The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1850-05-10
wednesday Morning, Way 9. 1889
THE GALrHlN CLAIM.-We have thu

THr GALpHN cLAIM.-We have thus
far purposely avoided entering Into any
discussion as to the propriety or imPro-
priety of the late allowance of interest
upun the previously audited account, by
| Mr.. Secretary Walker under the late
administration of Mr.. Polk TO the repre-.
senta,iyes uf what is now known as the
"Gslphin claim" The whole matter
had assumed such shape aud bearing, as
TO call, on the part Of those who had be-
come implicated, through the iustrumen-
tally of new writers, with its supposed
improper adjustment, for the most thor
ough investigation. through committee
appuinted for that purpose by the House
of Representatives. The propriety ofI
withholding any vague and unsatisfactory
specualions, while this investigation was
gong on, would at once suggest itself to
any candid and honest mind. The OPP
position press, however, throughout the
entire Country, from the ponderous pa
ges of the Washington Union. down to
The insignificant columns of the village
weeklies, without being in possession OF
single fact, IN the absence Of all testi.
mony authentic or otherwise. and during
1.-The pendancy of an authorized iDvestiga-
Itiou into the whole merits aud dement's
Of the case; have teemed with the most
virulent abuse, and the most "bitter. end
denunciati0ns, Of the present administra.
ton, for the allowance and payment If
interest on claim, the principal of which
had been audited and paid by the proper
de partment, under tie administration of
} Mr.. Poik himseN As between the two
. Administrations this is the main feature in
the case to start out with. lfthe debt from
. the government was just one, land it
} does not now lie in the mouths of the
f bitter .enders 10 say that it is not, they
} having solemuly declared it to be so by d
, public and official recognition Of its bind.
> ing validity upon the government, land
the payment Of the debt, thus acknowI-
edged to be due, has been unnecessarily
if not unjustly delayed, why should not
! the payment OF the legal rate of interest
Y follow, as an equitable and necessary in
] cident to the acknowledgment and pay.
: ment of the principaY Will any of our
5 LocolocO Mans6elds answer? What sort
1 of plea in bar, before the Supreme
y Court of the United States for instance
i would that be, in which the original debt
o was acknowledged 10 be due and un
paid. and plea Uf the statue Of hmita-
tions interposed as TO the interest which
had accrued upon the debit Was there
3. ever al Attorney General in that Court
n who would have so slnti6ed himself al
ID to make up so ridiculous an issue as that
8 This is not only legal, but correc
moral test. of the acts of the two admin
IN istratons, So far as the adjustment Of thi
H. claim is concerned.
The facts upon which this claim is has
as ed, are briefly rs follow Just befUI
the breaking out of our revolutionar,
struggle with the mother country; abnu
the year 1873, the Creek aud Cherokee
tribes of indians, then resident with
ra the limits Of Georgia, granted to lh'
81 State nf Georgia large tract of land il
e, trust TO pay number of Indian trader
IL certain sums nf money. acknowledged b
rd the lu,lianst to be justly due and uupaid
2. There was large amount Uf these claims
~ and among them was that Of Georg
is GaIphin, the amout due him, at the tim,
l,f the cessinn of these lands, being
bout the sum Of 10000 sterling. Th
:, War of the Revolution having con
" menced in The mean time, the trust W;
~ never executed on the part of Georgit
'r' aud the provisions of the treaty with tn
he Indians were not carried out on the pa
bs ur their trustee. I he lands were sol
by the State of Georgia, aud the pr
ceeds thereof converted into the sinews
Z" War, which aided in the achievement
ih, our national Independence. These CLAIM
na ants under the treaty with the India
u" presented their claims al very early DIT
's' to the legislative authority Of Georg
utS for adjustment, but no settlement of the
I" ever took place. Among other reasn
e'' assumed by the State of Georgia for d
o" allowing the claims thus set up undertl
treaty, was the alleged fact that arI
as portion of the holders of these clair
NE we're tories during tho War of the Re
DOT olution, in consequence of which tho
'as rights had become coniscated to the e.
er' ernmenl. This reason, however did NJ
S.n' apply to Galphin. who, as the proof h
rs long since established, was a staun
"S whig, during our struggle for nation
ur' existence. AS To all claims of this CHI
acter even Georgia refused to settle u
nm, on the ground that the government
ner the United States were bound to pay,
'ul asmuch as the proceeds Of the lands n
'u'' been expended in paying the continent
Sc, soldiers of the War. Another fact
ana the chain of these historical TRANSACTION
ply is that the tory portion Of these clair
ana if we are not mistaken in our recole
a tion, were long since presented to I
ION English Parliament and duly passed a
ans assumed by the British Crown. T
'ra' Galphin claim was presented before Il
me- State authorities of Georgia fora peri
me of over half century, but recogniti
oi of title to relief was refused for the re
Ime on already stated. The rapresenlati,
Iior Iior of Galphin at last resorted to the Go
.'eu eral Government about the year Is
'me but no decided action was had upon
'me matter until the year 1S4S, under
juU- Dill oIro;niatratinn ahunf tha lima