The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-03-22
singular Conduct OF the President.

1 Singular Conduct OF the President.
Few things have more surprised and
mortified the people, than the Presidents
Endorsement of Cameron's liability, pa
triotism and fidelity to the public trust. "
He is regarded, and justly, AZ the most
corrupt public man Of the age-as the
chief of plunderers The Congressional
Investigating Committee, composed of his
party friends, have traced innumerable
and enormous swindles to his door; the
evidence has been sworn to and made
public; the people everywhere know it
and lOathe the character of the man who
proved himself false to his trust and
brought reproach upon the country, and
yet in the face of these facts, President
Lincoln assures the dishonest public ser
want, to use a mild term, that he has
confidence in his ability, patriotism and
fidelity to public trust! Either the Con-
gresSional Committee have slandered an
innocent man and Republicans of cbarac-
ter and standing have sworn falsely, or
the President has approved the course
Of a VIGOROUSLY corrupt man. Commit
tees of Congress have convicted him Of
fraud and protligacy, the President knew
it, and yet he tells him he has confidence
in his patriotism and fidelity to public
trust" thus impeaching the report of the
Committee and rebukinS the members of
Congress for exposing Cameron'S swind-
ling contracts This, it must be admit
ted, is a singular state of affairs, and re-
fleets most diSgracefully either OH Con-
gress or the President
No one can doubt, after reading the Re-
port Of the Congressional Investigating
Committee, that Cameron was faithless to
his trust; that he squandered millions Of
money fooliShly and criminally; that he
is destitute Of patriotism or honesty. The
Legislature Of Kentucky, convinced Of
his dishonesty, requested the President to
remove him. Republican S4stesRsea -aad
Republican organs made similar request
Grave Republican United States Senators
,...-- 'ps ~ = S.Se2&e: ''-sssF
gresS, denounced him in their places.
Loyal Southern Senators implored the
President to dismiss him. Would they
have done so had he been faithful public
officer? Certainly not. The announce
ment Of his removal from the head Of the
War Department, gratilied every loyal
heart and was received with unmistaka-
bic tokens of delight. The friends of the
Administration pointed to it with pride
as an evidence of the honest and conscrv-
alive intentions of the President.
1t appears from the Presidents letter
to Cameron, that the latter was not re-
moved, ami that he could have kept his
position, had he desired it, notwithstand.
ing the charges against him, until proha-
ably the end Of Linculn's term. Weilcs
retains his office, although the gro>sest
frauds and the most disastrous consequent
ces resulting therelrom, have been proved
upon him. and we judge from the tone Of
the Presidents letter that he reluctantly
acccded to CamcrouS wish to resign.
1t is a little remarkable, too, that the
President Identifies himself with the con-
tractors whose startling frauds have been
exposed anu have shocked the country,
and this may account for his reluctance
to part with Cameron and for giving him
such tlatttring letter. lie considers the
exposures ms attacks upon his Adminis-
tration. On this subject we extract the
following from the letter of the Washing
ton correspondent of the Springfield
(Mass.) Rcpudltc"", paper friendly to
the Administration
1.-THE gay dance which is to come Oft tonight
at the White House produces much talk aud
! NnuH"e'"oiS "luSH"'llO 'iH"hS the lncllbels
OF Congress. can give you better idea Of
this feeling, as 1t exists among class of mem.
bers, by relating an anccdote which know to
be true. Two or three days since, Mr.. Lincoln
sent word to Mr.. Dawes, through a brother
member, that he Dawes had done more to
break down the administration than any other
man in the country, by his speech exposing
the cdrruptI0ns 1T contractors aud others. Mr.
Dawes sent back message in reply to the
President a. Tell him - sand Mr. II thnf
nothing that can do will break down his AID.
ministration so rapidly as this dancing party,
given at the time, when the nation is in the
ugonies Of civil war. With equal propriety
might man make a ball with a corpse IN his
house," 1t is SAID to-day that large number
of senators aud members refuse to go to the
party, feeling that it is an improper as well us
un iInpoitic act at the present time"