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34
Slates growing out ot the comprom
ises of the Constitution.
No request is contained in the pa
pers of the State of Georgia for any
co-operation on the part ot’ this Com
monwealth, yet it is believed by toe
Committee that tins communication
would net have been made but tor
the purpo: e of exciting this Com
monwealth to a similar effort, or pre
paring the minds of our fellow ci
tizens to thijik favorably of the ob
ject when the influence of the State
of Georgia shall have so far succeed
ed as to present it in a more fonnal
manner for their adoption.
It is obvious therefore that no act
of this Legislature is required in the
present situation of the proposed
amendment: and the Committe
might so report without further de
lay, if the preamble to the Georgia
Resolution did not require from them
a strong expression of dissent from
its propositions.
The Legislature of Georgia have
declared “ that'from the past history
of the Government it is to be feared
that, under the provisions at present
embraced in the Federal Constitu
tion; the office of President of’ the
United States, one giving to the in
cumbent a power which may be ef
fectually used for the best or worst
of purposes, may sometimes be be
stowed on the man whom the stiff
rages of the peapie would not elevate
to that high office; and whoso only
hope of continuance therein will be
derived from (he artful use of the
patronage of the Government, a
dangerous instrument in the Lands
pi an ambitious man.” Your Com
mittee are not aware that any facts
.n the past history of the country
warrant these remarks. Twice only
in the ten elections of President of
the United States has the choice de
volved on the house of Representa
tives. On both these momentious
occasions that Honorable body has
discharged its high and responsible
duty, in a manner worthy of the pat
riotism, integrity and firmness which
should characterize American states
men.
The first election terminated in the
choice of a man whose life was a
practical illustration of those great
principles of liberty which be had
c orded in the declaration of bis
country’s indep' ndencc ; and whose
r.death has demonstrated how
and imperishable is the affec
tion with which a fr e people conse
> ates his memory.
The second election by the House
of Representatives has elevated to
the Presidency one of’ the most pro
found and accompliseed statesmen
of the age, whose past s rvic s in the
most difficult and important stations,
are pledges of his ability to conduct
the destinies of this great people,
while the integrity of bis character
and the sternness of Jus republican
principl s give assurance that the
free institutions of our country will
acquire strength and security by
bis administration of constitutional
power.
The imputation of any t hintr in
the past history of Presidential elec
tion gives occasion for alarm and for
new and undefined alterations of the
f indumenta! principles of our con
s d ration derive* all its tile to con
■ideration from respect to (he source
•>m w hich it emanats, Your Com
m itee consider it due the purity of
nr political councils to disclaim the
, lice of the reproach, and they
• n! very much regret to fin I that
. e <>uni disappointment or partv
o should in any case feel justiti
■ m casting illiberal repreach upon
‘ * f uguished individuals in anv de-
р. of the government. In a
country like ours it should be univer-
s iv felt that individual predilec
u iis '’.annot always be gratified, and
L at the duty of good citizens con
sist rat;.er m a generous submission
ti constituted authority than in ein
• yrua< attempts to alter established
; ' i ' -for temporary purposes.
Hit' cotunnite, therefore report
that it is net expedit nt to take any
t'lr’fer mem ure m relation to the
commumcatn n o' the Executiue of
the bt He of *•orgia.
By Order,
JAMES T. AUSTIN,
/’or the Committee.
MEXICO.
Ue have information from Mexi
co, mat, on the loth December last,
a not took place in the capital of
T? h °iu r t ' u ’ Regiment of
- htca Militia ami the Corps of Citv
< man s or Gens d’ Armes were en
gaged. Ihe quarrel, it appears, was
provoked by private altercations be
t ween individuals of the two bodies
tnough some would fain attribute it
to the political agitations of the day.
t j . a that evening, on occasion of a
iresh insult by the latter to the mu
» 11 the former, which was passing
heir quarters, it became general,
and recourse was had to arms. A
isk fire was maintained tor an hour
or two, which resulted in the death
с. a non-combatant, and tour sol
ars were wounded. So ended the
■a;!; iy, without further interruption
co the quiet of the Citv.
On the 11th, a committee of tb.e
Senate, to which was referred the
law ot the State Congress of Mexic ..
annulling the elections of’ Toluca, re-|
ported that said law is uncon*titu- !
tional, and therefore void" This
report was subsequently approved
by a vote of 20 to 6. The same
elections, after a lung and animated
discussion, have also been approved
by the Preparatory Junta of the New
Chamber of Deputies, 37 to 16.
Thus, as we anticipated, has ter
minated this long agitated question,
which had created much excitement,
and given rise to many surmises up-;
on the continuance of the public l
tranquillity.
Tiic subject of Masonry seems to ,
be warmly debated throughout the i
1 Mexican Republic. The papers of'
i the last of December contain the an
j sw r of the actingS crctary of state
j to a resolution oi the Senate, ask
; ing information “upon the existence
lof Masonic Lodges, their number,
denominations, objects, and effects.”
’ This report, is an analysis of
■the reports of the Governors of 17
I States, of the Federal District, and
• of the Territories of Colima and of
jTlaxcala, also published, shows that
; Masonry exists under two denomina
tions.... York and Scotch. Os the
I first besides many Lodges in the ca
i pital, there are two in Guadalajara...
] one in the State of Michoacan....and
! it is extending itself to various other
(States Os the second, none are
known to exist elsewhere than in
the capital ; nor is it known that
there is any Masonic Lodge in the
States of Choanas, Chihuahua, Gu
anajuato, Oi.'ca Puebla, Sonora, Ta
j basco, Zacati'cas, or in the Territo
ries of Tlaxcala and Colima Ten
of the Governors recommend the
suppression of,such associations
others refrain from the expression
of their opinions upon this point.
The Governor of New Leon, while
he suspends his judgment, observes
that Masons are very numerous in
England, France, and in the United
States, whose institutions they do
not subvert, and that Spain | resents
a contrary picture. The report,
which is long and intricate, thus con
cludes: “the Government, then, dis
approves all clandestine meeting-,
which, by fixed rules or institute ,
form bodies or colleges, and profess
secrecy; and in the late st ‘con
flict between the gu uauw oi i.h -
tyand of the public security, is con
fident that the v» isdom of the C'< a-
gross v .51 interpose its power with
that steady ar. ! judici hi? vigor which
is nece sary to conciliate them, so
that neither may suffer the slightest
detriment.”
A resolution was then offered by
Senor Ccvallos, Senator from Coa
huila and Texas, (a fanatical Priest,')
that Masonic Lodge*, of whatever
denomination, be suppressed ...that
their officers be deprived of their
places or privileges, if they hold any,
either civil, military, ot ecclesiasti
cal ; the political rights of the other
brethren shall be suspended for lour
years-. Those who hold no employ
ments or privileges, shall be fined,
according to the grade of their of
fence*, not exceeding 3,000 dollars.
Such as are not able to pay the fine
shall be banished to Cali
fornia or elsewhere, for a term pro
portionate to the offence, not exceed
ing two years.
This sweeping resolution, wo say
it to the credit of the Mexican Sen
ate, was sustained by ouly two votes.
The Congress of the State of
Mexico has resolved to remove to
Tezcsco.
The Congress adjourned on the
27th December. The second Con
gress meets on the Ist of January
1827.
The regular troops of the Mexi
can Army, all under arms, consist of
1,178 artilb ry—10.796 infantry, and
10,684 cavalry—total 22,658 men.
The active militia amounts to 36.
157, ot which 15,433 are in service.
The total force now under arms, a
mounts, therefore, to 38,09! men.
TIIE VICE PRESIDENT’S
APPEAL.
Mr. \V RIGHT, from the Com
mittee of Inquiry into the official
conduct of tb.e present Ei’cc Presi
dent, the Secretary of War, made the
following report.
The Select Committee, to whom
was referred the > communication
of the Pice President, of the 29th
December last, respectfully re
port.
That, immediately after they as
sembled, they informed the Vice
President ot their being organize d
and of their readiness to receive any
communication which he might see
fit to make. On the receipt of his
reply, dated the 3d of January, and
which accompanies this report. Mr.
McDuffie, as the friend and repre
sentative ofthe Vice President, was
admitted before the committee, ai.d
attended throughout the examina
tion, which followed.
I he first object of inquiry, in pro
ceeding to business, was, to ascer
tain whether any charges against the
\ice President had''been placed
among the public records of the
\V ar Department. And after an ex
amination onth.s point, the commit
tee became sat.bed that r .„ .... I,
charges were, or had been. .. moo ,
the records or papers of that Depart
ment. But, as the letter from Eli
jah Mix, addressed to Major Sat< r
lee (. lark, under tho name cf
cock,” had been published in tin
Mexandria Phc?nix Gazette, of th
23ih December, v.h<h publicnti. ■
the Vice Pre si J ent had particular!- j
GEORGIA STATESMAN, SIONDAY, MARCH 5, 1827.
referred to, in his note to the com-'
mittee, they felt bound io examine ,
fully and freely into the truth or •
falsity of the matters contained in ■
that letter.
From the nature of the duties im- s
posed upon a Committe of Inquiry,;
espicially when connected with the ,
distinct wish, as expressed by the ■
Vice President, in the present in
stance, for the “freest investigation,
it has been impossible for the Com
mittee to give to their proceedings
i the connexion and conciseness inci
' dent to trials, when the testimony is
ascertained and arranged before it is
presented. They have, however, I
dilig ntiy applied themselves to the l
subject referred to them, and after [
a long and laborious examination,
they are unanimously of the opinion, ■
that there arc no facts which will au
thorize the belief, or even suspicion, [
that the Vice President was ever in
terested, or that lip participated, di
rectly or indirectly, in the profits
of .my contract formed with the
Government through the Department
of W< r, while he was entrusted with
the discharge ci its duties, or at any
other time.
They are also of opinion, that the
conduct of Mr. Barbour, the present
Secretary of War, in regard to the
letter of E. Mix, is not, in the slight
est degree, deserving of censure. —
The accusation contained in the let
ter was regard, d by him as a base
calumny upon the Vice President,
penned by a man wholly unworthy
of notice; and the Committee have
no reason to believe that the suppos
ed truth of that accusation was al
any time the basis of any act of the
War Department. The publication
ofthe letter appears to liavu been
produced as follows:
In the month of December last,
Howes Goldsborough ami Elijah
Mix w re cor qr '‘dors for a contract
with the War Department: Golds
borough, scon after his arrival is:
Washington, obtained from M ;jur
S. Clark a copy of the letter, with
a view to use the same agamt lM:x,
should he find it necessary. From
this copy a transcript was obtained
by Wm. F. Tii irntoe, the junioi
E lilorofihc Phoenix Gaze!to, on the
27tii December, which tie published
the next m ruing m that paper, ac
companied by his editorial remarks.
In this publication Mr. Barbour had
no agency, either direct or indirect.
When he heard that the letter had
been male public, he requested Col.
it. Al. Johnson, of the Senate, to
call upon the V icc President as a mu
tual friend, an inform him of the
manner in which the letter had come
to his (Mr. Barbour’s) hands, and
that the same had been subsequent
ly transmitted through the Post Of
fice m an envelope to Major Clark,
to whom it belonged. This informa
tion was given by Col. Johnson to
the Vice President, on th“ morning
of the 29th of December, just before
he transmitted his communication to
the House.
The letter to “Hancock,” as pub
lished, and to which the Vicc*?resi
dert had referred, contained, among
other things, the following assertion:
“And I have written letters of Van
deventer’s, which positively men
tion that he (meaning Mr. Cal
houn) was engaged, and received
some portion of the contract.” As
such letters, if they existed, might
lead to further evidence, and bn im
portant to aid the committee in their
inquiries, they thought proper, in
the early stage of their proceedings,
to issue a subpoena both for Mix and
Vandeventer, with a clause therein
contained commanding them to pro
duce any papers in their possession,
tending io prove the accusation
which Mix had made in his letters to
Hancock. In obedience to hL sum
mons, the witnesses appeared, and
Mix having been first called upon
to testify, produced, during his ex
amination. the letters from Major
Vandeventer, dated Augu-t 7th,
1818; September 10th, 1818; July
Bth, 1820-, March 24th, 1821, and
the letter horn Col. W. K. Armis
tead, dated March 241 b, 1821. On
his second examination, he produ
ced the letters from Major \ ande
ventcr, dated August 3d, 1818; Sep
tember 19th, 1813; and October
17th, 1820. When it was p.eceiv
ed that, -n one ofthe letters of .Ma
jor Vandeventer, to wit, the one da
ted the 7th of August, 1318; and to
which they here particularly refer,
allusion was made to a partner in
the contract, whose name was to
have been kept secret, they felt it
to be their duty to discover, if thev
could, who this secret partner was,
or, at any rate, to push the inquiry
so far a* to leave no room tor suspi
cion that the Vice President was
the person alluded tc. This branch
of ti.e subject has been the principal
cause of their consum.ng so much]
time in the investigation: they found I
tint they were here led into a wider i
field than could have been at first j
anticipated, and that it was necess i- i
ry, in order to get a full view of the ;
whole ground, to go thoroughly into I
the origin and history of what is call
ed the Mix contract. The letters I
of Major Vandeventer above refer--
red to appear to relate principally tv
the private and comider.tal transac
tions betwefn him am 11. ?•!. m
regard to the contract, and there n
no reason to believe or presume that
tb.e \ ice President was ever made
ac raaiitted v,.th their contents. The
[letter from Col. Armistead, written
while ho was at the head ofthe En
gineer !)■ partruent, although it
: wears the appearance oi an official
I paper, and was impr?perly intended
■as the Committee believe, to bring
I the weight of official influence to
. bear upon the private transactions
■ between Vandeventer and Mix, was
I not written with the sanction or
knowledge of the Vice President,
and no copy of it was ever entered
in the letter book of the Depart
ment.
The committee will here remark,
that they place no reliance what*/-
; er ci the testimony of Elijah Mix. —
j From the self-contradictions, appa
i rent on the face ot his testimony, and
1 which it is unnecessrry here to re
; capitulate, aside trom the infamy
attached to his character, the com
, mittee were satisfied that he ought
; not to be beleived on his oath. The
i letters, however, just referred to,
land produced by him during his ex
amination, do not rest for their au
thenticity on his testimony. Tnose
from Major Vandeventer, excepting
: such parts as had been defaced or
; obliterated, were acknowledged by
Major Vandeventer himself to be
, genuine, and ho was requested, in
i every instance, to state, with the
letters before him, what names or
words had occupied the obliterated
■ laces, when the letters were writ
ten The letter from Cd. Armis
tead was also acknowledged by that
officer to be genuine. But the three
papers purporting to be copies or
.. .ie sub:stance of a letter from Major
Vandeventer to Mr. Calhoun, rest
for their . uthenticity on the tin-up
ported testimony off'. Mix, and are
regarded by :'i j committee as hav
i ing been fabricated by him. They
a'e al- j c ' opinion that the words
or nan ~:3 d 'faced from the letters oi
Major \ oi.'L venter were so defaced
by E. Mix; ; nd the committee have
been unable to a-ccrtain with cer
laimv, ki'ii-r .r?;n Vandeventer, the
.ii,i. i or of the letters, or
.■;.m .a ’ oilier source, what the
war i. al names were, which have
Men thus obliterated.
Tim oil r for the contract appears
t > I ave been made by E. Mix, on
the 23d ot Judy, 1818, and proposes
to de liver at Old Point Comfort,
“trom cue to one hundred and fifty
thousand perches of stone, at three
dollars per perch.” The contract as
furnished from the War Depart
ment, bears date the 25th of July,
1813. It stipulates for the delivery
of one hundred and filly thousand
porches of stone, at three dollars
per perch—is drawn up in the hand
writing cf Major Vandeventer, and
by him alone witnessed, and is sign
ed by General Joseph G. Swift, then
Chief Engineer, and by Elijah Mix.
Although Mix here appears to have
been the only contractor, yet, from
the evidence, there is reason to be
lieve, that at die time the contract
was made, or soon after, and before
the execution of any valid bond for
the performance thereof, it was di
vided into shares, ar d that one fourth
belonging to Major Vandeventer,
one fourth to Elijah Mix, one fourth
to R. C. Jennings, and the remain
ing fourth to a person whose name
was not to have been mentioned. —
The tide of Vandeventer to his
fourth, at the time above referred
to, appears to have rested on a ver
bal and confidential agreement be
tween him and Mix, and so remain-
ed till the 24th of April, 1819, wfi. n
lie received a written bill of sale of
one halt the whole contract. Howes
Goldsborongh <Sc Co. subsequently
I became the owners of one fourth.
by purchase from Samuel Cooper,
who had previously purchased from
Major Vandeventer; and they (Golds
borough Co.) were recognized at
the War Department, by the consent
of E Mix, expressed in a letter sent
by him to the Secretary of War, and
dated the 13th of April, 1321.
Tiie first bond, received at the
Engineer Department, on the con
tract, io dated sth of August, 1313.
; and describes the contract as hav-
Img been made by El.i.ih Mix and
ilicorge Cooper, fort! c delivery of
< <?;i” hundred i.iousand perches of
stone, being fifty thou-and less tiian
Mix wao entitled to deliver. This
bond is signed by E. Mix and George
Cooper, as contractors; and by Sam
uel Cooper, ai.d James Oakkv, as
'sureties: the surii.es were regular
!ly approved by R Riker, R corder
of the city of New York, as appears
Iby his certificate following immedi
] ateiy after the signatures, and dated i
jth same as the bond. It will be i
i pcrc- ived at once, that there is an !
i obvious and fatal variance between]
this bond and the contract. In cm;
official letter written fro:., the Engl- 1
neer Department, cn the 11th dav
ot .August, 1811 to Lieutenant
Georg- Blaney, and copied into the
letter book oi that Department, the
contract i- described < - fur one hun
dred thousand perches of stone.— -
The language of the letter is as fol
low; •\ ou will ini’ .rm the Agent
that a contract Las been made with
Captain E. Mix. to deliver as socn |
as practicable, at the Rip Raps, one |
hundred thousand perches of stun -. I
Ln a subsequent letter written to
James Maurice, also copied into the
-nine letter book, and dated the 21-1
day of Auguci, ISIS, the contract. J
de?cr.‘iv-i a? being for t . u hundred .
t nou-and per .lies. r i he language e- '
this letter is as follow; “Mr. E !
'Lx '~LJ se-.n conrrenc? to deliver
stone at the Rip Raps, under con
tract with this Department, for two
hundred thousand perch.”
Some time after the delivery at
the Engineer Department of the
first bond, but at what precise time
does not appear, a new bond was
given for the delivery of one hun
dred and fifty thousand perches, de
scribing the contract as made by E.
Mix. This second bond is signed by
E. Mix as contractor, and Samuel
[Cooper and James Oakley as sure
ties —and it is anti-dated to uth of
August, 1813—but no certificate,
in regard to the sufficiency of the
sureties, was attached to this instru
ment. The committee have been
unable to ascertain when this second
' bond was received at the Engineer
I Department; though the impression
l of Gen. Swift is, that it was received
before he left the office, which was
on the 11th of November, 1818.—
Major Vandeventer also expresses
Lis belief, t tat it was delivered du
ring the Fall of 1818. How tar his
testimony conflicts, if at all, with his
letter to Mix, dated 17th of Octo
ber, 1820, in which he urges upon
the latter to attend to “the bond,”
the Committee will net undertake to
I determine. ♦
The attention of Gen. Swift was
particularly directed, before the
Committee, to the discrepancies in
the bonds, and also to the two let
ters from the Engineer Department,
in which the contract is alluded to.
The explanation which he gives will
be found in his testimony, to which
the Committee refer.
During an investigation relative to
this contract, by a Committee ofthe
House of Representatives, in 1822,
a copy ofthe bond was requested
by that Committee. In answer to
whi h, the Engineer Department
furnished a copy ofthe s- cond bond,
which had been substituted for the
one first .given—but, as there was
no certificate of the .Recorder ot
New York, approving the sureties
on the second bund, a copy ol the
certificate annexed to the cancelled
bond, was made, and attached to the
copy of the bond furnished. Capt.
Smith, of the Engineer Depart
ment. who attested these copies,
has explained the cause of his certi
fying to this inaccuracy, and to his
testimony, in that particular, the
Committee here refer.
The question still remains, who
was the secret partner? But the
Committee being entirely satisfied
that the secret partner was not the
Vice President, which was the main
question to be decided, will leave
the com’i. ting testimony on the oth
er point with the House, without at
t -i..p'ing to decide upon its relative
weight.
On the 27th January, 1827, the
Committee closed the axamination
of witnesses on their part, except at>
to one or two, who had been sum
moned, but had not attended. On
that day, the friend and representa
tive of the Vice President was advi
sed that the Committee had so clo
sed their examination; and he was
also informed by a member of the
Committee, in its presence, that the
Committee were unanimously ol
opinion that the Vice President was
innocent of the charge of having
participated in any manner in any
contract made w ith the War Depart
ment, while he wes Secretary of
War The same day, at the instance
of Mr. .U’Dtifiie, subpemas were is
sued fur witnesses to appear anJ tes
tily on behalf of the Vice-President.
On the 29th of January, the Com
mittee received from the friend and
representative of the Vice-President
a paper protesting against the pre
vious proceedings of the Commit
tee. Considering this paper as pre
pared and presented under the sanc
tion of the high officer, in whose be
half it protest?, the Committee have
deemed it their duty to transmit it
to the House, but they forbear nil
comment on its contents.
The Committe, submit herewith
all the testimony they have receiv
ed during tho examination.
.E
dMilitia Claims.
HOI LE o; REPRESENTATIVES,
!• ‘r.BIKARI 10, 1327.
Mr. \anec, from the Committee]
on Military atiair-, io which the sub
ject had been referred, made the
lollowmg Report :
Th : Commits e < Milif iry Am
l.ur to wlium wa: relerred the me-|
morial of th of Geor-1
gia relative to the claims oi’ the ci-l
lizer.s oi that Military Ser-I
vice-, performed in the years 17921
1 7.' '. .mJ 17.1, have performed th-1
. .ty to them assigned, and submit!
the fol lowing report : ,
Your committee ;.re aware that|
the !•ngiii > i time since t;,e per-l
lurrnunce ci those s-.rvices, iogctherl
widit.; r tian that have existed!
between tae I. .nt-.d State? and GeurJ
g;a, relative io tho ccs-ion cf certaiJ
:• rritury ! / that State to the United!
Siatc l and the payment oi’ ceria; J
money by the United States to thJ
Statu oi Georgia, lor the Territory!
ti. j.-> ceded, has tended much to!
mij.is t.iv settlement of those!
claim?. |
Ou tl'.e ] rt of the ! nite 1 States!
it hii- been contended by former re-!
p..rt,- Linde on this subject that the!
•ayments for those service? were!
■I . rged in ai.d a part of ti.e > 1,250 j
y.j pai 1 by ‘he United State- to th J
Volume IL
State of Georgia, agreeable to the
Convention bearing date ,1802
and in the following words : “as a
consideration for the expenses incur
red by the said State in relation to
the said Territory.” ThistheState of
Georgia contends was not the fact ;
and that the obligation ofthe United
States to her citizens for military
services, in the manner before stated
has never been cancelled.
In the ex-amination of this subject
the first inquiry will be: Where those
services performed by the citizens of
Georgia ? The second : Were they
authorised by the United States ?
And Thirdly ; If authorised, has the
United States cancelled their obli
gation to the citizens of that State
by paying for the services thus per
formed ?
.The evidence of the performance
of those services are so abundant
throughout the whole of the docu
ments and correspondence official
and otherwise, that a particular re
ference is deemed unnecessary.—
The other branches of the inquiry
are entitled to more consideration ;
and we will first commence by ask
ing, Were those services authorized?
In the examination of this subject
it is not the purpose of your Commit-
I tee to acknowldge the power of the
Governor of a State unreasonably to
i commit the National Government,
bv calling into its service a military
j force disproportionate to the evi
dence of danger ; nor arc they pre
■ pared to say this was the case "in this
instance On the contrary quite the
, reverse appears to have been the
true situation of this frontier at the
time those services were performed
and, notwithstanding the great soli
citude of the Executive cf the Unit
ed States to preserve peace on the
borders of Georgia, and the differ
[ent communications made to the
i Executive of that Slate, enforcing
; those views, and their important- to
’ the Federal Government, yet we find
’that, so strongly was he impressed
with the danger that threatened the
frontier settlements of Georgia, ‘in
June, 1793 he called on the Gover
nor of South Carolina to support,|by
military force, Jhe State of Georgia
in defending! herself against the
; threatend ‘invasion of the enemy in
' that quarter.
But, at the same time that your
Committee would sustain the doc
trine laid dowm relative to the pow
ers cf the Governor of a State, yet
they cun sec many reasons why a li
beral indulgence should be extended
in favor of, rather than against the
exorcise of a trust so rcsposib'e in
its character, and so important in its
resu.ts. It is for the Governor to
look to the security and interest of
these over whom he has boon call
ed to preside, and for whose protec
tion and defence he is bound to pro
vide, by the most sacred obligations.
Is it then reasonable to suppose, that
in the execution of this trust, he
would be prodigal of the national
resources, for the purpose of carry
ing on an unnecessary and unprofita
ble w ar, at the expense of the quiet,
comfort, and blood, of his own Peo
ple?
B,ut, in the absence of all other
proof, relative to tbosc services being
authorized by the United States, the
(act that tlwj* Government, through
tier agent*,ilid furnish military equip
ments and subsistence to the very
troops that here' claim, and have been
refused, remuneration for their ser
vices, would lie, of itself, abundant
ly sufficient to establish t heir legality.
Your Committee Jhtnk it would be a
strange anomaly in the military his
tory of our country, to find the Gov
ernment, through her agents, giving
every facility to military operations
by arming and subsisting an army,
and subsequently refusing to pay the
very troopsol which it was compos
ed, on the grounds that the Gover
nor of the State had pushed hts dis
cretionary powers to an unwarranta
ble extent.
But again your Committee find oi»
reference to the reports of Commit
tees made at the second s“ssion of
the I ourth Congress, that payment