Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-05-01
THE ToHxPsoN CLAIM = DREADFUL Elk
CITEMENT IN WARRINGTON

We are informed by telegraph that
Mr.. sayer, "a relative of the as-
sistant Secretary Of tho Treasury,
Mr.. Clayton,) committed yesterday a
violent personal assault upon George
| r.. Herrick, Ina consequence Of the
communication Of the latter in the
Herald OF Monday last, in reference
to the late paymentof the mysterious
Menominoe Indian claim Of Hon. r.
W. Thompson, Of Indiana. This
claim (s40, 10000 had been rejected by
Mr.. Guthrie, on tho exact ground, II
we are not mistaken, that IL was no
claim at all, Mr.. Thompson having
been employed by tho Indians, TO
whom the whole amount OF their
claim (including Thompson's fee had
already been paid. The particular
paragraph touching upon this matter
! in Mr.: Herriclx's letter, which has re-
suited in this personal assault upon
him, was doubtless tho following
AS regards tho claim of Mr.. Thornp-
son, IL il darkly limited that It's puy-
ment is part of the consideration paid
for carrying the State of Indiana for
Mr.. Buchanan, wherein Mr.. Thomp-
SON as an american" leader wasable
TO divert q considerable interest from
Fremont 10 Fillmore By understood
pre-arrangoment, and in which other
politicians In and out Of Congress
were interested parties.
Nov, our opinion Of this assault is
that If there is anything rottenin this
Thompsonian transaction, Mr.. Sayer
has only made tho matter worse In his
violent zeal 10 make IL better The
whole affair, in all It's ramifications,
will inevitably now como 10 light,
and all tho parties concerned in it,
In this connection we arc decidedly
of the opinion that Mr.. Herrick and
Mr.. Donaldson are entitled TO the
thanks Of the administration instead
Of its censure, inasmuch as the atton-
ton of Mr.. Buchanan and his Cabi-
net will thus have been called TO the
necessity Of q vigilant eye upon the
Cabinet lobby, and tho slocpless ene-
mics of tho democracy thatarc prowl-
ing around every department Of the
government.
Mr.. Sayor, In his personal assault
has done very silly thing; and we
also think that tho Indignant excite
mont and wrath into which such dem.
ocratic organs rs the Pennsylvania
have been thrown by these Thompso-
nian disclosures Ia very foolish. The
first duty of the party In power is 10
learn 10 keep their temper. They
have the spells, they can afford rea-
sonablemargin opartizan researches,
and they should be discreet. IL they
fare up and 60 10 fighting over the
opposition reports concerning a small
transaction Of forty thousand, like
this of Thompson, We may have o
civil war over tho plumber before the
end of Mr.. Buchanans term. We
have already been furnished the ma.
terials for apretty extensive rebellion,
only we think Il bost to administer
them IN broken doses. With regard
10 this Thomson uitnir, Il becomes
now tho duty of the administration
70 sif il to tho bottom, and to give all
the facts In the case 10 the world
Mr., Crawford, OF Georgia, whom Soc
rotary of the Treasury, had his Gnl-
phin; Mr. Corwin, OF Ohio, his Gard.
nor to break his bacls; but let Il ap-
pear that Mr.. Cobb, in paying this
Thomson claim has done nothing
moro than an act Of public duty, and
the country will be satisfied. We
suppose that he has merely boon car.
rying out an act Of tho last Mattoson
Congress and nothing more.