The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-02-08
But this is not the grand difficulty. We


less to believe that our friends who are in
office are unworthy to remain there so thtv
'oond DC turned out forthpifh. Aguin. they
profess to have mortal hatred for office
holders and, of course, none of them could
DC ,c'ning TO I'LL the vacancies Here
would he one the greatest calamilies TINT
ever befcl free people-aH the offices Of
me country rdednt, and no one to I'll them
One portion of the country would be too
bad, and the other too good, to have any
hing To do with public office, honor, or
emolument!
Bn' upon tho subject of money, Of mer-
'enary notifies and influences, who has
shown the strongest inclination to resort TO
such means 10 control public sentiment =
Who are the friends of banks, of the Bank
Of the United Sta,esl who are willing to
sell extraordinary privileges for bonuses
payable IN money! Who are the support
ers OF lands bills and distribution bills? l
do not speak of the deposite bill of the last
session. That was sustained by IA major
ny Of my own political friends driven TO
II, IN some measure, by the force of circum-
stances, which they could not fully control;
but ! nllude To II permanent system, by
which money for which the Government, has
no use Is to he drawn from the pockets Of
the people; aud, after paying four or five
sets OF public men for collecting it, for legis-
latlug upon the subject, and for distributing
II AGAIN, we return To the State Governments
the bllance, to be expended in such man
ner rs they may direct. The General Gov
ernmcnt has no right to do this-n is a
fraud upon the people. The revenue should
be cut down so as 10 meet the wants of the
Government, aud nothing more leaving all
tho fruits of individual industry beyond that
in the peoples pockets, to be disposed of
as each man may think proper. Such is
the democratic doctrine; but the opposition
will not go for this.
The indications have been already given
TO the country. There is to be coalition.
between portion of the South, and the
intercs of the North. The
preservation of the "public faith" is to be
the pre,eNt for collecting a surplus. The
compromise blll' is said To have pledged
the public faith VIVA, an absurd,y is
this Sir, would regard violation Of
the faith OF the nation with as much horror.
as any gentleman in or out of this House.
A naiion without faith is like an individual
whose reputation has been totally destroyed:
they are both very properly excluded from
oil honorable associations. But how has
public faith been pledged in this case Z
Can two or thee prominent members of
Congress make an arrangement, aud obtain
the passage Of law which is to bind nll
Postcriy1 Have they any more power
than their successors; and, if SO, whence
did they obtain it The idea is prepos,er-
Gus. If they could bind US for ten years.
they can do SO for fifty or hundred and
what becomes of popular liberty The
" compromise act' is Of no more authority.
than any other law Of Congress, and can be
repealed or modified nt any time we may
think proper. II will be sustained, how
ever, ] have no doubt aud an enortpous-
amount of taxes thus levied upon The pco-
pie to be divided out ngain keeping up
swarms Of unnecessary officers, and enrich
ing one portion of the community at the
expense of another The money is never
returned TO the men who earned it.
Again, II is charged uron this admin sta
tom tlut it has Increased the onnunl ex-
pendiiuros to a large amount. Why do
not gentlemen have the caudor to tell the
people He cause ofthis inc,1de 2 II is 10
be found in the Increased population, ofli--
ccs, and wants Of the Government in the
appropriations for various national objects,
Notifications, navy, &C. &c. The re-
movaI Of The Indian tribes west Of the Mis-
sssipp, The purchase Of their lands, and
the wars we have had with them, are some
of the principal items. Has there been ANY
unnecessary expenditure IL so, point it
out Let us know what it is aud then we
will ask ourselves ~hy we oppropriated the
money.
So Of the corruption, Of Which we hear
so much. In what does il consist Who
has been guilty Of Tin what department
or bureau is it 10 be found 7 wha, is its
character General. charges arc easily
made !; but they are too Yidefnite. Let gen
tlcmcn assume the responsibility Of making
distinct charge. Ia private life, if one
man iustigates II prosecution against anoih-
or for an offence, and it turns out upon in
yestiS SA,ion that there is no foundation for it,
and not even probable cause Cor its com
mencement, The prosecutor is liable to an
action Of damages for the injury done to in-
dividual reputation. Are the characters Of
public men less valuable to them than those
of private citizcnsl Arc they not equally
under the protection ofthe lawl True, the
prosecutor here might not be liable to an ac-
lion; hui if there should turn out to be
neither ground for the charge, nor good rea-
son for institu,ing the inquiry, public senfi-
ment would render that justice to all con-
cerned, that is administered, in the other
case, by the Judiciary of the country.
If any gentlemen will rise in his place,
and state that lie has good reason to be-
lieye, from information upon which he car
rely, iha, fraud and corruption do exist il
n PAL ticular department, either naming hi