Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-05-25
TO THE EDITORS.


The report in the Union" Of the proceedings of the
House in the Gaphn claim in part nepesents or mis-
understands what said respecting Of the Secretaries
that deem necessary ask Of you immediate
ton Of that part is the necessary because having
drawn forth what desed-the reading of all the reports in
House, and the consequent exposition Of all the and
arguments in the case- have, therefore, obtained all the OBJ
ects for which speak the question of printing
and have thus made unnecessary unless it be my
self from further misrepresentation, report my re-
MARKS The " Union makes me speak as follows:
Ihe connexion Of members Of this Administration with
the case was to him MR. BRooKs subject of great regret
Here Mr.. D. described the manner in which Mr. Monroe
conducted himself with reference claim held by himself
against the Government when Secretary Of State Mr. Sc
creay Crawford should have bazoned forth the knowledge
OF his connexion with the There was some indirect
testimony 70 show that Messs Meredith and Johnson did
know it (Mr BnooKs understood to say though thew
denied the fact That they did know it was proof that
they did not thoroughly examine into the case or otherwise
they could not have failed to know Of his conne1on or
with interest in it."
The two latter sentences perversons unintentional
hope, but not the less peversons What did say was az
follows
sThe Secretary of War should not have kept FROM nor
have allowed be kept from his associate Secretaries the
paramount interest he had this and antique claim
II fact that he should have uttered in their tones
of thunder. He should have bazoned on his forehead
and let all mankind read there IT. them the Attorney
General had given him by legal construction huRded
thousand dollars for HIMSELF and the Secretary Of the Tea
sury had approved it. they would have known what they
about they would have plunged into the very depths
Of the they would have read and eread every paper
it they would have tracked it from its nursery in Georgia
wilderness before the Revolution, and have followed up,
step by STEP till this day they would have known the
mendous and dangerous personal responsibility they
sumpg and have felt how they eopadng the peace
and prosperity of Wing party IT. then, by
legal construction and without Of Congress- and when
Congress in session. they had appropriated of the public
moneys 352 80 in interest upon claim older than the
Revolution they would have done il with their eyes wide
open. But both Mr.. Johnson and Mr. Meredith UNDER
stand, testified that Mr. Crawford did by any make
known them his interest in the claim, did they have
any knowledge of it. No humsn being doubt this
tmony The veracy Of these gentlemen unasailed and
unassalable. The worst imputaon that could be made
against them natenon the not examining the length
ened history and voumnous papers Of this undyng claim
an inattenon to be excused by the magnitude Of their bus
ness, and the multiplicity of their duties know it is said
that they ought have known Mr. Crawods interests that
shown by public document (the famous Wise
report, l83636 that powers Of attorney that accompanied
the papers on which they founded their opinions show il that
two letters from Mr. Crawford himself to officers Of the Trea
sury Department mporunaey urging from Mr. Walker the
late Secretary, early adjustment Of the claim, sh9w But
enough for to know that Mess johnson and Mere
dh both they did not know it, They have lived too
long and have characters well established, make any
doubt it. Their only has been the
to all mankind, of msudgment Their only fault is that
they did read all the papers that they did go back
to 1851 and study the whole history Of them And sir,
who has any thing else to do could find time to
study out the long ante and history Of the
ca and read all the papers, Accustomed hard work at
home and suffering for want of something TO do here with
occupation except that of listening here day after day,
have given this claim thorough study have gone back
the colonial history of Georgia. have pursued the claim
under Great Britain and under the colonial authorities
have read and eead all the Creek and Cherokee treaties
with Great Britain, with Georgia, and with the United States
have studied the history of the compact with Georgia in
1902 have looked into most of the land claims that have
arisen under that compact and they enough keep any
busy. have studied well the effort Of Georgia make
the United States pay interest in like cases. under the treaty
of the Indian Springs, in 1921 and its denial by Messrs
Monroe, Adams, and Writ. have, 10 long and laborous.
investigation gone through the contests that Georgia has had
with the Cherokees for their lands the Ridge and Ross
oversies the Troup agitation prior that the famousNew
Echota treaty history, with its amazing developments the
Schey correspondence and then the history of the of
the United States allowing isaowng interest," prin-
cpes of the decision of the accounting officers heveupon
have had occason pursuit ohe facts case study
out the bounty land business the funding system, and all the
State legislative records of Georgia that could lay my hands
upon; records often without index, or ndexed badly
that the labor imposed upon of searching them for
Galphin from beginning to end. have read or looked
into full seventy five volumes been therefore, bbIomans
0ore, and thus have great charity for the naen-
ton negligence Of high officers Of the Government who if
they had done all this work, must have abandoned all the
other duties of the Administration. If others had given the
half the study have do believe except under the
statute, there would have been allowed principal
interest"
This nearly the language used and these am cetain
the ideas conveyed in the portion Of my remarks
Friday. Yours, respectfully JAMES BROOKS.