The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-12

.1S"' M :" ocacneu ana imperfect portions. aids
20 an argument IN support Of some particular view All
tue benefit Of the mutual explanations they afford Of
e interpretation VI one paper or Transaction by another
10 the same series, would be lost the public and the
speech or the essay would embody only such as might
pe made subservent TO its particular design He trusted
mere was no portion Of this House that would ayow
desire TO withhold from the people such important proofs
Of aets until they could be made pass through the
ehsruum Of such processes these and be therefore
hoped that the objection to the printing would be
further pressed
Mr. WISE said he should have thought no objection
moua nave been made by any member OF the admins
.a'ion party to the printing Of document which had
!e name and authority the Department itself for the
information It contained. The gentleman from Michi.
gan, tmr Gary, said should throw out false inor-
himself
nut suppose that individuals had since settled
,e'r accounts Did that alter the fact Or could it
pe SAID That false information was spread abroad when
we document itself would show that the Secretary him
sen had connired at the defalcatonsi il the docu-
meh's had emanated from the members Of the Wing
ParyIthe Federal bank,es, as they were called-he
son'u nave expected that opposition would have been
maue out coming from whence il did, what objection
could be made Were gentlemen afraid Of their own
documents Were they afraid of their own reports I
The gentleman from Michigan said that to print this
document filed here from the Department ITSELF and to
distribute @oooo copies among the people, worse
".
seemed that one Of the party least had nerve enough
to take the ground assumed in lS36-that it would be
actual fraud to publish information in regard TO those
who were not dcaulters. That was not what he (Mr.
was aiter what he wanted was, TO publish to the
world the in which the Secretary himself had
performed his duty He (Mr w could file articles Of
impeachment this day. only that the Secretary
guilty OF gross neglect, but Of corrupt neglect He
couu snow not less than twenty specifications for art
eies OF impeachment in this very document If the House
would entertain them, and If the Senate would try the
impeachment Give us light said Mr. W. not the
ght OF my speeches, but the light which is to be found
In your own documents. will try you out Of your own
month"; and IN the language Of Scripture, you are al
ready condemned TO your consciences, like an old
and hardened sinner, without the law. You cannot
Withhold this information, which you yourselves have
sent to the House.
Mr.. BOON said il was little singular that no sub
Ject could be introduced into this House without most
violent attack being made on the administration He
understood that the document which gentlemen were
now DESTROYS to have epublished had been published
heretofore and thrown out to the country,
Mr.. Wise here understood TO say that it had
only been printed for the MEMBERS for the SPECIAL
information Of the peope.l
Mr. Boon said that it enough that it had gone to
the people through their representatives this floor
What proportion would twenty fifty thousand copies
bear to the aggregate amount Of the dear people of this
country, Tor whom certain persons in this Hall profess
ed so tender regard for particular purposes Here
was to be another item of extravaganza set down. He
was one OF the friends Of the administration, and no
not afraid that any and every thing should 60 to the
people whom he had the honor represent they had
heard the truth before But he not prepared to
60 for such wastefu expenditure Of the public money
as was here proposed.
Mr. CRARY repeated that one Of the documents
would not furnish correct information to the people 1t
was known that persons had there been put down
detauters at had m
hands more than covering the amount charged against
them. Many Of them had since been settling up from
quarter 10 quarter. The document therefore, did not
set forth the facts In order give the people
information, would be necessary to call on the De-
parmen to know who had settled their accounts, and
what the actual condition of the accounts Of ind
vduals at the present time As to being afraid send
forth documents to the people, he had fear of the
kind. He cared not how many documents were printed
If their publication needed. Let the gentleman
from Virginia (Mr Wse) call for correct information
and he (Mr, c. would vote for it, But let not the
gentleman cry "peculaton peculation" unless he
prepared with the proof His (Mr C.'s) constituents
did not ask of him to furnish them with stale and gone
by information. They wanted information of things
they existed at the present time.
Mr.. W.THOMPSON said that, since he had held
seat on this floor, he never before remembered in
in which the prominent Of the party had
fused to print the largest number Of document not
emanating from the opposition, but from the party them
selves and department of the Government. The
opposition had long stood in this position that the
only light which they could get was dragged forth, ex
torted from the public functonares of the country All
we want MIR I. continued is light. II ever the
prayer Of Ajax, give great God, but light" were
applicable to the condition Of any party, is here in
reference to the opposition Give light and victory
and triumph await that party.
What Is the objection pade TO this document? It's,
that it is stale. Probably it may be So Probably it is
obsolete. Probably peculaton will now be aclnow-
lodged be, it truth, the order of the day, and
honor and integrity are obsolete. If they not OBJ
solee there facts contained in this document which
never can become So There is one single fact in that
document the publication Of which, looking to it even
in pecuuiary point Of view, is worth hundreds and
thousands Of dollars What is it 1t is that which
so much stress has been laid by the gentleman from
Mississippi Mr. Prentiss and previously by the gen.
tleman from Virginia, [Mr Wise,l that whilst your
President now with alacriiy rushes not only upon Swart
won't, but upon his securities, by summary process,
almost if not quite, violation Of the Constitution, the
Secretary of the Treasury has, in another instance per-
mitted the law to sfmber from day to day, and from
year to year. with the knowledge Of the most gross
pecuations-not pecuations simpy-that is too soft
term for such fragrant dishonesty. Take the case given
Yesterday lchcrc a puts dorm 10 himself PUBLIC
LANDS SOLD WHEN THEY HAD NOT BEEN SOLD,
and then has not The honesty TO pay eren that small
,nodicum ,cith 1chich he has charged himself
Blu, there are collateral enormes in all these acts
The act which the President says deserves nothing than
the gnominious punishment Of fclon is not only
nived at but premium offered for it, Here is a man
whom the Secretary has been supplicating-not dis
missing with the prompt Indignation which ought to
have followed such proceedings-bu suppicating, from
day to day, to give up the money which he had taken
Aud yet this very re-apponted after the per-
peraon of repeated acts which, the President says
ought be made felony Let the people have the facts,
The people Of this country honest at the Give
them light let them that their functonares have
done thus and thus, and my life upon the result.
But this document is stale. When did it become
stale 1t be stale until corruption prevails
all the land. Here convicted Of frauds,
who are not only tolerated. but re.apponted TO Of
fee say in sincerity, that believe that ithe people
will submit acts of this kind they longer capa-
BILE OF selEgovernment. They no longer fit to be
free, for they no longer honest. The gentleman
IL 1 aC faut