The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1852-09-15

aGA VI nuAllAlAASAAaAlput II uAlsN DN
very indefensible indeed, and they deserve
to haye credit Tor their honesty and inde-
pendence' i think fellow-cliZens, YOU will
agree with them that the transaction isnOt
only indelieate and monstrous, but that it is
disgraceful TO the country, and that it de-
serves the marked Iebuke of the American
people rebuke which have no doubt it
milireceiye atthe elections in Noyvmberpext.
But, fclo w-citizens, there are other irahs-
actions OF the same unscrupulous character
in the conduct Of the executive departments
of the government. In the same year, l85O)
Mr.. Ewing. SecretOry of the Interior, allow
ed two Other claims, inferior in amount, but
not, think, inferior in enormlty to the one
Of which have given you the history.
The first is known as the Barron case
JAS Barron was Commodore in the navy
of Virginia in the Revolutionary war. Near
~ three quarters of century afterwards,
(l849, J his legal representatives applied TO
the Commissioner OF Pensions at Washing
ton for his Communication, IAN allowance in lieu
of half pay,) WHICH they alleged TO be due
to his estate. The Commissi3ner in August
Of that year, after a full examination OF the
claiJ rejected it. In December, Mr.. Ew-
ing, the Secretary of the interior, addressed
a communication TO him, stating that the
claim ought'to be allowed and accordin gly
the Commissionerpa it, amounting to S32,
600. putting on record the fact that he did SC
"under an order" Of the Secretary of the In.
terror. On an investigation before COM
mittee created for the purpose by the House
of Representatives, it appeared, first, that
according to the claim Of the parties, The
principal amounted only to $4 90, use
tJund numbers. J and that the balance 1885,
900, J was for interest; and second, thai the
CLAIM had been fully satisfied and paid TWEEN.
lty-seven years before. Letme read to you
the conclusions of the majority OF the com
mittce in their own words:
First, the Secretary of the Interior Qr
dered the payment Of the interest to the
amount f28, l22, l9 to the representatives
Of Com. Barron, foG services rendered i'll the
| Virginia navy during the war of the Revo
! luton, twepty-seven years and more after
! tie principal had been fully paid and dis
charged. Secondly, that a large portion oI
the sum so ordered to be paid was interest,
OF compound interest And thirdly, that
such payment waa without the authority oI
law" tSee Report Com. No. 439 House OF
Rep. lst$ession 81 Con. page @.
Now, fellow citizens, think you will a
gree with me that this is rather worse in
principle than the Galphin claim, and thatit
exhibits refinement in tinanceerin9 never
before revealed in the administration of any
govcrnmen Indeed, it requires some a
cuteness Of PERCEPTION to understand it, and
IL good deal OF faith tQ believe it, when it is
understood Here is claim amounting or.
ignally to $72a, according to the Commit-
tee, (see page 4, ib.) paid off twenty-seven
years ago. and now paid over again. with
compound interest on part---ln all $32, ,OOU
--the principal increased to $4,000, and the
interest computed at $28, ,OO0--a debt (if il
can be Sc caIlcd) swollen from less than
5 900 to more than $32, 900, and all this
increase going on after it has been fully paid
and discharged.
1t used to be thought in old times, when
Il debt was paid off, that there was an end
of it. Let us humbly hope that this may
still be the rule in our private transactions
But in the administration of the government
at Washington our why friends appear to be
rejoicing in some new revelations in respect
to the law of accounts. The old systems are
IcXplodcd. Taking this case AS standard
II claim against the treasury, with whig GUS
todians to guard it, is worth more after it i,
paid off than it was before. When it is ex
tnguiShed by payment, the principal BY
some marvellous process goes or increas'
ing, not only carrying with it what we, who
90 by the old arithm6t Gs, consider as lawful
interest, but carrying with it compound in
tcrest al I&Q, WHICH we have been taught tc
consider uSurous. TO do them justicce
however, Executive officers did not defend
the usury. Mr., Ewing said that the com
pound interest was paid by mistake, making
a difference, if my computation is correct, u
$8O00-28, 600 interest 5000 oi it usnrou>
and paid by mistake. Let me state the c Isl
again, for it is one which will bear repetition
Ia debt of $50, paid off 27 years ago, and
now paid over agaln-the principal increaa
, ed to'4, Oo0-the interest computed ut %
0oO-8000 Of it usurous and paid by mis-
tgke!! Such is the mismanagcment of tn,
, rguarlia lians of the Treasury under he presen
. .mnl,adninStration of the government.
! But Mr.. Ewiny'S FINANCIAL achievements
, like other painful yisitatiops Of fortune, d(
, not come sinyly. Like Mcssrs. Mereditl
, and ,Iohnso4, he has illustrated his geniu
for finance BY an Indian case. While Lhos,
, gentlemen were adjusting an account Of sev
; enty-liye years standing with the Creek
and qherokges, Mr. Ewing was busy With !
comparatively modern one (onIy SiXteel
years old with The Chickasaws
In 1884 by treaty with these Ind ans
/ the Chicksaw country, as it was called, wa
, ordered to be sold anI the proceeds invested
for their benefit, In the progress of these
transactions the United States became in
: debted to them to the amount Of $l 1000
, Half this amount was claimed by one OF thei
|, agents or attorneys. The case was brouyh
before Mr.. Medill, the Commissioner of In
dian affairs under Mr.. Polk, and rejected
An appeal was made to, the Secretary vi War
, Gov, Marcy, to whose department the In
! dian bureau at that time belonged, and til,
. decision of the Commissioners rejecting TIN
| claim was affirmed. state these facts OF
the authority Of Il majority Of the Crm
!. mittec from whose report | take them. { Sc
page "a of the document last referred to.
!. 1t IS but fair to add that minority of tn
t Committee, all of whom were wings, dssen
/. ted from their conclusions and from tn
, Statement Of the facts on which those con