Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-01-25
SIMON CAMERON.
Pen Portrait of the New Senator
Letter from Congressman Kelly.

PHILADELPHIA. August IA, 1866.
To the Union men of the Fourth Congressional
District:
A long and successful career in crime
emboldens the guilty. A recent illustra-
tion of this law of human nature impels
me to violate my lifelong rule of con-
duet, and for once to notice a political
slanderer. / do not, hewever, address
you for the purpose of repelling his in
uendoes or falsehoods. My life has been
passed among you, and if its record,
familiar to you all, does not repel them,
/ have lived in vain. My purpose is
simply to pierce the mail of illgotteD
gold in which the slanderer has clothed
himself, and give you glimpse at the
loathsome object it protects.
The papers of Friday announce that
Simon Cameron, of Dauphin county, was
serenaded by his friends on the pre-
ceding evening at the Girard House in
that city, and availed himself of the &C.
casion to vilify my colleagues and my
self, tile Congressman of Philadelphia,
in speech to the assemblage.
| was but youth when first heard
the name of Simon Cameron, and it was
as the perpetrator of great crime. He
had been made the agent of the Govern
ment to carry large amount of money
due them to the Winnebago Indians, and
had taken advantage of their Ignorance
and helplessness to enrich himself
Those of you who had then attained to
manhood, though you may not, after the
lapse of so many years, revive the burn
ing indignation with which you regarded
the infamous swindler of the poor In
dians, will doubtless remember that,
instead of paying them the specie which
the Government conided to him for that
purpose, he retained it and gave to them
the notes of the Middletown Bank, of
which he was an owner. At their en-
campment in the remote wilderness these
notes were utterly worthless. The
Indian could not use them for any pur-
pose there, nor carry them to Middletown
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, though they did suffer
and starve? And those of you who are
not old enough 10 remember all this now
know why this bold, bad man is some
times spoken of by your seniors as the
"Great WinnebagO," and sometimes as
"Old Kickapoo."
For more than thirty years | have
watched the tortuous career of this man,
and have never seen reason to abandon
my first impression of his character.
Whether acting with the Democratic,
the Know. Nothing, or the Republican
party-for he has tn turn disgraced them
all,-he has never been false to his ami
NAL Instincts He has endeavored to
turn them all to profitable account, His !
ambition is sordid and panders to his |
avarice, and measures honors by the |
perauisites they expose to his grasp.
He has no confidence In the people, and
is aware that they distrust him. His |
speech of Thursday eYeHing was not |
characteristic of him, for he is prone to |
the use of instruments. His habit is to |
point the stiletts, out to employ another |
hand to drive it home, Though an act
i've participant in the politics Of his
county and State for more than half
century, during which long period he has
pursued the profits of Office, of jobs, OF
contracts, with eager and ceaseless assid-
uity, he has never dared to permit his
name to be presented to the people Of
the county or State as 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
chaffers with and corrupts weak and
needy members Of conventions and the
LeRisasare Of both parties
| need not reeite the disgraceiul facts
attending his several canvasses for the
United States Senate, their nauseous
odor fingers in your nostrils to this hour.
In the first he bought the votes of three
members, and in the last
bid $4,000 for the one vote which
would have elected him. This last
was so fragrant that the
Legislature was compelled TO take cog
nizance Of It. and if justice be not lame
as well as blind, the law and honor OF
our State will be vindieated.
The evil report Of his deeds pervades
he country as a reproach 10 our State.
Yes, unhappily for Pennsylvania and
her great interests, the buzzard-wing fame
NJ Simon Cameron is national By
months Of sbject solicitation and corrupt
bargaining. be procured a mass Of let
.ers. certificates, aud recantations that
Imposed him upon President Linoeln a.
he representative man Of the Keystone
state That was an evil hour for Penn
,vlvania You Kill remember how he
,rrauized the navy agency in this city,