Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1849-09-20
Frauds upon the Treasury.

upon the public treasury perpetra,ed by that embodi-
ment of corruption, Thomas Ewing. Gen. Taylors
Secretary Of the Interior and confidential adviser,
which are without parallel, aud worthy of the pre- /
sent dynasty, which had It's origin in fraud, and
whose whole working is fraud upon the country.
The first case mentioned is that of claim first |
presented to the government in 1901 for two three
thousand dollars against the Pntta India ms.
"rhe only evidence of the Indebtedness of The saw
ages the trader, sheet of letter pa per,
the items written in the French language, and, in
stead of dollars and CENTS the words 'plus" and |
"skIn' were employed. The claim adjudicated |
at the instance of the Indian bureau, and dsalowe5
In 1SO9, this "Monseur T"nson' came again, and a
second time denied On two other occasions it |
shared similar fate, and considered finally
Quoted. For period of twelve years. believe. |
the claim Steps and scarcely had the Secretary OF the
Interior put the exterior garb of Office, before the
ghost, for fifth time, appeared! The winning eo-
quence employed by an attorney. caused Mr. Ewing,
without requiring strict examination, if any at all,
TO write few lines for the payment OF the money.
This brought to the Commissioner of lndian
Affairs of that tme (Mr Medill.) who, being aware
that the STALE antquared claim not supported by
competent proof, and that former executive officers
had considered and decided against it, referred the
order to the Second Auditor of tine Treasury, who
gave an opinion against the allowance of the money!
for the stated and sent it TO Mr. Parrish, the
Second Comptroller, saying that the claim ought not
to be allowed, unless the order of the Secretary of
|
the treasury. The Comptroller, believe, has re-
peatedly checked the drawing of money out of the
exchequer when not satisfied that the object was
righteous Being a democrat, and the ndmnistra-
ton wing, and the attorney for the claimant desiring
it, he submitted the papers to Attorney General john
son for bis decision. This gentleman decided in
favor Of Mr.. Ewing's proceeding, and the money
paid The Secretary's order thus OVERRIDE all the
checks and officers of the Treasury department! The
claim nearly half century old, and was allowed,
notwithstanding the final adjudicatons, and the six
or seven treaties, within that period, with the Potto-
watamies, which treaties, it is said, settled all
claims"
Here then, is claim of foriy-eight years stand
ing, which had been rejected foar previous
sions, brought 10 Ewing. and he without the least
investigation into its justice, by mere scratch of his
pen, orders be paid; and wien the proper officer
DESTROYS of protecting the government from gross
fraud protests against It's justice and refuses 10 pay
it without further authority, the Attorney Cen
eral, of the cabal, decides that the order of Ew
ing is sufhclent-that, right wrong, the money
must be paid! Was ever such assumption heard of
before!
The next case is that of w. G. g. G. w. Ewing.
of Indiana who brought in a bill for forty thousand
three hundred and foriyone dollars against the Poito-
watamies. "For the larger portion of this money
the chiefs and head men had given their notes On
this and kindred subjects, the former Commissioner
of Indian Affairs in his annual report last December,
remarked, Gin the course of argument why thirty
three certain claims against different tribes, amount
ing, in the aggregate, to Sl6290S, nearly the whole
of which is against the Pottowa tamies, the Miamies
and the Sacs and Foxes should not be pad) that the
charges are generally against individual Indians,
and would be individual and national La
bilites; and that there is great diversity in the
amounts SO that great inequality and injustice would
result from their being paid on, of the common funds.
As the claims now stand, it Is impossible to make
any safe decision in regard TO them, short OF reject.
and, Tho theh oat
and probably only practicable mode of making any
satisfactory aud final disposition of them, would be
for Congress to authorize the appointment of COM
missioner TO investigate them on the spot with power
to take testimony and examine witnesses in order 10
ascertain satisfactorily how far they should justly be
regarded as national or individual liabilities whether
the charges are just and reasonable. aud all other
facts aud circumstances which should be taken into
consideration in making funl decision upon them
The recommendation has not been complied with but
Secretary Ewing, in this case, In the other, order
ed the amount on the face Of The claim to be paid
and the attorney, Western wing ex-memher o.
Congress, boa sied that he made FIVE thousand doars
by his professional tact. The money viii be takeI
out of the Pottowatan'ie annuity winch the law says
shall be paid per capita to those Indians.
w. g. g. G. w. Ewing are well known in this
State, end especially IN the Northern portion OF II
as men who have made immense fortunes as "lndiar
!; Traders" alternately fleeing the Indians and ths
. Government most convenient. Utterly desti
tute of principle honesty, it IS matter OF sInal
concern TO them whether they prey upon the poo
Indians upon the peoples treasury, SO they can I'll
: their pockets TO repetition with that 10 which the,
!, can lay no just claim They moreover what ma,
= emphaically be called wing pets. William u. Ew
ing has been asplraBt for Congressional bonors 70
. many years past, aud two years ago he nominal
ed for that Office But though he poured out his mo
= ney like water. and lavsbed thousands Of his fraud
uleny-obaI med dollars Ia secure an election, he wa
defeated, many Of his party refusing to vote 70
. him. His brother and partner, George w asb. Ew
. ing, formerly professed TO be ''red-mouhed" demo
crat, and, upon his ardent solicitation, wa
. placed upon the democratic electoral ticket in lS4O
lie betrayed his few weeks before tIe election
and went where he properly belonged-,o the wings
!. where he has ever since remained. Desplsed an
\ avoided by all honest men, he shortly after left IN
: State, and we believe is now practising his favorit
h schemes Of yainy upon the Indians and the govern
= | ment in Missouri.
Such are the men whom Secretary Ewing and tn
administration have selected the recipients of thei
Is bounty Such the whose claims for fort
~ thousand dollars passed upon and ordered 10 b
VI paid, without "why a wherefore" being asked
their justice their legality; and this too, Will
e aged and destitute widows and helpless orphans
10 waiting in vain for the miserable pittance to whc
they are entitled by the laws of Congress, and whc
NJ is withheld from them under one preience auoihe
= for The want of time to examine claims or upu
>" some other
d. "western wing ex-member of Congress" is sal
e have boosted of having made five thousand dolla
!" for having accomplished the work Of his employer
u, w. q. a. G. W. Ewing might well afford 10 pa
Caleb B. Smith, whoever else he may be. five tho'
s sand dollars for procuring the allowance Of andl
lent claim Of more than forty thousand. Wheth'
"a, Thomas Ewing is partner to this transaction WI
. perhaps never be known; but that suspicious shou
attach TO man whose moral perceptions are so 10
NJ, his is not Mt all unnatural. For the honor
the nation whose representative and agent he IL,