Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1830-02-11
THE VERGiXEAy.
LYNCHBURG. FEB. u.ls3O.

Retrenehmsni, Yet has been Justly re-
marked. that, frequently " pords are tt,ngs.n
The history Of the last Presidential canvass
abounds with testimony that words,--mapicaI.
ca6alistical toords,-dld more TO effect the cleo.
ton OF the present incumbent than all the glory
be had won by his exaggerated victories. The
people were Induced, by loud and ncessant
clamor, 10 believe that the late administration
had repudiated those wholesome notions of
governmental economy which had been the
guide OF lis predecessors-rha il run into every
sort OF excesS-tha,, not satisfied with the *.
peniltnres rendered proper by the necessi-
ties OF the government il distributed the public
money among its favoriies with lavish hand,
and " ithoat exaet,ng the quid pro quo of per
soual service. " Retrenchm in the e1pen.
dIture' of the treaSu,y,s necessary, ;" exclaimed
one ofthe xclusive patriots" Reform is ne
cessAry in the number and character of the
officers bawled out another" A more rigid
accountability must be introduced emong the
public agents" said third" The gorgeous
ihfniilTe Vi Tue Edsl NOON must give place 10
more plain and republican fixtures" said an
honorable Senator-and on 10 the end of the
chapter. Cheated and deceived by these uords,
the people discarded as wise and as yirtuou. an
admln, stration as the country has ever been
blessed with, since the cap-s,one was put upon
our Union by the adoption of the federal con
sIituton g. placed in their stead, men, Of some
OF whom we cannot speak in justice without
using language harsher than ii would be Sc, mly
10 put on paper.
And what beneficial change OF measure, has
this change of men produced We defy the
most devoted partizan of the reignmg dy
nasty to designate a single par;icula lar in
which any improvement has been made. True,
they have discovered one defaulter-poor Tobi.
as W tkins-and so rejoce1 were they, that
his trial, arrest and punishment may be apty
pictured by imagining a beyy of cannibals,
devouring the body of an enemy. This unfor
,unate case has been constantly advered to,
whenever the proscrptive policy of this admin.
a convicted defauiter as Tobias Watkins is. we
had rather see him still in office than the can't
ing Cromwellte who has superseded him-a
man whose hGnied phrases of self-abasement
aud srll.righteousness, united in the same
breath, never fail TO provoke a comparison
whthe worst of the hyp ocritcal roundheads,
who,wi the name Of God increasingly on their
lips, were mur derers & robbers in their hearts,
and too frequently in their practice. Other
changes have undeniably been made for the
worse--unprincipied partizans superseding
men whose capacity and honesty had'been test
ell and tried-such, for instance, as the ap
pointment OF Hill Swartwout, Moore, Henshaw,
&c. &c.
Bnt leaving this view of the subject, has the
mber of officers been reduced, OF have their
salaries been essened for in This. we imagine,
" rcireHchment" consists Ifthey have beehive
are ignorant Of The fact and we need not as
sure our readers that any thing ofthis sort is
not hid under IA bushel but is proclaimed in
the Government Official with eagernesss,
and thence transferred INTO the BY Authority"
presses throughout the Union. But, what shall
we say. when increase of officers is asked Tor
What sort Of "reirenchmenf' is thus , Add
yet at the solicitation OF that great economist
Mr.. Postmaster General Barry, committee Of
Congress have introduced bill authorizing
him 10 employ TEN additional Clerks, and a
third Assistant Postmaster Genefal !! What
increase has taken place in the business of the
Post Office Department, 10 re quire this increase
in the number oil its Clerks, we are moi inform
ed but we presume they arr necessary to en-
able the Postmaster General TO effect those
contracts by which the mighty saving of $25,
900 per annum was made What he gains
with one hand, he has certainly a right TO
throw away with the other In the diplomatic
department of the government, there has been
greatly increased expenditure amounting,
the present year, to 81 10, 0OO-not $4,000,
as we inadvertently stated in our last paper }
With these facts staring them in the face, how
ever, they still have the unhlushng efIfon,ery |
to talk about reirenchment and reform, and too
many of the people we fear. take what they I
say upon trust, and believe without examina-
tion. There never has been erosser system
of humbug and deception since the world be
gan.
Legislative Dignity - The late session of the
Legislature Of Alabama was distinguished by
great warmth and asperty OF feeling, occasion
ed principally by the investigation of charge
made against the Land Commissioners OF ftaud