Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-08-22

D be placed upon il. What is the object b
{ having q Governor 2 And what are his
lowers and duties The object of hav i
ny one is, 10 have some person to look az 7
er the public interests of the people, and {
' hose duty it shall be to guard and pro- {
ect them. 10 order to do this, the Con 2
titution has given him full power. 1t
provides, Article S, sec Is: The Governor
,hall transact all necessary business with
he officers of government, and may re- {
luire information, in writing from the 9th
GERS OF the administrative department,
upon any subject relating to the duties OF
their respective Offices Section 10 also
provides: "He shall take care that the
laws be faithsully executed. In cases
here violence is used to prevent the exc
cution of the laws, section IL empowers
him to call out forces TO execute them
And where the officers peacefully violate
them. he has the power TO convene the LIE
gislstHre and report the facts to them, and
they can either remove or compel him to
obey the law by providing heavy penalties
for his failure From these plenary pow
ers given to your Governor by the Consti-
tuition could he not have stopped these |
State officers from committing these frauds |
and outrages upon the rights of the people2 |
Will Gov Willard say in the very face of
the Constitution. that the Governor has no
powe to compel officers TO enforce the lsw3
Does not the Governor take an oath TO
support the Constitution Aud does not
that Constitution require him to see that
the laws are faithfully executed Does it
require him To do an impossibility 7 If
the Governor had properly looked after the
Interests of the people, and required the
laws to have been faithfully executed, how
is it possible that Collins and Talbot
could have committed these frauds. The
law gave them no power to do any such
thing. Where, then, did they get ill.,
They could not convey away the lands
That was the duty of the Governor, and
believe among all the charges against Tai
bott and Collins, there is none that they
ever forged the name of the Governor to
any of these fraudulent patents
Then, how came it there2 He must have
/ put it there of his own free will and ac.
/ cord, for these State officers had no power
to compel him TO sign them.
With what show of reason or common
sense then could Gov. Willard say that If
he Gov. Wright) had used proper dill
gence, be could not have prevented these
fraudsf But how does he explain il? He
virtually tells US that Gov Wright, not on
ly failed to see thelaw faithfully executed
but that he absolutely violated it by issu-
ing blank patents for lands before they
were sold, when the law required him to
do 40 after they were sold; and delivered
them over to Collins. Why did he do that7
Gov. Willard may say because he thought
Collins honest, and that all would be right.
Yet that was the first misstep, and from
that act the people suffered Gov. Willard
| nh hat Oh - ~
but in a similar one in reference to Talbot,
where be surrendered up the Gramercy
bonds to Nixon for few days, he regards
it very great outrage. In my judgment
they stand about upon an equal footing
have no doubt both acted in good faith
yet the acts within themselves were wrong
and in violation of law. and the people
we're caused to suffer thereby. 10 the first
instance, il Gov. Wright had not signed
those patents in blank. then Collins and
TalbOtt could not have committed those
frauds, and if Talbot had not delivered up
to Nixon the bonds, then the bills holders
on the Granercy bank would not have suf-
fered. After these blank Swamp Land pa
tents were delivered to Collins, still he and
Talbot could not have conveyed these
lands to themselves and friends, unless
he books of the Auditor and Treasurer oil
Jasper county showed that they had been
purchased and paid for. In order to have
this done. they united with them the
swamp Land Commissioner of Jasper Co.
Democrat who issued false and fraudu-
lent certificates, certifying that there was
so much money due these men, Talbot
and Collins, aud those who confeder tied
with them for ditching, when 20 ditching
had ever been done. Upon these false and
fraudulent certificates, the Auditor of State
issued orders upon the Treasurer of State
under section IS of the Swamp Land Act
With these orders issued upon these false
and fraudulent certificates, this land was
paid for. This is the fraud that Col Hend.
ricks so much complained of, and declared
II any Democrat in Office had equalled it
I he would give up the race. When the very
7 paragraph of the Swamp Land Report
from which he read to condemn Talbot
and Collins, also condem ned this Demo
cratic Swamp Land Commissioner, and
shows that he was as deep if not deeper
IN the fraud than they were, for in speak
ing OF the manner in which these lands
were obtained, this report says: "by the
completely Ofthe SDanp Land Commissioners
deeds for about l24 900 acres Of The best of tht
u0ednt land in the eounfy," were obtained -
L say that this Commissioner was as deep
if not deeper in the fraud than Talbot
and Collins were, for the reason that they
had no control over him, and could not by
any legal power compel him, either to is
sue or not to issue these false and fraudu-
lent certificates; but he did issue them,
and they and their confederates Joined him
in the spoIls, but they were overtaken in
their corruption. and most of these lands
| L. l.. 1
should have served as a warning to Gov.
Willard. In fact he informs US that it did.
and that he issued no blank patents. by
which the State could be swindled. No
wonder that Col. Hendricks was willing
TO stake his all on it, aud decline the race
for Governor if another fraud equal to il
could be found where Democratic officer
had anything TO do With it. But | think
| will be able to show you that this fraud
like little blood, only served In make
the bears mad, and more blood thirsty -
For remember that these Swamp Lands in
all, amounted to over twelve hundred and
fifty-two thousand acres. This fraud of
Talbot and Collins included l24, 900 acres.
still leaving over eleven hundred thousand
acres to be accounted for; besides most of
| these, l24 200 acres were recovered hack
to the State. May | ask once more Where
are all these lands, or their proceeds? This
munifcent donation, embracing more than
a million and a quarter acres Of the finest
lands in Indiana, the proceeds after drain
ing and surveying to remain a sacred fund
for the education of our children In the
short space of ten years, with Democratic
Governors at the helm of State, to watch
over and guard our interests, they have let
them pass from US, by fraud aud corrup-
ton Who have been guilty of these out
ragesP This Swamp Land Fraud Report,
which Col. Hendricks so much relies upon
think will explain the matter to very
great extent, aud account for the milk in
/ the cocoanut.
During Gov. WrighL's Administration.
he removed from office one jacob Mirkei
as Swamp Laud Commissioner in JASPER
county, in consequence of his fraudulent
practices as such commissioner. Shortly
after Gov. Willard was inaugurated as
your Governor, he appointed this man
Mirkel as Swamp Land Commi ssioner
again in Jasper county. The Swamp Land
Committee in their report in speaking of
this appointment says: "From the evil
denee in possession of your committee.
thav cannof hut avDrace thar