Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-06-05
The President and Government Con-
lIaclA

If the President eDtertains the opinion that by
assuming the responsibility OF the acts OF his Min
lister or Secretaries lac ill thus shield them from
cenSure for acts OF msieisance or msiie ,sauce in
Office, he knows much less OF the temper OF the
people than We have given him credit fer By
pretending To- do this lie in no wise relieves them
while ii believed he would Il down upon
himself the Obloquy and Indignation which now
so Justly rest upon them. The message which
lie sent into the House Of Repre- entatives upon
the subject OF the resolution which they passed
eensuring Mr. Cameron for certain acts done by
him while Secretary of War, will. We are sure
strike the public very disngenuOus. and want
ing IN that straightforward candOr aud truthful
ness which he has hitherto had credit for Ia an
eminent degree. What was the resOlutionI IL
reads thus:
"Resoirsd, That Simon Cameron. late Secre
tary OF War. by investing Alexander Cummings
with large sums OF public money. and authority
To purchase military supplies without restriction
without requiring of him any guarantee for the
faithful performance Of his duties. when the ser
vices OF competent public officers were available:
and by involving the GOyernmt Mt in vast mum
Der of contracts with persons not lesitimately
pl0yed IN the business pertaing 10 the subject
matter of such contracts, especially in the pm =
chase OF arms for future delivery. has adopted a
policy highly injurious"
hat were the acts pointed outT That Mr.
Cummings was intruSted with large sums of
money and authority to purchase supplies. when
the service of public officers could have been Sc
curei The Presidents answer to this is that
they did not know who to trust II that true,
il was still more incumbent upon the Administra
ton to employ men of known integrity and
standing, men who had both reputation and
character at stake, instead OF "A mere political al
venturer. This excuse was unworthy OF the
President. But what else was complained OF?
That the Secretary involved the Government in
a vast number of contracts with persons not lie
Ultimately employed in tire business pertaining TO
the subject matter OF such contracts. especially
in the purchase OF arms for future delivery This
refers the giving of contracts to politicians
such as the New FORK Tribune concern. the horse
contracts To heal political ieuds in Pennsy ivana
and many others OF the like k. Now the Presi
dect, while protesting To cover Mr.. Cameron with
his long Scotch mantle. and thus hide hm fro m
the public gaze. has only covered part Of the
huge frauds committed They were too large
even for the Presidents capaeious cloak 10 cover
He stops short OF the min grounds vi the cen
sure. 1t must be remembered that the contracts
for arms were entered into long after the com
munication was open between Washington and
New York. There was no necessity for any
hoax. Agents had been dispatched TO Europe
all the manufactures ia the country were fully
employed, and then il these contracts were
entered into. This policy was continued until
January, 1862 The last and most Objectionable
contract, perhaps. OF the whole, brought IL
light after Mr. Cameron had resigned his position
As Secretary OF War
1t any one will t,ke the trouble To reld til,
evidence taken by the ;. ecial committee. ne cal
not idil to believe that the House OF Representa-.
tives fully justified in the passage OF the res
OlutiOn which il adopted, and we shall be sur
priSed ii that body takes quietly the cenSure i'm
ped 10y the Presidents message, or viii chang,
their opinion because the President undertakes u
assume the respon>ib llty. The truth - that the
Fl e>deut Is eHd.ungeTing the faiT name he has
hitherto enjoyed by assuming the responsibility
OF acts which were committed by others IL ],
the acts the peoples reDres entatves complain OF
II Is the frauds committed, not the persons, and Il
the President chooses TO assume these acts
done ana committed without has know edge Ol
consent NJ the time. simply because he SeeCte,
the officers. he will find tlat he has taken upon
himself burden which viii bring his gray hair
down with SORROW 10 the grave. We regret ex
ceedinelv the message a. "A whole, tout II there
were any OF the acts OF Mr. Cameron which he
though; he should help hlm bear the burden of
It l. pity he had not stated the case that th'
public would not tall into the mistake that he
the President OF the United States. the apol
ogi>t OF the frauds and cOrru2tiOns and short
comugS OF Simon Cameron. - Detroit FIRE.
Press