Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-03-20
a.,ss-sauEia Est.p 6aast:r.
Tuesday, MARCH 20.

pod.., 10 become the great man OF this
oun,ry, one iavori,e topic of complaint
c,,;ns, the f.deralists, with him and his
k,ar,:zans, was, the lavish expenditure OF
hubble money. Offices were said to be too
numerous, salaries too i;;sa; and the IA.
.;ou was led 70 expect that ifMr Jefferson
cou!d on!, take the reins ct government,
sb,, the number of Offices would be reduc.
}. I'd. and executive patronage Thereby great
hy lessen-d. A continual har?ing on this
Eubiec,, procured for this man, the fas"i.
hating ti,les Of L" the beQp!e's Jriend, and
biz man Of the people,"
In process of time, his articles raised
him to the summit of power, and he be-
rame presiI, Mt of the United States. We
sake tie liberty soIenon;re, howfar the liberal
promises OF retfenchment in expences,S of
public economy, were realized? Was the
Salary OF his own Office lowered, from the
bum at which it was fixed in the time of
zen. Washington, and Mr.. Adams We
have always understood, that Mr.. Jefferson
$ery carefully received his tuventy Eve
h9usand dollars a year, during the eight
years that he was president. IL must be
acknowledged, indeed, that his simple style
pf living, whilst he WAS IN office, was much
commended BY his friends. They insisted
upon 1t, that there Was solid merit in pre-
sident's not having levc, s, in his wearing
red jacket, and Corduroy panlaloons, and
Pn riding without attendants to the capitol,
and hnchlng his horse TO the post with his
O1rH hands. Had his meekness, and this
swing disposition, been accompanied with
q corresponding REIMBURSEMENT OF part OF
bis salary, there would have been soma
plausible ground for the assertion. RaI to
dsgra:e the Office OF president, under thS
show Of humility, merely tor the purpose
Of laying up part Of the income, the whole
Of which Gen. Washington spent with the
Lberali,y and dignity Of a gentleman, would
be considered among persons in the common
walks Of life, as some thing very unlike viz.
tue.
Have the other great officers OF the 60
vernm~at, viz. the vice-president, the Sc
srrtaries OF state, the treasury, and navy
the encouragement, post maste'.Gsuera',
&c. SC. reduced their salaries, below what
III stood in federal times? If we recol-
lcct Alright, for short time during the pre-
sidency Of Mr.. Adams, owing TO particular
circumstances, the salaries Of the heads OF
departments we're raised, but not prrma
neatly. After Mr.. Jefferson came in, and
the law providing for this temporary in
crease was abou, expiring, il was found e*
pedient by little fn,sse, to revive 1t tor a.
neither shert period, and SO it was KEEP, 60
ing, until the people became fami'iarized
to it, and they have been kept up from that
time 10 this.
What has been the state Of public expeR-
d;,ures in other respects 1t would be
gratifying circumstance, i We could be ia
vorsd with the true account of" ECONOMY
rs prac,ised under Mr.. Jefferson. Have
our external relations, our foreign inter
eourse, our diplomatic concerns, cost US
less under him, than under his predeces-
,oys. What is the state of the army and
,avy accounts? What has been paid tor
repairing the inroads which time, Maud, and
have made upon our frigates, bed
aed in the cas-, branch Of the Po,emae, at the
siry Of Washington What have those re
diculous OHspriugs of PHILOSOPHY and cow