the writings-2-第21章

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him　in　charges　upon　the　wild　onions。　　If　he　saw　any　live；

fighting　Indians；　it　was　more　than　I　did；　but　I　had　a　good　many

bloody　struggles　with　the　mosquitoes；　and　although　I　never

fainted　from　the　loss　of　blood；　I　can　truly　say　I　was　often　very

hungry。　　Mr。　Speaker；　if　I　should　ever　conclude　to　doff　whatever

our　Democratic　friends　may　suppose　there　is　of　black…cockade

federalism　about　me；　and　therefore　they　shall　take　me　up　as　their

candidate　for　the　Presidency；　I　protest　they　shall　not　make　fun

of　me；　as　they　have　of　General　Cass；　by　attempting　to　write　me

into　a　military　hero。



While　I　have　General　Cass　in　hand；　I　wish　to　say　a　word　about　his

political　principles。　　As　a　specimen；　I　take　the　record　of　his

progress　in　the　Wilmot　Proviso。　　In　the　Washington　Union　of　March

2；　1847；　there　is　a　report　of　a　speech　of　General　Cass；　made　the

day　before　in　the　Senate；　on　the　Wilmot　Proviso；　during　the

delivery　of　which　Mr。　Miller　of　New　Jersey　is　reported　to　have

interrupted　him　as　follows；　to　wit：



〃Mr。　Miller　expressed　his　great　surprise　at　the　change　in　the

sentiments　of　the　Senator　from　Michigan；　who　had　been　regarded　as

the　great　champion　of　freedom　in　the　Northwest；　of　which　he　was　a

distinguished　　ornament。　　Last　year　the　Senator　from　Michigan　was

understood　to　be　decidedly　in　favor　of　the　Wilmot　Proviso；　and　as

no　reason　had　been　stated　for　the　change；　he　＇Mr。　Miller＇　could

not　refrain　from　the　expression　of　his　extreme　surprise。〃



To　this　General　Cass　is　reported　to　have　replied　as　follows；　to

wit：



〃Mr。　Cass　said　that　the　course　of　the　Senator　from　New　Jersey　was

most　extraordinary。　　Last　year　he　＇Mr。　Cass＇　should　have　voted

for　the　proposition；　had　it　come　up。　　But　circumstances　had

altogether　changed。　　The　honorable　Senator　then　read　several

passages　from　the　remarks；　as　given　above；　which　he　had　committed

to　writing；　in　order　to　refute　such　a　charge　as　that　of　the

Senator　from　New　Jersey。〃



In　the　〃remarks　above　reduced　to　writing〃　is　one　numbered　four；

as　follows；　to　wit：



〃Fourth。　　Legislation　now　would　be　wholly　inoperative；　because　no

territory　hereafter　to　be　acquired　can　be　governed　without　an　act

of　Congress　providing　for　its　government；　and　such　an　act；　on　its

passage；　would　open　the　whole　subject；　and　leave　the　Congress

called　on　to　pass　it　free　to　exercise　its　own　discretion；

entirely　uncontrolled　by　any　declaration　found　on　the　statute…

book。〃



In　Niles's　Register；　vol。　　lxxiii。；　p。　　293；　there　is　a　letter　of

General　Cass　to　_______Nicholson；　of　Nashville；　Tennessee；　dated

December　24；　1847；　from　which　the　following　are　correct　extracts：



〃The　Wilmot　Proviso　has　been　before　the　country　some　time。　　It

has　been　repeatedly　discussed　in　Congress　and　by　the　public

press。　　I　am　strongly　impressed　with　the　opinion　that　a　great

change　has　been　going　on　in　the　public　mind　upon　this　subject；

in　my　own　as　well　as　others'；and　that　doubts　are　resolving

themselves　into　convictions　that　the　principle　it　involves　should

be　kept　out　of　the　national　legislature；　and　left　to　the　people

of　the　confederacy　in　their　respective　local　governments。。。。

Briefly；　then；　I　am　opposed　to　the　exercise　of　any　jurisdiction

by　Congress　over　this　matter；　and　I　am　in　favor　of　leaving　the

people　of　any　territory　which　may　be　hereafter　acquired　the　right

to　regulate　it　themselves；　under　the　general　principles　of　the

Constitution。　　Because'First。　　I　do　not　see　in　the　Constitution

any　grant　of　the　requisite　power　to　Congress；　and　I　am　not

disposed　to　extend　a　doubtful　precedent　beyond　its　necessity；

the　establishment　of　territorial　governments　when　needed；

leaving　to　the　inhabitants　all　the　right　compatible　with　the

relations　they　bear　to　the　confederation。〃



These　extracts　show　that　in　1846　General　Cass　was　for　the　proviso

at　once；　that　in　March；　1847；　he　was　still　for　it；　but　not　just

then；　and　that　in　December；　1847；　he　was　against　it　altogether。

This　is　a　true　index　to　the　whole　man。　　When　the　question　was

raised　in　1846；　he　was　in　a　blustering　hurry　to　take　ground　for

it。　　He　sought　to　be　in　advance；　and　to　avoid　the　uninteresting

position　of　a　mere　follower；　but　soon　he　began　to　see　glimpses　of

the　great　Democratic　ox…goad　waving　in　his　face；　and　to　hear

indistinctly　a　voice　saying；　〃Back！　Back；　sir！　Back　a　little！〃　He

shakes　his　head；　and　bats　his　eyes；　and　blunders　back　to　his

position　of　March；　1847；　but　still　the　goad　waves；　and　the　voice

grows　more　distinct　and　sharper　still；　〃Back；　sir！　Back；　I　say！

Further　back！〃and　back　he　goes　to　the　position　of　December；

1847；　at　which　the　goad　is　still；　and　the　voice　soothingly　says；

〃So！　Stand　at　that！〃



Have　no　fears；　gentlemen；　of　your　candidate。　　He　exactly　suits

you；　and　we　congratulate　you　upon　it。　　However　much　you　may　be

distressed　about　our　candidate；　you　have　all　cause　to　be

contented　and　happy　with　your　own。　　If　elected；　he　may　not

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；