the writings-2-第16章

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maintain　all　or　even　any　of　his　positions　previously　taken；　but

he　will　be　sure　to　do　whatever　the　party　exigency　for　the　time

being　may　require；　and　that　is　precisely　what　you　want。　　He　and

Van　Buren　are　the　same　〃manner　of　men〃；　and；　like　Van　Buren；　he

will　never　desert　you　till　you　first　desert　him。



Mr。　Speaker；　I　adopt　the　suggestion　of　a　friend；　that　General

Cass　is　a　general　of　splendidly　successful　chargescharges；　to

be　sure；　not　upon　the　public　enemy；　but　upon　the　public　treasury。

He　was　Governor　of　Michigan　territory；　and　ex…officio

Superintendent　of　Indian　Affairs；　from　the　9th　of　October；　1813；

till　the　31st　of　July；　1831a　period　of　seventeen　years；　nine

months；　and　twenty…two　days。　　During　this　period　he　received　from

the　United　States　treasury；　for　personal　services　and　personal

expenses；　the　aggregate　sum　of　ninety…six　thousand　and　twenty

eight　dollars；　being　an　average　of　fourteen　dollars　and　seventy…

nine　cents　per　day　for　every　day　of　the　time。　　This　large　sum　was

reached　by　assuming　that　he　was　doing　service　at　several

different　places；　and　in　several　different　capacities　in　the　same

place；　all　at　the　same　time。　　By　a　correct　analysis　of　his

accounts　during　that　period；　the　following　propositions　may　be

deduced：



First。　　He　was　paid　in　three　different　capacities　during　the

whole　of　the　time：　that　is　to　say（1）　As　governor　a　salary　at

the　rate　per　year　of　2000。　　（2）　As　estimated　for　office　rent；

clerk　hire；　fuel；　etc。；　in　superintendence　of　Indian　affairs　in

Michigan；　at　the　rate　per　year　of　1500。　　（3）　As　compensation　and

expenses　for　various　miscellaneous　items　of　Indian　service　out　of

Michigan；　an　average　per　year　of　625。



Second。　　During　part　of　the　timethat　is；　from　the　9th　of

October；　1813；　to　the　29th　of　May；　1822　he　was　paid　in　four

different　capacities；　that　is　to　say；　the　three　as　above；　and；　in

addition　thereto；　the　commutation　of　ten　rations　per　day；

amounting　per　year　to　730。



Third。　　During　another　part　of　the　timethat　is；　from　the

beginning　of　1822　to　the　31st　of　July；　'83　he　was　also　paid　in

four　different　capacities；　that　is　to　say；　the　first　three；　as

above　（the　rations　being　dropped　after　the　29th　of　May；　1822）；

and；　in　addition　thereto；　for　superintending　Indian　Agencies　at

Piqua；　Ohio；　Fort　Wayne；　Indiana；　and　Chicago；　Illinois；　at　the

rate　per　year　of　1500。　　It　should　be　observed　here　that　the　last

item；　commencing　at　the　beginning　of　1822；　and　the　item　of

rations；　ending　on　the　29th　of　May；　1822；　lap　on　each　other

during　so　much　of　the　time　as　lies　between　those　two　dates。



Fourth。　　Still　another　part　of　the　timethat　is；　from　the　31st

of　October；　1821；　to　the　29th　of　May；　1822he　was　paid　in　six

different　capacities；　that　is　to　say；　the　three　first；　as　above；

the　item　of　rations；　as　above；　and；　in　addition　thereto；　another

item　of　ten　rations　per　day　while　at　Washington　settling　his

accounts；　being　at　the　rate　per　year　of　730；　and　also　an

allowance　for　expenses　traveling　to　and　from　Washington；　and

while　there；　of　1022；　being　at　the　rate　per　year　of　1793。



Fifth。　　And　yet　during　the　little　portion　of　the　time　which　lies

between　the　1st　of　January；　1822；　and　the　29th　of　May；　1822；　he

was　paid　in　seven　different　capacities；　that　is　to　say；　the　six

last　mentioned；　and　also；　at　the　rate　of　1500　per　year；　for　the

Piqua；　Fort　Wayne；　and　Chicago　service；　as　mentioned　above。





These　accounts　have　already　been　discussed　some　here；　but　when　we

are　amongst　them；　as　when　we　are　in　the　Patent　Office；　we　must

peep　about　a　good　deal　before　we　can　see　all　the　curiosities。　　I

shall　not　be　tedious　with　them。　　As　to　the　large　item　of　1500

per　yearamounting　in　the　aggregate　to　26；715　for　office　rent；

clerk　hire；　fuel；　etc。；　I　barely　wish　to　remark　that；　so　far　as　I

can　discover　in　the　public　documents；　there　is　no　evidence；　by

word　or　inference；　either　from　any　disinterested　witness　or　of

General　Cass　himself；　that　he　ever　rented　or　kept　a　separate

office；　ever　hired　or　kept　a　clerk；　or　even　used　any　extra　amount

of　fuel；　etc。；　in　consequence　of　his　Indian　services。　　Indeed；

General　Cass's　entire　silence　in　regard　to　these　items；　in　his

two　long　letters　urging　his　claims　upon　the　government；　is；　to　my

mind；　almost　conclusive　that　no　such　claims　had　any　real

existence。



But　I　have　introduced　General　Cass's　accounts　here　chiefly　to

show　the　wonderful　physical　capacities　of　the　man。　　They　show

that　he　not　only　did　the　labor　of　several　men　at　the　same　time；

but　that　he　often　did　it　at　several　places；　many　hundreds　of

miles　apart；　at　the　same　time。　　And　at　eating；　too；　his

capacities　are　shown　to　be　quite　as　wonderful。　　From　October；

1821；　to　May；　1822；　he　eat　ten　rations　a　day　in　Michigan；　ten

rations　a　day　here　in　Washington；　and　near　five　dollars'　worth　a

day　on　the　road　between　the　two　places！　And　then　there　is　an

important　discovery　in　his　examplethe　art　of　being　paid　for

what　one　eats；　instead　of　having　to　pay　for　it。　　Hereafter　if　any

nice　young　man　should　owe　a　bill　which　he　cannot　pay　in　any　other

way；　he　can　just　board　it　out。　　Mr。　Speaker；　we　have　all　heard　of

the　animal　standing　in　doubt　between　two　stacks　of　hay　and

starving　to　death。　　The　like　of　that　would　never　happen　to

General　Cass。　　Place　the　stacks　a　thousand　miles　apart；　he　would

stand　stock…still　midway　between　them；　and　eat　them　both　at　once；

and　the　green　grass　along　the　line　would　be　apt　to　suffer　some；

too；　at　the　same　time。　　By　all　means　make　him　President；

gentlemen。　　He　will　feed　you　bounteouslyifif　there　is　any

left　after　he　shall　have　helped　himself。



But；　as　General　Taylor　is；　par　exel1ence；　the　hero　of　the　Mexican

War；　and　as　you　Democrats　say　we　Whigs　have　always　opposed　the

war；　you　think　it　must　be　very　awkward　and　embarrassing　for　us　to

go　for　General　Taylor。　　The　declaration　that　we　have　always

opposed　the　war　is　true　or　false；　according　as　one　may　understand

the　term　〃oppose　the　war。〃　If　to　say　〃the　war　was　unnecessarily

and　unconstitutionally　commenced　by　the　President〃　be　opposing

the　war；　then　the　Whigs　have　very　generally　opposed　it。　　Whenever

they　have　spoken　at　all；　they　have　said　this；　and　they　have　said

it　on　what　has　appeared　good　reason　to　them。　　The　marching　an

army　into　the　midst　of　a　peaceful　Mexican　settlement；　frightening

the　inhabitants　away；　leaving　their　growing　crops　and　other

property　to　destruction；　to　you　may　appear　a　perfectly　amiable；

peaceful；　unprovoking　procedure；　but　it　does　not　appear　so　to　us。

So　to　call　such　an　act；　to　us　appears　no　other　than　a　naked；

impudent　absurdity；　and　we　speak　of　it　accordingly。　　But　if；　when

the　war　had　begun；　and　had　become　the　cause　of　the　country；　the

giving　of　our　money　and　our　blood；　in　common　with　yours；　was

support　of　the　war；　then　it　is　not　true　that　we　have　always

opposed　the　war。　　With　few　individual　exceptions；　you　have

constantly　had　our　votes　here　for　all　the　necessary　supplies。

And；　more　than　this；　you　have　had　the　services；　the　blood；　and

the　lives　of　our　political　brethren　in　every　trial　and　on　every

field。　　The　beardless　boy　and　the　mature　man；　the　humble　and　the

distinguishedyou　have　had　them。　　Through　suffering　and　death；

by　disease　and　in　battle　they　have　endured　and　fought　and　fell

with　you。　　Clay　and　Webster　each　gave　a　son；　never　to　be

returned。　　From　the　State　of　my　own　residence；　besides　other

worthy　but　less　known　Whig　names；　we　sent　Marshall；　Morrison；

Baker；　and　Hardin；　they　all　fought；　and　one　fell；　and　in　the　fall

of　that　one　we　lost　our　best　Whig　man。　　Nor　were　the　Whigs　few　in

number；　or　laggard　in　the　day　of　danger。　　In　that　fearful；

bloody；　breathless　struggle　at　Buena　Vista；　where　each　man's　hard

task　was　to　beat　back　five　foes　or　die　himself；　of　the　five　high

officers　who　perished；　four　were　Whigs。



In　speaking　of　this；　I　mean　no　odious　comparison　between　the

lion…hearted　Whigs　and　the　Democrats　who　fought　there。　　On　other

occasions；　and　among　the　lower　officers　and　privates　on　that

occasion；　I　doubt　not　the　proportion　was　different。　　I　wish　to　do

justice　to　all。　　I　think　of　all　those　brave　men　as　Americans；　in

whose　proud　fame；　as　an　American；　I　too　have　a　share。　　Many　of

them；　Whigs　and　Democrats　are　my　constituents　and　personal

friends；　and　I　thank　them；more　than　thank　them；one　and　all；

for　the　high　imperishable　honor　they　have　conferred　on　our　common

State。



But　the　distinction　between　the　cause　of　the　President　in

beginning　the　war；　and　the　cause　of　the　country　after　it　was

begun；　is　a　distinction　which　you　cannot　perceive。　　To　you　the

President　and　the　country　seem　to　be　all　one。　　You　are　interested

to　see　no　distinction　between　them；　and　I　venture　to　suggest　that

probably　your　interest　blinds　you　a　little。　　We　see　the

distinction；　as　we　think；　clearly　enough；　and　our　friends　who

have　fought　in　the　war　have　no　difficulty　in　seeing　it　also。

What　those　who　have　fallen　would　say；　were　they　alive　and　here；

of　course　we　can　never　know；　but　with　those　who　have　returned

there　is　no　difficulty。　　Colonel　Haskell　and　Major　Gaines；

members　here；　both　fought　in　the　war；　and　both　of　them　underwent

extraordinary　perils　and　hardships；　still　they；　like　all　other

Whigs　here；　vote；　on　the　record；　that　the　war　was　unnecessarily

and　unconstitutionally　commenced　by　the　President。　　And　even

General　Taylor　himself；　the　noblest　Roman　of　them　all；　has

declared　that　as　a　citizen；　and　particularly　as　a　soldier；　it　is

sufficient　for　him　to　know　that　his　country　is　at　war　with　a

foreign　nation；　to　do　all　in　his　power　to　bring　it　to　a　speedy

and　honorable　termination　by　the　most　vigorous　and　energetic

operations；　without　inquiry　about　its　justice；　or　anything　else

connected　with　it。



Mr。　Speaker；　let　our　Democratic　friends　be　comforted　with　the

assurance　that　we　are　content　with　our　position；　content　with　our

company；　and　content　with　our　candidate；　and　that　although　they；

in　their　generous　sympathy；　think　we　ought　to　be　miserable；　we

really　are　not；　and　that　they　may　dismiss　the　great　anxiety　they

have　on　our　account。



Mr。　Speaker；　I　see　I　have　but　three　minutes　left；　and　this　forces

me　to　throw　out　one　whole　branch　of　my　subject。　　A　single　word　on

still　another。　　The　Democrats　are　keen　enough　to　frequently

remind　us　that　we　have　some　dissensions　in　our　ranks。　　Our　good

friend　from　Baltimore　immediately　before　me　＇Mr。　McLane＇

expressed　some　doubt　the　other　day　as　to　which　branch　of　our

party　General　Taylor　would　ultimately　fall　into　the　hands　of。

That　was　a　new　idea　to　me。　　I　knew　we　had　dissenters；　but　I　did

not　know　they　were　trying　to　get　our　candidate　away　from　us。　　I

would　like　to　say　a　word　to　our　dissenters；　but　I　have　not　the

time。　　Some　such　we　certainly　have；　have　you　none；　gentlemen

Democrats？　　Is　it　all　union　and　harmony　in　your　ranks？　　no

bickerings？　　no　divisions？　　If　there　be　doubt　as　to