Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-12-03
From Washington-Indian Wars
against the Treasury-Expenses
of the Kansas and Utah Cam
paigns-The French Spoliation
Claimants and the Financial Re
vulsion.
WASHINGTON. Nov III.
+ the Journal of Commerce. |

vulSlOn.
Correspondence Of the Journal Of Commerce.l
WAsHISGTos, Nov II.
Some of the debts incurred bv the United
States during the last year Of two, are as
yet, unascertained, and do not enter into
any estimate Of the safIicieEcy OF the reye-
nue 70 meet the necessary expenditures of
the government, year by year. The gov
eminent has large amount of floating debt,
which ii knows Little about, and will not
, acknowledge till 1t becomes pressing.
1t will be remembered that the California
Mexican war debt, large in amount, took
the government By surprise; ard the most
surprising part Of the matter was, that Con-
gress admitted it, apd it has actually been
paid. But the end of that claim we have
not seen ye:-
We have heard occasionally, but not very
distinctly, of an Indian ar in Washington
Territory, aid another in Oregon Territory,
and Of tie employment there of volunteers
and what not.
General Wool always maintained that
there was no war, except one created in the
Territories against the Treasury of the
United States. Such position rendered
him very unpopsar as the commander of
ihe military district of the Pacific, and be
requested to be relieved from it. The Ter
ritorial Governors had Iheir own way pretty
much, and d! nnt lose sight Of their pepu-
iaritY. Bot the Governor Of the Territory
of Washing -tJn-General Stevens-fuding
that the pretended Indian war, maintained
that it was made and kept up by the white
settlers within his Territory, and undertook
to restrain the operations within some
bounds Of piausibility, and declare martial
aw. For this just and necessary act he
was signaIly rebuked by the Government,
and vas then superseded.
All the jects OF the wars in these Ter
| ritories being accomplished, Tor the present,
the time has come for footing u, the bills
The amount of the new debt in the Ter
ritory of Washington, 50 far as ascertained,
is only sixteen hundred thousand dollars
Isl 100000. The amount of various
claims, including Indian depredaIions, COM
ing from Oregon is More grave-being sew
eral millions. There was twice as much
in Oregon, but the war was conducted uH-
der Il direction OF Il veteran military chief,
who did not go altogether in humbug.
For expenditures OF debts incurred for
supplies, ur Tor volunteers or depredations,
in these far off regions, there is no limit,
and no accountability.
All this was bad enough in the old Semi
l. -,
ed, though the operations there were very
much circumseribed in space, in comparison
With the Territories of " ashington and Or
5gon. But the whole Country beyond the
western boundary of Missouri, half OF the
portion OF the continent which belongs to
the United States, has been or is to be, the
theatre of these treasury wars, mscaled In-
dian wari; uni the extent and prOfit of the
specu!ations can hardly be conceived, be-
cause their aggregate is dispersed over
large surface, ard is distributed among many
inGiyiduals.
Who can tell what the last and the next
war agaiEst The Cheyennes is to. cost,
The mi ltary operations in Utah ard in
Kansas are t. swell the mount Of estimates
Ior the ensuing year. here is no Doubt
that many Of the claims Corning from the
Western Territories will be thrown out by
the department, and that The claimants will
worry Congress into some provision for
them, in the Course If time. The effect
which the vast expansion our settled terri
tural limits is to have in the increase of
our expenditures is not yet developed. 1t is
much to be feared, therefore, that it will 5e
imPractleable to. limit the expenditures here
a!tsr 10 $3.50 U.GGO, as Is To be proposed.
The parties interested in the claims for
French speiil'iOn prior lo 1890. Aave looked
with Confidence 10 tie coming Congress and
tie presG Mt Executive for the final payment
OF their ciaims. But the present ana pros
pective revenue VIII, it may be supposed,
again de er the cUnsummatioa of this meas
ure.