The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1828-02-04
GOVERNMENTAL ECONOMY


never yet failed and never will tail 10 furnish
hook for demagogues to hang speeches upon.
10 mt, the expenditure of the public money.
he debate has. of course, been characterized
frriing. collateraly involving, as it did tie con.
duct ofthe existing admin StfatOu But not
wIthstardmg the enqnlry was proposed by an
enemy fire administration, vet it has met with
It's chef aod ablest support from the friend
Of hose Ia power, aud lis principal opposition
hom tiioSe who are trying TO dIspace them.
Indeed, whilst the mover having pledged him
self to his constituents during his electioneering
canvass to bring forward this enquiry, felt
bound to do SO, yet he disingcnuously avowed
his ignorance OF any abuse OF the public treas
repeat to HIM the advice of Mr.. Randolph
" Young physicians should not throw in too
much medicine and more particularly when
they are not e1permentally acquainted with
its effects.-Ihe questions naturally arise, l. DO
any abuses exist And 2. there do what are
they For our own parts, while we cannot bur
concnrn thu maxims of rigid economy in all the
departments OF government protesting 10 b.
one Of republican panness and simplicity,
laid down by the fathers of the Republic.
in the first days of its existence, vet. not
having penetration enough 10 have discovered
IN what we have departed from strict observ.
90
pr positions, at such fines as the present, as mere
sprnges TO catch woodcocl.s we are not pre-
pared to lend to 1t our sanction. or even 10 res
poet the motives Of him who has brought il for
ward. Are any abuses specified No 1t is
true, We occasionally hear fom Gen. Floyd,
and men of like suspicious minds, murndoes, ut
tered with regard to the eng lneerng' car.
RED Oh by the general government, with a view,
as We had always thought, and as al charitably
disposed men would admit, 10 the future inn
provement otthe country, by connecting its nav-
gable streams, and aiordinS facilities to
trade aud intercourse between sections of coun-
try now interrupted by almost insuperable OBJ
structions But in relation 10 this subject, we
profess TO have no information. and therefore
cannot say whether or not these inuendoes have
any foundation IN truth for, some now or 9th.
er, II happened unfortunately that these Engi-
neerS blabbed only TO our opponents and while
they kcptthe friends Of the administration, who,
It should seem, ought 10 have been the chosen
participants Of THEW confidence. in ignorance
of thr vast and efficient cectioneerins engines
and free in their communications TO such of its
opponents, even, rs they knew had entered into
" combinations TO pull il down, "thongn II
were as pure as the angels at the right hand oil
God However strange and improbable this
'Hay appear and there fore be subjected TO doubt
tul credit particularly with those who do not
necessarily believe every assertion made even
by honorable members Of Congress, without
tue slightest shadow ofproof it does not seem
TO be less religipuslv credited by many persons,
who are always inclined to believe the worst
OF those they dislike. Therefore, we are not
only willing, but anxious that this matter may
be probed 10 the bottom, both that Gcn. Floyd
may be delivered OF those mighty disclosures
which he has suspended over the heads of the
administration IN teyrorem, and that the people
may see no" easy it is 10 magnify mole-hilIs in
to mountains, and, by throwing an air OF my ste
ry around ones language 10 excite expectations
which can never be realized.
Il
imagIhailons OF some mushroom politicians who
have been raised into fictitious importance by
that same unaccountable feeling which has al
ready given to Gen Jackson "A name aud fame
merltcd neither by his early life his later
services or his political qualifications, and
which at one time promiSedto exalt him 10 the
highest office known 10 the constitution. We
mean the Panama mission-a measure pure in
IT'S origin, and which promised, according TO all
! reasonable calculation, TO lead to highly benefi-
rial aud honorable results. Who could have
ibrescen, at the time that that measure was pro-
eosed by the President the great and material
ihange, frst, in the tone the Continental powers
owards the American Republics. which rendered
! he Panama Congress in great degree unne-
'cessary as means Of mutually concerning "A
plan of defence against aggression from that
: ource and, SecOHdig, in the inter nal condition
)f most Of those Republics Observation-Disclosures
succeeding order, and civil convusions topeace-
,ble rue-by which alone the measure became
impraciicable7 No man--not even the sagacity
OF the lynx-eyed statesmen who condemned it;
for, ifthey had foreseen them, they would have
based their oppositi7 10 the measure at arst
on arguments drawn from this deep foresight,
rather thnn from the thread bare maKims which
furnished them with texts. We think We need
not be ashamed of having advocated this mea-
sure when proposed, or of defending IT now,
" hen the greatest statesmen in this country
-, ;ud,,,o la, rge,iUs as too many dol aver