The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-08-17
Simon Cameron Receives n CnstI.n-

Ono of the few reproaches, if not the
only one, that exists against Mr.. Lin
coln's administration, was the appoints
ment of Simon Cameron as his Secretary
of War at the outset. History will no
doubt unveil the influences by which
his appointment to that position was
forced upon Mr.. Lincoln. We have
already the first uncloaking in letter
written by the Hon. Wm. d. Kelley.
one of the Philadelphia members of
Congress, to the papers of that city of
Tuesday last, in vindication of himself
against some remarks lately made by
Cameron i'll Il speech at tho Girard
House. From Kelley's letter we quote
as follows:
was but youth when first heard
the name of Simon Cameron, and i'll
was as the perpetrntOr of great crime.
lie had been made the agent of the
government to carry n large amount of
money, due them, to the Winnebnyo
Indians, and had taken advantage of
their ignorance and helplessness to en-
rich himself: Those OF you who had
then attained TO manhood, though YOU
may not, after the lapse of so many
years, revive the burning Indignation
with which you regarded the infamous
swindler OF the poor Indians, will
doubtless remember that instead of
paying them the specie which the gov
crnment cOnfided to him for that Our-I
pose, he retained it and gave them the
notes of the Middletown Bank, of which
he was nn owner. AT their encamD-
ment in the remote Wilderness these
notes were utterly worthless. The In
dinns could not use them for any Dur-
nose There thRTO1 n In
town for redemption. But what was
that to Simon Cameron? Was not
their loss his gain, and was he not so
much the richer by every note that
failed to come home for redemption,
those of you who are not old enough to
remember all this, now know why this
bold, bad man is sometimes SDoken of
by your seniors nS the "great Winnie
bngo," and sometimes as tOld Kicka-
poo."
For more than thirty years, l have
watched the tOrtuOus career of this man
and have never had reason to abandon
my first impression of his character.
Whether acting with the Democratic,
the Know Nothing, or the Republican
party, for he has in turn disgraced them
Nll; he has never been false to his Grim
inal instincts, He has endeavored to
turn them all to profitable account. His
ambition is sOrdid and panders to his
avaricc, and he measures honors bythe
perquisites they expose to his grasp.
He has no confidence in the people and
is aware that they distrust him. His
speech of Thursday evening was not
characteristic of him, for he is prone to
the use of instruments. His habit is To
point the stilettO, but to appoint anoth-
er hand to drive it home. Though an
active participant III the politics of his
county and State for more than half a
century, during which long period he
has pursued the profits of Office, of jobs,
O. contracts, with eager and ceaselesS
asSiduity, he has never dared to permit
his name to be presented to the people
of the county Or'State ns candidate for
an elective Office. He crawls TO the
feet OF the appointing power. He cares
not who may be King, so that he may
''still be Vicar of Bray" and to that end
he chafIers with and corrupts weak and
needy members of Conventions and the
Legislatures of both parties.