New-York daily tribune., 1859-06-30
THE OREGON WAR DEBT.

To n< Ifttr ~ Ts> y J. Trttvs,.
siR: VIII you permit me % occupy space 10 your
sIreIsnt paper, with few words 10 relation to the
Oregon war dets' have frequently tintsd a, the
affair in MY letter. 70 The D~,papeD 10 che CGi'ed
s,a,es and have been soundiy tbr.,hel fsr docg
with the type here. The question il yered one, aud
one tia, involves moeh in.erest snd feeling both here
and in the sts,es. There he. been bold attempt
here 10 muzze the psess and aso The pens u any and
al who dared 10 reyes ecre,s in relation 20 the man
agement Of the Oregon Indian war Of 1915. The eE-
pediency of th war hes been already DISCUSSED, anf
III events have become hi,tory. The mssses Of the
people Of Oregon really believed that this war vas
begun and carried on by the authority Of the United
States War DepaI trlsut When the Quartern.sters
and other high func,ionaries Of the here called on
the "dear people for supplies 10 carry II on, or for
volunteers 10 fight the eonbined host Of the mighty
chiefs Of the Red Men, the people cheerfuy aided IN
the defenfe Of their country, a. they believed.
repeat, wha, have often ssid that the masses Of
the people Of Oregon arc innocent Of any intention Of
fraud toward The United Ststes Treasury. But will
reasset what score. Of other have said, that the
Indian war here Of 1876 when begun, was turnei
into pery war; one third Of the bostites being
against the Know.Notbibg Wings, one third against
the United States Treasury and the remainder against
the indiana The war scrip issued a. aganst the
United States and 10 be paid out Of the fret ap-
proprations made for that purpose by Congress The
Legislature ia order 70 catch the votes Of the voun
teers in eryce in the Indian country east Of the
Dalles passed act allowing each mounted volunteer
four dollars per day for his services They did not
say from what quarter this money should come
Honorable gentlemen" were authorized 10 buy in
and appraise all supplies and in the rlentade of
their goodness fixed the rates at from two to I times
the actual worth of such articles at the time One OF
these honorable gentlemen offered me 81 80 for
yokes Of oxen for which asked only $700 a.kei
him when th. war debt would be paid. He re-
Piled iha, should receive all my money within
nine months from tina. time February, 1886.
then told him that | understood the whole secret
machinery Of the Indian war, and that Uncle Sam
was not 20 great fool as 10 allow AMI pay
such prices for property here and beside that 1t was
a party var, and should keep my oxen. Cayu'e
ponies which had been offered 10 me at isom 80 10
$i0 head, were taken in at from $l&j to $40. l
know Of 4" tho UsaDds Of dollars worth OF property
taken q, similar rates Superior American horses
were appraised and taken IN, and then drawn out
again by" honorable gentlemen, and two Indian
ponies put in ogaI ioT each American horse As The
doubts Of the people began 10 arise the rate. for
properly in scrip wer. raised. the war ended IN
smoke, nothing accomplished, the Indians held
their own country, and the army was Withdrawn.
Then, you might have seen " honorable gentle
mep busly engaged in collecting together, and cell
ing the war property But the plebisns allowed
TO bid in this property in discharge Of their war
script No.
Their scrip remains unpaid, and the hungry
host Of leeches in the numerous offices, created
by our Legislature for this war, bid in the property,
or where 1t sold for cash, iobbed the money, AMI
gave the United States credit for the same. The
Hon. Mr.. Grover informed the United States au-
thorities some time ago, that this fund wn used to
deiray expenses II you, Mr.. Editor, had been here
when this property was sold and bd in by the
faithful you would have seen some low selling
You oud have been startled had you compared the
prices at which IL went to Uncle Sam in war scrip,
with the prices at which il then sold. After or w
months Of hard labor, the Hon. Mr.. Grover aud his
colleagues made out their report, as the United States
Commissioners, in relation to this lncan war debt.
And according 10 that report Il was all o. X. We OF
Oregon, urged to elect Mr.. Grover, our
representative in Congress, in order TO our
whole debt! Jo Lane had promised the came
thing, and much more, but the faithful" have dis
carded him here. II appears that some persons have
been looking through " knot holes," and have seen
sion Of facts which 90 to show base and preueitatei
frauds in the management of this Indian war; Hence
there is a long delay in the adjustment aud payment
Of this war debt by Congress. The common people
here suffering the bitter consequences Of this p.rty
war Scrip is down to 25 to 80 cents per dollar here,
and dull sale. The " honorable gentlemen who 60
well lined their pockets with the spoils are not
suffering Ike the common people Every man who
furnished war supplies, would be very willing to re.
eeve the fair worth OF his property with interest No
sane or honorable men would expect the United
States to pay him the full face Of his scrip As
whole the volunteers and men who furnished war sup.
plies were honest, and acted IN good faith. and the
consequences of the villany Of % honorable gentle
men ought not 10 fall on the innocent.
My cons and many Of my neghbors hold large
amounts Of this var scrip j the hard times among
us, and know that if this scrip had been paid by
Congress, at its recent session money would row be
plenty here. And know, too, tbs. il I had welded
my pen al home and abroad 10 behalf of the course
pursued here by honorable gentlemen" l would
now be much more popular with the party Or, if
bad always written over false signature 10 cog.
might have bad fewer enemies here THAI have.