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；　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