The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-03-30
THE ADDRESS OF THE HUMBUG Loco
FOCO VAN BUREN, sUB-TREAsURY
VIRGINIA CONVENTION.

i speaking Oh The detalcations, that ADDRESS
says
"We know, indeed, that there have been hume
rous deaulting officers under every Administration
and, II the amount of deialcations have increased
within few years, II Is TO be ascrbed 10 the vast
amount Of additional endilures-to the large sums
passing through the hands Of the collecting and dis
bursting officers, which no system Of keeping the
| public moneys can prevent; 10 The additional num-
Der Of officers and 10 the wild spirit OF speculation
which has, within that period, been carried TO such
excess, corruping and demoralizing every class Of
society"
This is new idea, that aif the amount of
defalcations has increased within few years,
it is to be ascribed to the vast amount Of adj
ditional expenditures" and to the large sums
passing through the hands Of "dis6using
o6icers." This is in direct contradiction OF,
and goes into the very teeth Of all the asser-
tions made by the President, the Secretary of
the Treasury. and all the advocates of the
Sub-treasury in Congress, from Messrs, CAL
HouN and WRIeHT down even to JOHN NoR-
WELL. One Of the strongest arguments urged
by them in favor Of the Sub-reasury and the
safety Of the public money in the hands Of
Executive officers, was the small amount that
has been lost during the last twenty years by
the "disbursing officers y Behold now
these jealous friends Of Mr. VAN buren, and
the Sub-treasury in Virginia, have just dis
covered that, the increase OF defalcaiions du-
ring the last few years, is owing to the sad
ditional expenditures" and TO the large amount
passing through the hands Of " disbursing
officers ~
These defalcations, we are informed by
this assemblage of wisdom, must continue TO
take place, because "no system Of keeping
the public money can prevent them! Here
again, the address contradlcts Mr.. Van Blu
ren's positions and arguments. He told us
that, the Sub-treasury scheme was to prevent
defalca,ons in future. Give him and his Off
GERS the entire control and keeping Of the
public money, and there would be no more
defalcations.
TO this convention of wise men, we are
indebted for another nep cause that led to
these defalcations, viz: the wild spirit Of
speculation" in its excess "corrupting and
demoralizing every class Of society," Why
did not the sapisnt gentlemen inform the peo-
pie whom they addressed, who it was that
encouraged and stimulated the spirit 81 specu-
lation Of which they spoke! We hardly
think they could have been aware who they
were hitting We will tell them. The blow
falls on the administration itself Let them
look at Mr.. WooDBuRY's letter to the deposite
banks in New York, dated the 3lst Decem-
Der, 1895 they will find he called on them to
"aid' him in devising some plan whereby
the surplus money Of the Government, then
in their hands, beyond what they could loan
out amounting to many millions Of dollars)
could be loaned out. This, too, at a time
when tn. spirit Of speculation was then ra-
ging wild, and after those very banks had ap-
piled to him 10 aid them in checking it!
The Convention proceed in their address
and say:
"All that the Chief Magistrate can do in such cases.
without other legal enactments dismiss the officer
his default is reported to him or, If has
been concealed through the cupablc neglect Of the
counting controlling officers, TO discharge them, too,
without delay, whatever intercession may be made in
appointing power has too often to depend upon the
Communications Of others, and is TOO frequently deceived
in his selections This incident to the nature Of his
duty, and cannot be imputed crime. He is culpa-
BILE oily, when he retains worthless incumbents, after
proof Of their guilt or incapacty. Such, admit he
ought Immediately to DISMISS regardless Of the cry Of
prescription which be raised by capous par
iizans, and have every hope and believe
that he will perform this duty faithfully
And why were not the HARRls's, BorD's,
SpENcER's, LYNN's, and scores Of others who
are now defaulters to a large amount, dis
missed by the Chief Executive Magistrate as
soon as it was discovered that they were de-
faultersl Why were they continued in Office
months, nay, years thereafter 1t was, be-
cause they were active and influential friends
of the administration who were told, Bet
TER LET THEM BE-"
Says the address, :" He 1.-THE Presidency is
culpable only when he retains worthless in
cumbents, after proof Of their guilt or incapa-
city" 1t continues, "Such, we admit, he
ought Immediately to dismiss" Now we
wish to see whether the Contention were sin
cere in uttering these doctrines, or whether
they are mere sham, got up for the purpose
of deluding the people Of the Old Dominion.
In this they have prescribed to the Chief Exc
cutive what they regard to be bis duty; which,
they say, they l." have every reason to hope and
believe that he will faithfully perform" 1.-The
does not do it, then, according TO their own
showing, he will be "culpable." Now let us
see If he will do it.
Besides " accounting" and "comptrolling