The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-07-29
The Secret Means

BY which the Executive attempted to carry
Lecomptonism is being gradually revealed
by proof that the supporters OF the President
dare not contradict. We have published Mr..
Hendersons letter detailing the attempt of
the President to influence his vote in the
Senate. Other testimony is coming to
light:
The Washington correspondent of Col.
Forney's paper, the other day, gave list of
members of Congress from Pennsylvania,
whose conscientious opposition to Lecomp-
| ton had been overcome by the award of
army contracts to their relatives and conf
Dental friends. The contracts thus used
were specifically mentioned, and the state
ment of the letter writer goes the rounds,
challenging contradiction. John Calhoun,
indignant at not being re-appointed to his
Office of Surveyor General of Kansas and
Nebraska, threatens damaging disclosures.
And Washington correspondent of the y.
| Y. Times writes, under date of July Goth,
as follows:
Friends Of mine, in whose veracity
have all confidence, assure ME that when
| Mr.. Clark (Iforace t. Clark, of New York,
opposition TO Lccompton was first spoken of
as yet without any definite action on his
part--he was visited by several members of
! the Cabinet, who confessed their private
sympathy with his views; spoke of the Lee
compton Bill as a gratuitouS outrage, neither
called for by the South, nor in consonance
with Democratic principles; in fact, they
agreed substantially with all his views, but
I entreated him, for ms own sake and the
sake of his party, 20 give the measure his
| support on the ground that it would prove
a nullity in practice, but, if defeated, would
| involve with it the destruction both of the
Administration and the party which placed
that Administration in power. Mr.. Clark
was deaf TO these rather curious solicitations.
The same gentleman was soon after sent
for by the President, who began asking Mr..
Clark's support for the measure on the
ground explicitly that it "would be im-
possible for Mr.. Clark to be reelected if the
federal patronage in his district were arrayed
against him. Mr.. C.. replied that he wish
ed his Excellcncy to understand that he
(Mr. c. "waS not professional politician
that he was an independent man, not hop
ing from place or patronage; and that
therefore, if his Excellency wished to OBJ
tain his support, he (NIr. b. must use argu-
mentS more pertinent to the merits of the
measure under discussion" With much
more of the same kind on both sides, the
interview ended but not before the line OF
conversation on the Executive side had
clearly evinced the purpose of carrying this
bill on the mere force of federal patronage,
and utterly without regard to the feelings
or convictions either of the representatives
or the constituencies they are supposed to
represent
Hon. Z. d. Sickles originally shared Mr.
Clark views, and advocated them in pri-
vate, until an intimation was given tina,
Surveyor Hart held his place "strictly sub.
ject to Mr.. Sicklcs good behavior" and that
resistance on the part of Mr.. s. TO the lie.
compton bill "would ipso .facto vacate til,
Surveyors Office" Mr.. =. then discovered
that, outrageous as the measure was anC
contrary to Democratic principles as he be-
T lieved il to be, it was nevertheless in fac
shut mere abstraction after all"
The means by which Mr.. Niblack'S vot,
was secured for the swindIe will yet b,
brought to light