The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-29

oM O. W. JAsEs, No. Harrison street, Cincinnati, Ohio Is
general travelling BY Mess
o sxra, T. Drsr, JAsos TArLon, w. AnHsrxoss PrRas
LocxE, w. RAMSAY, and @. srEHnAE.
Qy-Recepn from either Of the above viii DO good
GOV PALMA, the Newspaper Agent, the only
authorized agent for this Boston, New York
subscriptions az the rates required His receipts win be
regarded payments His Offices aeBoson Congress
New York, Tribune buldiug Philadelphia q
Third Chestnut streets.
Tho Gaiphin Claim.-Course OF tine Organs or the
Cabinet.
would seem from the tone of the two administration
organs Of this city, the National Iaelgener and the
Republic, that they deem il matter of immense injustice
and wrong to impute to Mr. Ewing the allowance Of the
extraordinary Of $i9sOoO as interest on the Gaphn
claim, the real agent for which, sad is the present
Secretary Of War. the honorable George w. Crawford
Those papers, we understand them. admit that the
claim was allowed and paid, and legally and honorably
allowed and paid by the Secretary OF the Treasury on the
opinion Of the Attorney General 1t is not, then, the
charge, that such very questionable and doubtful claim
was allowed and paid with which the cabinet organs find
fault, but they flare up, with great show Of indignation,
because its allowance and payment was imputed to Mr.
Ewing. Justying they do, the payment OF this sus
pcious claim, cannot the injustice that has been
done to Mr. Ewing, unless he dissented from, and OPP
posed its allowance II mistake, not in charging
the allowance Of the claim against Of the cab
net but in charging against Mr.. Ewing We think the
public will be puzzled discover the injustice Of the i'm
putation, unless Mr. Ewing opposed the claim; which
fact, if true, should be made known to his credit.
But the peculiar cabinet organ-we mean the Republic
after showing that the correspondent OF the Herald was
mistaken, not in his statement with regard to the allow
ance Of the claim but in saying that Mr. Ewing the
Secretary who allowed it, goes to intimate that there
must be spies and normers in the public departments
the shape Of democratic clerks, who should be removed
Such is the reasoning Of the cabinet organ It shows
that the information with regard the person who made
the allowance and hence nfers that some
clerk must have impaired this erroneous information
Did not that feeble print perceive that il the information
derived from clerk cognzant Of the facts it would
have been correct Or does the cabinet organ complain
because knowledge Of the allowance of this claim has
got to the public Is it affair which will not bear the
light. and therefore must be kept secretl Such, OBJ
viousy is the conclusion which the reasoning Of the
cabinet organ tends. And hence the public will infer
that if removals take place. according to the
tons of the Republic, it will be in consequence of the
desire and determination Of the administration to keep it's
acts, done and performed and therefore public property,
a secret from the people.
Now, word with regard to this Galphin claim. We
know nothing Of the circumstances under which it was
allowed Public rumor connects the name Of the Sec
Rotary of War with it the real although not osensibe
agent attorneys fact which, if true, is most extra
ordinary in the history Of this government It is indeed
extraordinary for cabinet member to act as the agent
and attorney for claims against the government of which
he is member Mr. Cnwford's name is connected with
he - L. Al,
extracts which copy below. 1t grew out OF claim
originating in ITS, before separation from Eng
land; and what principle this government ever recog
missed it, unable 10 understand. An act, however,
passed at the first session Of the last Congress- d.
recng the Secretary Of the Treasury to settle it. and
pay the balance found due 10 Mledge Gaphn, the execu-
tor Of the original claimant That says nothing about
interest and we understand the custom Of the government
is to allow interest claims except when direct
ed by act Of Congress, the principle that the gov.
eminent aitOays ready to pay caieuer found SET
tsment 10 bedue And we earn-not directly and posi-
lively but from sources which believe to be reliable
that the last administration dsaowed and refused the
claim OF interest The opinion of the Attorney General
has therefore, reversed the principle upon which the gov
has heretofore acted and set aside the decision
OF the former administration violating another
principle established by the decisions Of his predecessors
in Office to the effect at Ie decisions Of previous heads
of departments shall not be disturbed BY their successors
Certainly this matter bears upon its face very suspicious
aspect, and Mr.. Ewing may exhibit more sagacty and
foresight in Indignantly repeng all connexion with il
than is now apparent We may be mistaken in some OF
our facts with regard this matter but the political friends
OF the two administration organs have all the facts in
their possession and will Of course correct us if we are
in error.
We copy the following extract from letter written by
the Washington correspondent of the New York Sun, an
original advocate Of the election Of Gen. Taylor and now
supporter Of his administration. Coming from source
friendly the administration, ought be good author
y for the democratic press in this matter The writer,
under date Of March 25th, says:
Much excitement exists he just now, account Of the
payment OF the interest he Gslphn claim an
old sager before Congress- Its history affords apt
ustration Of the way in which such managed,
that write It, In 1873, old Scotch trader among
the Creek Indians In Georgia, prosecuted a claim, 10
pounds, shIngs and pence against the English govern
ment amounting In currency $4,000. The break.
ing of the revelation prevented him from recover
ing the money, When the first Congress under our const
tuition assembled he his Representatives were on hand
urging the claim upon the United States Treasury
resisted until late period in the lifetime Of admin
straon when much dnging procured the passage Of an
act for It's payment. The parties whom II coming
received from the treasury the Of the princip
Mr. Walker and the Com ptroer Of the Treasury Mr. Me