Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1852-09-10
WHOLE NUMBER lO61

lime Of the HUE. In slch cas4 it would fIii
perfectly harmless. BH, 81. uni-Tsiaaj lbsi
the Dlnocraue ESecuuYs CnmniiG,se. sha lr.
directing The movements 0f the pauy in Ibis
presidential campaiga, are circnlstIg the LAO.
der. al he rate of one hundred thousand copies
Throughout the breadth and length uf this grca
coniedeaey; aud in this way Il wil penetrate
regions whsre neither the malicious spiru Of ny
colleague nor the purIy Of Mr. Corwia's char.
acier is known.
i 4 brief apIemen' OF the true history Of Hr.
CursiH's connection with this elsiin vii be SUI
hcenl for the present By she provisions Of
'he treaty Of g Iaialu2s ilidalgo, oar Govern.
menI stipulated TO pay, for property destroyed
d0tingIh war wiih Mexico, a suE not 20 cx.
ceei three millions and quauer Of dufars
I 1 Bard Of thrte Commissioners was provided
for. who were 10 examine ant report upon al
such claims, This man Gardner presented
claim. General Thompson, OF South Carolina.
was employed as his counsel. General fhJmp.
sou beng the warm personal friend of Nc Cor.
win, aud aHTIsinled win his hilh legal attain.
mems. anI desiruus 10 avail himself Of his as.
sisIlncc, employed him TO aid 10 he argument
In the Board of Commissioners. the fec
agreed on TO b. paid Mr. COrSln By General
Thompson was five per cent upon the amount
allowed. GARNER had nothing TO do with Mr..
CJrwiH in this contract. Mr.. COrWia spent. 10
nv knowledge. Ihs greater part Of one vacation
! between Two sessions Of The Senate 10 the prep.
, arailun Of arIGmruts in this cause. Tne proofs
} were furnished by Gardiner and his agents. and
have the authority of the members Of the
Board Of Commissioners. composed, as il was
of distinguished men and able jIrsIs, for say
ing that there was no clearer case presented 10
that Board than This OF Gardiner. The papers
were most perleci. 10th in matter Of form aud
substance, and contained Internal evidence, by
combination Of corrobOra.ivs circumstances,
To force the conclusion that the claim was just.
II was allowed.
Now, sir. it is charged that this claim was
fraudulent, and the testimony peri Ted. Ii
may be so, aud il may not. G9rdIner has been
srresed. and because Of that, members Of Con.
gress who may desire fat offices. think 10 make
progress in their pursun by jumping al the con-
cusion Of his guilt before a trial. ! do not de.
ny his guilt, yet any man who will assert ii, in
high or low places, TO his prejudice, bsfore q
ialr trial. (though he be in iTons.) 1oes not de.
serve the rights 0! an American citizen. lf
guilty, he has acted strangely, lie had re.
ceived payment Of his claim, or a large portion
Of il. Leaving bis money here. he went to
Europe. There hearing that il was rumoFed
here this claim was fraudulent, with all posi-
bic speed, he returned 10 his country 10 meet
his accusers, and gave himself up 10 the law.
Though he may be guilty. this conduct, sir,
is very like that Of one conscious of his own IN.
nocence
BIZ, Mr. Chairman, TO the Gardner claim.
! IL will long be remembered by The members OF
the Thirty.irst Congress, that, whilst we were
engaged in this Hall in the controversy about
the connection OF Secretary Crawford with the
! Galphin claim, We were startled by The an.
nouncemens that President Taylor vas dying.
The House adjourned. In a few days Mr..
Corwin was invited to take charge Of the Treas.
ury department. had the pleasure then, as
had had during the whole of thai session, of liV.
! ing with him. Our reIalions were then, as
they ever have been, Of The most intimate and
confidential character. For polnca reasons,
! was opposed, warmly opposed TO him going
| lnto that Cabinet; hence every movement al
ecl!ng his actiun made an impression Un my
memory. Mr.. Corwn having Thea fresh upon
his mind The scenes Of this House few days
| previous upon the Galphin matter, declared 10
/ his friends that his contingent fees on Mexican
claims were annsupernble barrier TO his accept
ance; that under no circumstances would he
subject himself to any suspicious as had given
rise to that controversy. He was importuned
and pressed, by day and by night, by disIin.
guished statesmen from all quarters of the Uni.
on, 10 accept the post. His resolution was
fixed, aud in reply TO the argument, that as
these claims were settled, and determined BY
tribunal independent Of the Cabinet in all its &C.
ton, his delicacy was 100 lnsIdous; he sieruiy
said, that he would never act as the Secretary
Iof Treasury out of which any claim, in which
| he had either direcl or remote interest, should
be paid. On this point he was immovabe.-
His friends then suggested that he should irsI
dispose Of all his interest in those claims To
this he consented house in New York pro.
posed 10 buy bis interest. The terms were ar.
ranged; The money was paid. Mr.. Corwin be.
came dlvesIed Of every interest be had, direcI
or indirect, in all Mexican claims, including
.ha, of Gardiner. and in this position, free and
unTammeled, entered The Cabinet Of Mr., Fill
more--very much, will add, 10 my regret.
/ Now, Mr.. Chairman, for The truth, subsIan.
TALLY, Of this statement, pledge my veraciIy as
man, my honor as a Representative in the
American Congress. will now read the ex.
tract from my colleagues speech:
Through ,heinvesIigaUon Of Congress, their
Gaphnsm has been exposed; and era" ford
loaded with the execralions Of the American
people, has received his passport TO perpetual in
fanny. Bu, Corwin still remains unwhipped of
justice. True, sir, his caIspaw aud accomplice
ia The fraud, is Loaded with irons, and is branded
by public sentiment as ape1rer and lorgsr; but
she masler.moving spirit. The head aud brains
in the fraud, through the negligencs of this
House is still permitted TO control the Treasury
ofIhs UniIed States. Though This House may
no. visit upon him retrbunve Justice, yet the
American psople, remembering, ln connection
wilh this fraud, his 'blondy hand and hospuabie