sketches new and old-第17章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
the troops entered in pursuit。〃 He considered； therefore； that what they
destroyed must have consisted of 〃the houses with all their contents； and
the liquor〃 （the most trifling part of the destruction； and set down at
only 3；200 all told）； and that the government troops then drove them off
and calmly proceeded to destroy
Two hundred and twenty acres of corn in the field； thirty…five acres of
wheat； and nine hundred and eighty…six head of live stock！ ＇What a
singularly intelligent army we had in those days； according to Mr。 Floyd
though not according to the Congress of 1832。＇
So Mr。 Floyd decided that the Government was not responsible for that
3；200 worth of rubbish which the Indians destroyed； but was responsible
for the property destroyed by the troopswhich property consisted of （I
quote from the printed United States Senate document）：
Dollars
Corn at Bassett's Creek； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 3；000
Cattle； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 5；000
Stock hogs； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 1；050
Drove hogs； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 1；204
Wheat； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 350
Hides； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 4；000
Corn on the Alabama River； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。 3；500
Total； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。18；104
That sum； in his report； Mr。 Floyd calls the 〃full value of the property
destroyed by the troops。〃
He allows that sum to the starving Fishers； TOGETHER WITH INTEREST FROM
1813。 From this new sum total the amounts already paid to the Fishers
were deducted； and then the cheerful remainder （a fraction under forty
thousand dollars） was handed to then and again they retired to Florida in
a condition of temporary tranquillity。 Their ancestor's farm had now
yielded them altogether nearly sixty…seven thousand dollars in cash。
6。 Does the reader suppose that that was the end of it？ Does he suppose
those diffident Fishers we： satisfied？ Let the evidence show。 The
Fishers were quiet just two years。 Then they came swarming up out of the
fertile swamps of Florida with their same old documents； and besieged
Congress once more。 Congress capitulated on the 1st of June； 1860； and
instructed Mr。 Floyd to overhaul those papers again； and pay that bill。
A Treasury clerk was ordered to go through those papers and report to Mr。
Floyd what amount was still due th emaciated Fishers。 This clerk （I can
produce him whenever he is wanted） discovered what was apparently a
glaring and recent forgery in the paper； whereby a witness's testimony as
to the price of corn in Florida in 1813 was made to name double the
amount which that witness had originally specified as the price！ The
clerk not only called his superior's attention to this thing； but in
making up his brief of the case called particular attention to it in
writing。 That part of the brief never got before Congress； nor has
Congress ever yet had a hint of forgery existing among the Fisher papers。
Nevertheless； on the basis of the double prices （and totally ignoring the
clerk's assertion that the figures were manifestly and unquestionably a
recent forgery）； Mr。 Floyd remarks in his new report that 〃the testimony；
particularly in regard to the corn crops； DEMANDS A MUCH HIGHER ALLOWANCE
than any heretofore made by the Auditor or myself。〃 So he estimates the
crop at sixty bushels to the acre （double what Florida acres produce）；
and then virtuously allows pay for only half the crop； but allows two
dollars and a half a bushel for that half； when there are rusty old books
and documents in the Congressional library to show just what the Fisher
testimony showed before the forgeryviz。； that in the fall of 1813 corn
was only worth from 1。25 to 1。50 a bushel。 Having accomplished this；
what does Mr。 Floyd do next？ Mr。 Floyd （〃with an earnest desire to
execute truly the legislative will；〃 as he piously remarks） goes to work
and makes out an entirely new bill of Fisher damages； and in this new
bill he placidly ignores the Indians altogether puts no particle of the
destruction of the Fisher property upon them； but； even repenting him of
charging them with burning the cabins and drinking the whisky and
breaking the crockery； lays the entire damage at the door of the imbecile
United States troops down to the very last item！ And not only that； but
uses the forgery to double the loss of corn at 〃Bassett's Creek；〃 and
uses it again to absolutely treble the loss of corn on the 〃Alabama
River。〃 This new and ably conceived and executed bill of Mr。 Floyd's
figures up as follows （I copy again from the printed United States Senate
document）：
The United States in account with the legal representatives
of George Fisher； deceased。
DOL。C
1813。To 550 head of cattle； at 10 dollars； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。 5；500。00
To 86 head of drove hogs； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 1；204。00
To 350 head of stock hogs； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 1；750。00
To 100 ACRES OF CORN ON BASSETT'S CREEK； 。。。。。。。。。。 6；000。00
To 8 barrels of whisky； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 350。00
To 2 barrels of brandy； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 280。00
To 1 barrel of rum； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 70。00
To dry…goods and merchandise in store； 。。。。。。。。。。。。 1；100。00
To 35 acres of wheat； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 350。00
To 2；000 hides； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 4；000。00
To furs and hats in store； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 600。00
To crockery ware in store； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 100。00
To smith's and carpenter's tools； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 250。00
To houses burned and destroyed； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 600。00
To 4 dozen bottles of wine； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 48。00
1814。To 120 acres of corn on Alabama River； 。。。。。。。。。。。。 9；500。00
To crops of peas； fodder； etc。 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 3；250。00
Total； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。34；952。00
To interest on 22；202； from July 1813
to November 1860； 47 years and 4 months； 。。。。。。。63；053。68
To interest on 12；750； from September
1814 to November I86o； 46 years and 2 months； 。。35；317。50
Total； 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 133；323。18
He puts everything in this time。 He does not even allow that the Indians
destroyed the crockery or drank the four dozen bottles of （currant） wine。
When it came to supernatural comprehensiveness in 〃gobbling；〃 John B。
Floyd was without his equal； in his own or any other generation。
Subtracting from the above total the 67；000 already paid to
George Fisher's implacable heirs； Mr。 Floyd announced that the government
was still indebted to them in the sum of sixty…six thousand five hundred
and nineteen dollars and eighty…five cents； 〃which；〃 Mr。 Floyd
complacently remarks； 〃will be paid； accordingly； to the administrator of
the estate of George Fisher； deceased； or to his attorney in fact。〃
But； sadly enough for the destitute orphans； a new President came in just
at this time； Buchanan and Floyd went out； and they never got their
money。 The first thing Congress did in 1861 was to rescind the
resolution of June 1； 1860； under which Mr。 Floyd had been ciphering。
Then Floyd （and doubtless the heirs of George Fisher likewise） had to
give up financial business for a while； and go into the Confederate army
and serve their country。
Were the heirs of George Fisher killed？ No。 They are back now at this
very time （July； 1870）； beseeching Congress through that blushing and
diffident creature； Garrett Davis； to commence making payments again on
their interminable and insatiable bill of damages for corn and whisky
destroyed by a gang of irresponsible Indians； so long ago that even
government red…tape has failed to keep consistent and intelligent track
of it。
Now the above are facts。 They are history。 Any one who doubts it can
send to the Senate Document Department of the Capitol for H。 R。 Ex。 Doc。
No。 21； 36th Congress； 2d Session； and for S。 Ex。 Doc。 No。 106； 41st
Congress； 2d Session； and satisfy himself。 The whole case is set forth
in the first volume of the Court of Claims Reports。
It is my belief that as long as the continent of America holds together；
the heirs of George Fisher； deceased； will still make pilgrimages to
Washington from the swamps of Florida； to plead for just a little more
cash on their bill of damages （even when they received the last of that
sixty…seven thousand dollars； they said it was only one fourth what the
government owed them on that fruitful corn…field）； and as long as they
choose to come they will find Garrett Davises to drag their vampire
schemes before Congress。 This is not the only hereditary fraud （if fraud
it iswhich I have before repeatedly remarked is not proven） that is
being quietly handed down from generation to generation of fathers and
sons； through the persecuted Treasury of the United States。
DISGRACEFUL PERSECUTION OF A BOY
In San Francisco； the other day； 〃A well…dressed boy； on his way to
Sunday…school； was arrested and thrown into the city prison for stoning
Chinamen。〃
What a commentary is this upon human justice！ What sad prominence it
gives to our human disposition to tyrannize over the weak！ San Francisco
has little right to take credit to herself for her treatment of this poor
boy。 What had the child's education been？ How should he suppose it was
wrong to stone a Chinaman？ Before we side against him； along with
outraged San Francisco； let us give him a chancelet us hear the
testimony for the defense。
He was a 〃well…dressed〃 boy； and a Sunday…school scholar； and therefore
the chances are that his parents were intelligent； well…to…do people；
with just enough natural villainy in their composition to make them yearn
after the daily papers； and enjoy them； and so this boy had opportunities
to learn all through the week how to do right； as well as on Sunday。
It was in this way that he found out that the great commonwealth of
California imposes an unlawful mining…tax upon John the foreigner； and
allows Patrick the foreigner to dig gold for nothingprobably because
the degraded Mongol is at no expense for whisky； and the refined Celt
cannot exist without it。
It was in this way that he found out that a respectable number of the
tax…gatherersit would be unkind to say all of themcollect the tax
twice； instead of once； and that； inasmuch as they do it solely to
discourage Chinese immigration into the mines； it is a thing that is much
applauded； and likewise regarded as being singularly facetious。
It was in this way that he found out that when a white man robs a sluice…
box （by the term white man is meant Spaniards； Mexicans； Portuguese；
Irish； Hondurans； Peruvians； Chileans； etc。； etc。）； they make him leave
the camp； and when a Chinaman does that thing； they hang him。
It was in this way that he found out that in many districts of the vast
Pacific coast； so strong is the wild； free love of justice in the hearts
of the people； that whenever any secret and mysterious cri
