Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1862-03-05
SPEECH OF HON. C. H. VAN wYCK,
Fraud upon he Teasurys Treason aga.ns
The Governments
OF NFW lVNhl
Delivered in the House Of Representations,
February 7, 1862.

The House having under consideration
the report from the select committee on
Government contracts
Mr.. VAN WYCK, of New York, chair
man Of the committee, said; =,
Mr.. Sneaker: On the 10Th day OF April,
1851 the world was startled with the re-
.rrrence of one OF those great events
which marks an era in the history OF man,
brands crime with a deeper irfamy, and
o,alts the virtues Of generous manhood
40 n nobility almost divine, o. which he-
roes have boasted and poets sung. The
norallell of April l9, ITS, was complete;
tbe days. months, years, and cycles Of a
neoeeful and happy nationality had borne
he Massachusetts soldier from the field
nFIexipgton 10 the streets Of Baltimore.
Far r. time the great American heart ceas,
aS ,o beat. A national paralysis for a
,ooment, and then the people realized the
horrors ard oruelties OF this unnatural
var The merchant left his counter, the
oniet of homo, the manufacturers shuttle
aaaused in its half-inished round, the an
I'll rang not out the hammers beat; the
Iowyer's unfinished brief lost It's interest
% ,be clergyman folded up his sacerdotal
rnhAs mothers, with the devotion OF
Snortans. bade their sons 60 forth; the
.,Sto nre,sed more closely her newborn
bote as she gave parting, and with
blessings and prayers the husband went
forth, probably never to return.
The nation offered up its lite and emp
,;ed ;ts treasure into the lap Of this great
coIamity the rich bestowed of his Rbun-
dance the widow gave her mite, an only
.on or n tear sauctifed with prayer. Not
nra If us can forget il. History, in after
,;n,os will record this the roblesU moral
sxbihitiou of true courage the world has
over witnessed. Scarce whisper oftreas-
~, or nurmur of discomfort IA all the
Torth. vet many of those who made the
,,oILin rim for truth and liberty, who
,,roCasse,l to worship the true God, were
,eody 10 CIV out, Great is Diana OF the
Ephesjaus p hoping to cruelty the spirit
Vf freedom. ..-. L,....,gI
There Sero others. tneaner oaser st,il
only watching the opportunity 10 make
merchandise OF Their country !nISior"
tunes. coin the grief of the nation into
csrreucy, and peril her institutions, If 1t
could minister 10 their base cupidity.-
One class commenced secretly sending IN
telligence to the rebels; the other render
ed to them no less valuable assistance by
yonspiring to defraud the people and the
tioyernment. Almost the same instant
harpies bcsieged the Treasury here, and
the yultures in the North snuficd the
spoils afar off
While the bridges destroyed by the reb.
els were yet smoking in ruins, before the
regiments impeded by their destruction
could reach the capita, the sappers and
miners. who knew the trembling necessi'
,irg of The nation, commenced the assault.
II has been said that in the panic of those
times. watchfulneSs on the part OF public
officers should not be required, and the
larcenies of plnndering hordes should be
overlooked.
CATTLE CONTRACT.
About the time the New York Seventh,
the pride of the Empire State, composed
of the best OF her citizen soldery; OF men
of wealth, high family position, education,
.nioying the confidence OF the community
in ali the relations Of life with the Mas
sachusetts Sixth, regiment representing
the intelligence and business occupations
at that wonderful State, side by side were
fording streams, building bridges, laying
railroad track, sleeping on the untented
field, and when hanger was pressing up
on them the Seventh divided their last
store of bacon and hard biscuit with the
Gallant men of the Sixth--a contract was
made in this city by the Department with
DIVER. Laughman, Sibley, & Tyler, for
cattle from two to ten thousand, Of eight
dollars per hundred live weight delivered
here and FIVE and three-quarters in Penn
,ylvania. What facilities had Dwyer
90, for transportation which the govern
ment did not possess
Government could lay its strong arms
upou railroads and use them; could plant
i,s gathering armies to guard the bridge
and track. At that very time an agent
was sent by the Department into Mary
land. who without difficulty purchased
cattle TO be delivered in Washington at
six and.ashalf per hundred live weight
Besides, direct navigation with new York
was not obslructed by the Potomac. Still
more, if the danger of transportation
through Maryland has an excuse for this
contract big with profits why provisio
that portion should be delivered in
Pennsylvania if the Department desired
and why we're nearly 1900 received in
Harrisburg, while scarcely 500 were deliv-
cred in washington NotNllhstanulng
the lions in the way Dwyer Co, imme-
dately sub~let the contract to New York
men 40 that without sny hazard or peIils
they realized over S32, 900 on about 1000
head they had no difficulty during the
panic of those times in making this con-
tract; why should the government have
found anyl .,,.,
There is no pretence that either OF these
mer had any special courage in overcom-
ing dangers, or remarkable skill in rurch~
sing cattle; two were railroad contractors,
one particularly near to the Secretary, one
lawyer, and one the winter before had
been in consultation and negotiation with
rebels for tho sale of arms. Thus treason
and corruption we're continued at the cap
ital.
AGENCY OF ALEXANDER CUMMINGS, ESQ.,
PuEcHAsK or ARMY SUPPLIES.
Nearly simultaneous with this occurred
another transaction. On the 2lst day oil