The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-24

The Secretary Of the Interior.
II seems the friends and advocates OF the Secretary Of
the Interior in Congress rely the Secretary himself
Does upon his lofty and unapproachable character to
shield him from the attacks Of his assaants in and out
Of Congress Out Of Congress he stands charged by a
citizen Of responsibility and Of unimpeached veracy
with using public Office of the government as an in
ducement to obtain the rent Of house at one-half its
value Many circumstances to sustain this charge,
and to fix irresistible suspicion, to say the least upon
the Secretary They certainly strong enough TO in
duce any innocent at all regardfu of his reputation,
TO ask for public investigation Of the grave charges
alleged against him. but. instead Of resorng to that
ready and effective way Of removing the suspicious
which now rest upon him in the minds OF large
portion OF the American people. he resorts to the doubt
full expedient OF falling back upon his character and po
siton. and affecting 10 treat with disdan the serious
charges Of respectable American citizen, moving in
the private walks Of life. Mr. Ewing will find this is
not the way by which to relieve himself from the
charges which have been preferred against him concern
ing the house rent, and which affect very seriously his
integrity as an officer and The time has not yet
in this country when any man in high official sta
tion or in elevated rank in private life, wrap him
self up in his dignity, and treat with silence and con-
tempt charges emanatng from respectable source, a
fecting his official or personal integrity.
But the mode OF defence adopted by Mr. Ewing in his
private affairs seems also to have been adopted by his
friends in Congress, against the attacks Of his opponents
for alleged official denquencies Thus, in the debate in
the House OF Representatives Friday last, Mr. Cro-
we'll Of Ohie gave uerance TO the following language
in reply to the assaults made upon the Secretary of the
Interior:
In this connexion he would attempt vindcae Mr
Ewing hos fame such that he could look do,cn ifh
contempt upon such assaults
This is the language which the defenders Of Thomas
Ewing in Congress, in reply to gentlemen in debate
and in defence of that Secretary against the charges of
his opponents. Does he, and do his defenders. inn
agne he will escape all responsibility for his official
conduct by such lofty and ridiculous assumptions Of
"fame" and dignity His fame Is it OF that peer
less character justify him in looking down with SOW
eregn contempt upon his fellow men. occupying high
stations point Of responsibility and dignity, himself
We shall see.
There probably has not been another man in high pub
lie Office in this country, who has had the odo of many
suspicious transactions hanging about him as Thomas
Ewing. Secretary of the Interior When he came into
the Senate twenty years ago, he was, usually
understood and believed poor His political afn
tiles attached him to the Of the United States Bank
and he became recipient of its fayors His name stands
or did stand the books of that institution as one of
its debtors to the amount OF $4,000. He then COM
menced specializing in Virginia land scrip which his
position at the head OF the Committee on Public Lands in
the Senate enabled him to make valuable, by the introduce
ton and passage through Congress Of laws for that pur-
pose In this business he amassed large fortune as
the public records show which wrung from the poor
widows and orphans, Of whom the scrip had been OBJ.
tanned for trife. Ii has been alleged by his
friends, in their adulaion Of this man, that
he is the "artifcer OF his own fortunes" Il was
in the way we have mentioned that he acquired the
right to this aatterng addition TO his name. These
facts stand proved the public records OF the country
and they are to be bnked out Of sight by any dcu
lous assumptions Of dignity or "fane" Few persons
would envy the "fame" thus acquired
Them in his official position Secretary Of the Treas
ury under General Harrison, his conduct was not the
most creditable or praseworhy. He did not hesitate to
msrepresent and mssae the true condition OF the treas
ury. for political effect His Misrepresentation and
peeions OF fact were ably exposed and reued by
Judge Woodbury. then a member OF the Senate, and
other gentlemen Of that body and any other but
Thomas Ewing would have been driven from the public
service by the exposure.
And what has been his conduct since he has held Office
under General Taylorl His friends do not deny that he
has employed clerks without the least color or sem
blance Of law pleading necessity alone for perpeirang
the act. He has done than that He has gone into
the bureaus attached to his department. and removed and
appointed clerks and other officers. not only without the
authority Of law but in direct defiance Of its express pro-
visions He has committed these lawess acts OF usurpa
tons in the bureaus Of the Land and Patent Offices the
heads OF which alone possess the original appointing and
removing power given 10 them by the laws organizing
their respective bureaus
Nor 10 this ALL He has certainly, in one OF those bu
reaus, created Offices unnecessarily, and without the
shadow Of rightly law In the Patent Office he has added
several persons 10 the number Of wa,chmen Under the
last administration three persons performed the duties
which six or eight persons are now employed to do
Also, one agricultural clerk performed the duties which
eve undersand) three employed to do Various
new appointments have been made by Mr. Ewing in the
Patent Office, unknown TO the law and unnecessary for
the public service These acts Of palpable and un
jushable usurpation. And yet this man. who is guilty
of them. relies upon bis "fame" TO screen him from
responsibility account, OF such conduct
The expeditions which he started out TO California
will, II they are duly investigated exhibit similar dis
regard OF law. An investigation would show that the
families sent out in the names Of Collier and Wilson
were companies OF gold dggers in which other persons