieu of the money
which under existing laws is allowed" Now,
could you find any option there! The bill provi-
ded that clothing, which cost Sl,9l per month,
should be furnised in lieu of the 50, allowed un.
der previous laws.
Mr.. McClelland interposed. and was under
stood TO speak Of the construction put upon the
law by the Adjutant General but what he said
was not caught by the Reporter.
MIR. Stewart declined to yield. and said he
cared not what construction the Adjutant General
had been induced 10 give to the law by Gen. Cass
or anobody else there was the law as II was re-
ported by Gen. Cass. and as it passed. He knew
it was said that Gen. Cass had seen the Adjutant
General and got, him or the President to nullify
by construction. or veto it er post facto he might
have found it would not do to strip the volunteers
of their clothing; hanging and burning in etfisy
might have been unpleasant and the Adjutant
General might have been induced to censirue this
law Of General Cass directly contrary TO its pro-
visions still there was the law as introduced by
General Cass and passed, which expressly provi-
ded for this change, and that SI.9l, clothing in
kind" should be furhised in lieu OF the amount
previously allowed. which was $3.50. II it was .
intended to give them their election, as is now pre-
leqced, why did not Gen. Cass say so in his bill;
Why not say that the volunteers should be allowed
o draw $l,9l, the amount of clothing allowed To
.egulars, which should be deducted out of the
b, so to which they were entitled, and not as the
aw declares "in lieu" of the $50 The $i9i
vas not to be in part, but in full. The law was
90 plain Ingenuity could not mysiify i. l,was
rot only outrageously unjust. bun II was clearly
and void. What right had Gen.
Cass to report and pass a law 'impairing the ob-
igation of contracts!" The Government had
contracted to pay the volunteers So per month ani
$3.50 for clothing; the. volunteers had agreed M
axe it, aud had gone to Mexico. What light, then,