The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-04-18

The THOMPSON CLAM-DREADFvL EXCITEMENT
AT WASHINGTON are informed by telegraph
that Mr. Sayer, Ia relative of the Assistant Score
tary Of the Treasury, Mr.. Clay ton) committed yes
terday violent personal assault upon George f.
Herick, in consequence of the communication of
the latter in the HERALD of Monday last in refe-
renee to the late payment Of the mysterious NJ
nominee Indian claim of Hon. r. w. Thompson,
of Indiana This claim ($4O, 0O0) had been re-
jected by Mr.. Guthrie on the exact ground, if we
are not mistaken, that 1t was no claim at all, Mr.
Thompson having been employed by the Indians,
to whom the whole amount of their claim lin
Guiding Thompeon's fee,) had already been paid.
The particular paragraph touching upon this
matter in Mr. Hesrick's letter, which has resulted
in this personal assault upon him, was doubtless
the following ....-
A regards the claim OF M. Thompson. Il 10 darkiy
70. Carrying 10 sss Of Indiana for Ne
wherein NJ. Thompson an ''Anes loan" lssder was
aeie 70 divert coasidera6is interest," from Fremont 70
Fillmore BY Understood pro arrange uent and In which
other politicians In and out Of Congress Interested
psrs,eL
Now, our opinion of this assault is that if there
is anything rotten in this Thompsonian transac-
ton, Mr.. Sayer has only made the matter worse
in bis violent zeal to make it better. The whole
affair, in all its ramiications, will inevitably now
come to light, and all the parties concerned in it,
In this connection we are decidedly of the opin-
ion that Mr.. Herrick and Mr.. Donaldson
are entitled to the thanks of the administration
instead Of its censure, inasmuch as the attention
Of Mr.. Buchanan and his Cabinet will thus have
been called to the necessity of vigilant eye
upon the Cabinet lobby, and the sleepless enemies
Of the democracy that are proving around every
department Of the government
Mr.. Sayer in this personal assault has done a
very silly thing; and we also think that the in
dignant excitement and wrath into which such
democratic organs as the Pnnsyluunian have been
thrown by these Thompsonian disclosures is very
foolish. The first duty of the party in power isto
learn to keep their temper. They have the spoils,
they can afford reasonable margin to partizan
researches, and they should be discreet If they
fare up and 60 To fighting over the opposition
reports concerning small transaction of forty
thousand, like this Of Thompson, we may have q
civil war over the plumber before the end of Mr..
Buchsnan's term. We have already been fur
nished the materials for pretty extensive rebel
lion, only we think it best to administer them in
broken doses. With regard to this Thompson af-
fair, II becomes now the duty of the administra.
ton 10 sift II to the bottom, and to give all the
faots in the Gaze to the world. Mr.. Crawford, of
Georgia, when Secretary Of the Treasury, had his
Galphin; Mr.. Corwin, Of Ohio, his Gardner to
break his back; but let 1t appear that Mr.. Cobb
In paying this Thompson claim has done nothing
more than an act Of public duty, and the country
viii be satisfied We suppose that be has merely
been carrying out an act of the last Mstteson
Congress and nothing more.