The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-08-15
FAUQuIER SPRINes, August mi, ls

Ahcfc can NC nothlnS more StounuleSS thdn the
imputaron made by portion of the press upon
Mr.. EwIsc, for his connexion with the purchase
of military landscrip. A simple statement of facts
will divest the transaction Of any the slightest inn
propriety.
Virginia, at trying crisis in our colonial histo-
ry, coded TO the Confederation her vast territory
northwest of the Ohio river. For the common good,
she made the most magnificent donation recorded
in the annals of national beneyolence; gave up, in
deed, an empire
This cession was made subject to a reservation
by Virginia of so much land would satisfy the
land bounties which she had promised her officers
and soldiers who helped to fight the battles of the
Revolution
This reservation proving insufficient application
was made TO Congress TO make good the deficiency,
by an appropriation of SO much of the public lands
as would discharge the outstanding claims to
bounty land Of the officers and soldiers of the Vir
ginia line.
A claim meritorious could not be resisted,
and, accordingly, in the year 1880, and at subse-
quent periods, Congress made the requisite appro-
prations Of land, TO be converted into scrip assign
able by endorsement, and receivable in public dues
at the several land Offices of the country For these
appropriations Mr.. Ewing voted.
Was this vote right and proper that is the
question, and the only question OF import Now,
apprehend that no one conversant with the sub
iect can doubt for one moment the strict justice of
these appropriations, and the consequent propriety
Of the votes by which they were effected.
Virginia had furnished in the Revolution
large quota of troops not only for her own but the
continental defence As an induccment to those
troops to enter into her own and the service of the
colonies she promised liberal bounties in land to
n w IN rye a atin al hon
she made this promise, she had the ampest fund
to make good her engagements territory of vast
extent, comprising now the States OF Ohio, Indiana
Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and large area yet
unerected into States This fund she magnani-
mousIy surrendered with the reservation before
stated, at time when the disposition to be made
of the waste lands held by the several States formed
subject Of the most trying embarrassment, and
threatened seriously the harmony and efficiency Of
the continental counsels.
But it SO happened, that as the amount of the
land bounties could not in the nature Of things, be
ascertained with precision, the quantity reserved
was insufficient to pay, in good lands, all the
claims of her officers and soldiers.
What could Congress do but give back, out of
the large fund given up by Virginia, enough to
supply the deficiency! What could the Federal
Government, the beneficiary of this surrender,
do but "step into the shoes" of Virginia, and fulfil,
to the last rood, the engagements by her made with
the gallant band who had fought the battles and
won the victories of colonial independence and free
DOM
Had Congress refused TO lift lien on the public
domain 30 strongly equitable, and repudiated a
claim SO meritorious in all its aspects, it would have
been national opprobrlum Not only equity, pa
triotism, gratitude, and humanity, but common
honesty demanded recognition and instant settle
ment Of the claim, and Congress did recognise and
pay it, 1t never did juster and more commenda-
In g. tk.t. e ...lz
voted for these appropriations of scrip did but do
just and righteous act.
Suppose, for illustration sake, Mr.. Ewing had
given his vote against these appropriations, what
would Virginians have said but that he had given
heartless voter
As a Senator, then, surveying the whole merits
of the claim preferred by Virginia, and satisfied
of its validity and justice, Mr.. Ewing voted to pay
It, As an honest legislator, it is difficult TO con-
ceive how he could have done less.
The propriety of this vote, IL seems to me, is the
only legitimate inquiry, the only natural thing In
the whole matter. Ii afterwards Mr.. E became
purchaser of scrip al the market price, where is
the sin Of the thing' Suppose member Of Con-
gress should vote for Il national bank, and become
afterwards dealer IN It's stock, or that Senator
in Congress votes for national loan and thereafter
becomes bidder for portion Of the loan, is the
transaction lmpcachabae IN either the ground
of moral proprietyi
IL is difficult TO discover any moral turpitude in
the transaction referred TO- and may well lament
the existence OF party exasperaion which Is con-
tInualy striving TO torture into positive crime ac-
tons totally Indifferent and innocent
As to the charge of defrauding the widows and
orphans Of soldiers of the Revolution, am sure
none VIII venture the accusation who CONVEX
SAINT with the modsc operand Of scrip transactions.
As for the pido,os of revolutionary soldiers, they
have no interest IN scrip-have under the VIr
GINA laws received any portion oft
As TO the orphans, the charge no better founded
In very few cases dad II ever happen that direct
bargain and sale of scrip took place between the
original owner and the purchaser | have been a
large seller oi SCRIP have assigned TO different buy
large values of the article, but do not recoect
u single stance of sale made directly by the
owner.
The following was the usual course of transac-
tion Claims to bounty land were prosecuted by
agents clothed with powers of attorney from the
claimants, and authorized TO prosecute for portion
of the amount recovered. When claims we're al.
lowed by the proper tribunals in Vrgi MA land war
ISSUED the heirs-at-law Of the officer or sol
der These warrants were then sent to the Gene
raj Land Office 10 be commuted for scrip When
the scrip issued, uas almost Invariably sold and
sgned by the agents. nho prosecuted the claims before
the tribunals IN Virginia. acting under poioers Of aor
ney from the heirs original opners. OF some forty
or fifty thousand acres recovered by me for differ
ent clients do not remember that single acre was
disposed Of in any other mode And this, the re-
cords Of the General Land Office will show was the
common mode Of negotiating scrip.
There was little direct dealing, then between the
widows and orphans OF revolutionary soldiers"
and the purchasers Of their scrip. II was all done
through agents Of the scrip-holders, which agents
controlled the whole operation, agreed on the price,
made the contract Of sale and assigned the scrip in
the name OF the owner. So far as the owner and
purchaser were concerned, the whole process was
intermediate, not direct
Sucn being the case, It is difficult TO comprehend
how large dealers in scrip could defraud the " wild
and orphans Of the soldiers Of the Revolution ~
IL there any fraud, it was praciised, not by
the buyers Of scrip, but by the agents who made
the contract Of sal and these had the highest in
lerest to sell at the highest market price.
So far from Mr. Ewing's taking advantage of
the widows and orphans Of revolutionary sol
diers, by coming into the market as a purchaser
OF scrip, he rendered them service by affording
ready sale and adding to the competition among
buyers. The more competition in this respect, the
higher the price Of scrip, Of any other article OF
merchandise and the ultimate effect OF this com
petition was TO carry up the price of scrip to almost