Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-04-08
THE GALpHIN CLAIM

The Washington Union has given publicity to
the most abusive charges against the Secretary
of War, founded on his connection with this
claim, the merits of which, and of the Unions as
sault our readers will have understood from two
Official documents which we copied Saturday from
that paper. If Mr.. Crawford is to be censured
for retaining his interest in this while Secre-
tary of War, and when it had been referred by
law to the sole arbitrament of the Secretary Of
the Treasury, the late Mr.. Forsyth is subject to
greater opprobrium, as he retained the same inte-
rest in the same case, while Secretary of State at
time when it stood in the shape of an ordinary
application to the General Government for relief
The Republic re-publishes from the Report Of
Mr.. Wise's celebrated committee of investigation
the testimony given by Mr.. Forsyth, concerning
his connection with the Galphn claim. Most Of
the questions propounded to him were overruled
by the Democratic majority of the committee
In answer to the first, he said:
l have been interested in the Galphn claim since
1927 or 1925 counsel for the representatives of Gal
phn and expect, whenever it is paid portion of tbe
sums recovered"
After number of queries had been overruled
tHO AoHoWhhS was SuSldlueu.
>; Has the Galphin claim, in any manner, been off
cally before your department for examination pending
dians2
Objected to by Mr.. Parks, and adopted as follows
Mr., Lincoln, Mr.. Mann, Mr.. Wise-6.
Nays-Mr. Parks, Mr.. Chaney-2
Answer by MIR. Forsyth:
The Department Of State, since has been under m,
care, has had no concern with the Gaphin claim othe
than in certifying documents among the files O
papers relating to time anterior to the adoption of tn,
federal Constitution: All the business Of Indian treate
the administration of it by Major Eaton, delivered
statement OF the Galphn claim, with view to have
provided tor by subsequent arrangement with thu
Creek or Cherokee Indians. That statement having
been mslad another statement substituted for it. BY
the parties interested, during Governor Casss admins
| traton.
| While the treaty negotiated here the represen
atives OF Gaphin had agent Judge Underwood) in
this city, who applied to to urge the President to ad
init the claim, which Underwood said the Indians wish
ed to see paid. declined any conversation with the
President on the subject because OF my contingent ine
rest Governor Cass told me he thoug the claim lust
but doubted whether it should be paid by Georgia
and not by the United States. The President, as Go.
vernon Cass informed me, refused, that ground to
permit an article respecting it to be put into treaty.
And when the treaty considered and decided upon
III the Cherokee country, the agents of Gapn procured
from them the article as It went to the Senate. The
clam was not admitted to torn part OF the treaty. but it
was before the Senate on its own merits.
The original demand was $4,000 A law of Geor-
gia promises to pay per cent interest Ihad further
connexlon with the insertion OF the article in the treaty.
otherwise than advising the representatives of Galphn
before inserting it, to procure from the Indians an urgent
application for the payment of the claim and all the
conversations had that subject prior to the treaty
with the parties interested, or their attorneys
applied to Major Eaton and Governor Cass to examine
the claim and furnished means of forming Just opn-
ion. Both were informed OF my personal interest and
that what said to them proceeded from that interest,"
While the treaty was before the Senate convesed on
the subject with MIR. Preston of South Carolina, Mr.
Brown OF North Carolina and Messrs. King and Cuth-
bert OF Georgia, and perhaps with others but
without distinct warning that spoke in the charac.
ter OF counsel for the parties, having contingent inter
est. My appeals to them were founded solely on the
Justice OF the claim, and the hardship Of the condition
| the claimants