Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-03-30
LEWIS CAsS's DEFENCE.


| ton, respecting General Cass, In your issue of
| the 9th instant. Mr.. Williams, in his intro
| ductOry note, says: 1.-The grave charges of
your correspondent are read manly by a
| statesman except from history, aud which,
| unfortunately, In view of disclosures OF the
preSent time, is ready TO give credence TO
| t0fOtrnded accusations"
| How "unfounded?" Had Mr.. Williams
! really read Mr.. Brush's defence" In which
| De Wintton's accusations are admitted,
and, indeed, put with even greater point and
| force than they were urged by lie W. him
| self What are De WIS "accusations?''
That General Cass, after General JAG ksOn,
was the great 'thunderer' OF the party. I'm
der General jackson, Cass was Secretary OF
| war. Cass'S collection as extra allowances,
| Illegally, OF SOS 600, ard his Organization OF
company Tor speculations in western lands
| are notorious
Does rot Mr.. Brush admit De w s accusa-
| iioDs-that Gen. Cass did collect the SOS 600
| and that he did organize a company for spec
| ulation in western lands. Te be sure Mr.
Brush handles IL little mo- delicately than
does De W. He il manifestly disguised with
| De WIS eXpressiOn-"his organization of a
| company for speculation in western lands"
and translates IL iLto"a combination OF ten
of public lands In open market, contributing
each $40 O0O!" What was that? Was IL moi
| a speculation? O, Touchstone!
But Mr.. Brush says the speculation was
| so, Its history, as understood here for years
| is at fault; but, whether fortunate or not. IL
WAS lDlcDCbu 10 De r61NuQeratlN6. The com
bination was manifestly organized upon the
| basis OF its superior advantages, derived
| from the official positions Of It's mem bers;
| and the plea that the speculation was unfOr-
tunate meanly begs the real issue Involved
in the admission OF the crushing fact devel-
Oped by De W.-the existence of such an
organization, its composition character and
puTpcse-tne highest officials of the admins
IratIon under General Jackson, combined
| for speculation in sales by the government
Mr.. Brush evidently so views il. He there
d indeed n fri rrr arNln
II the association of General CasS's with an
array OF great names-all in office. or promi-
nent before The country, at the time-would
eXonerate General CaSs from all blame in
such speculation, cites the names of the
gentlemen composing the combination as
folows:-"Mr. Owens, of Ga; Hubbard
of n. H; Webster, Davis and Loves. OF
Mass; Ben. Butler, of n. Y; CAsS, of Mich
igaD; mcHenry, OF Md; Seward. of n. Y;
ana even The Great Magician Martin Van
Buren, Ma! cOnscience!"
Members of the Cabinet, Senators, aud
members OF Congress, democratic Vice Presi-
dents, and democratic candidates for the
PTesidency--fhe highest officials and most
prominent men In the cOuntry-combined
for speculation In sales by the government I!
For, disguise IL as You will, il is that and
Lothing elsei What would row be thought
Of similar organization for ike purposes?
what, II republican. would be the horrO,' the
howl of rirtuous democracy? What, indeed,
was the credit mObilieT? May not Colfax e
Co, under this democratic exposition aud
defence, again spring 10 the front? DeWin-
Ton tenders. very heartily and sincerely, his
thanks TO Mr.. BRUSH for confirmation and
support so strong of DeW.'s "unfoundei" ac-
CGSatiOu!
Aud Dew. is equally In Mr.. Brusb's debt
Tor the confirmation OF the OtheI unfOunded
accusation" Mr. Il says OF the SOS .OO9. The
collection was for authorized public expen-
diture and pay, made by the department to
which they belonged, upon the customary
examiI alton aud passing OF his accounts
himself then in no position to affect the re-
suit, outside of his vouchers, and whatever
nal -, -
nent, Fud not TO him.
Here the fact Of the collection is broadly adj
mitted But II authorized were they
authorized by law? Were they legally paid?
II so, under what law? What are its pro-
visions, and where are they to be foIi ldP
TheV have often been called for-have they
ever been produced? Mr.. BIS plea Admits
he whole case. or course they were paid
upon the customary examination and pass
'og OF his accounts" and upon the "vouch-
ers' furnished. SO was the Galphin! So
vas PeEdletOns little railroad claim-onIy
upon the customary examination aud pass
ing OF The account by the department,
rpon the voucher" furnished And would
such allowances, even in that era of cOrrup-
lion have beeI paid to a simple citiZen-even
10 an ordinary loco foco claimant? Who will
believe it? And IS ii not shabby too-un-
kind to say the least-to attempt To fasten al
does Mr.. b, upon the department, the whole
responsibility" OF its payment Such a
plea, however, just now, is a good one from a
democratic stand point. 1t exonerates Pen
dletnn from all blame in his little raid upon
| the War department, and fastens upon Bel
KNAPP its whole responsibility"
But Mr.. Brush, with q patriotic resIgna-
ton truly admirable, consigns "the other
suggestions, half insinuation and half alIega-
ton, Ito that class of assertions that SC
cused Washington OF charging the govern
ment that he bad grStuitously served up TO
the point OF achieving its independence more
for his cash disbursements than he actually
paid and OF overdrawiDg his salary"
Did Gen'l Cass ever serve the government
"gratuitously?" The prompt collection OF
his extra allow ances forbIds a belief so I'M
worthy. Unfortunately, Gen'l Cass was but
little like the "Pater Patria," To be sure
IT was claimed that at Detroit, in 1872 the
General swallowed his sword" rather than
surrender with Hull; but then, he drew his
pay for the act-as an officer of the army
But he never owned ga little hatchet,D nor
''cut down cherry tree! :" Indeed, his char
acteIistic double dealing as public man
or, as Tom Benton described il, in the L. g.
Senate, in 1S46-his "riding on both sides of
the sapliDg," wss so notorious, that an al
tempt at q parallel between him and Wash
iDgton simply sinks into the facetious!
But Mr.. Brush Is peculiarly unfortunate.
nom democratic standpoint, In his ailu-
sion TO those who maligned the Father of
his country" in the matter of his revolution
airy accounts! Who were they? Were tney
the friends, politically or personally, OF
Washington? If not, who then? Were they
not the partisaDS OF General Cass's "RcrO"-
ANDREW JACKsoN-who, in December 1896
in the u. s. House of Representatives upon
the contemplated retirement of Washington
Mr.. Giles, CfNirginia, against "the proposed
testimonial OF respect" for Washiugton's
public services" The proposed address,
among other similar sentiments, contained
the following: "For our country's sake for
the sake of republican liberty, IL is our
earnest wish that your example may be The
guide OF your successors; and thus, after
being the ornament and the safeguard OF the
present age, become the patrimony OF our
descendants"
General Jackson had no wish earnest or
OTTER, either for "our country's sake" or sfor
republican liberty" that WaShington's "ex-
ample" should be the guide" of ais success
sors-particularly q "guide' for himself In
prospective; for he admired no such ssorna-
ments'-he lepudiated all such "safeguards',
as the "r 1trimony' OF posterity. Were Mr.
Brush therefore able TO establish his parallel
Ii would be simply an instance of a locofoco
course come home to roost" In the wool NJ
General Cass. More anon! DEWIsTTOS.
Washington, March q, 1876.
Another Break I'm the Direct Cable
BOSTON, March Boa Portsmouth n n
dispatch says another break has occurred i'm
the direct cable; this time located between 40
and 60 miles off the Rye Beach station. The
break occurred during the gale OF Monday.