The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-05-22


ing extract from sno,her lsusr is additional proof -
Complaint hsd hesn u1grd s9sinsi John spencer re-
csiser a FSn Wayne. Ibdisss aud Mr. Hendrick-,
Senator fda that State. writes letter daied August
3isi. 1880 TO Nj Woodbury., which, after slludng 10
these complaints speaks Of his removal in the following
significant manner: IL would. TO some exisni, pro-
duce sxciienent IL he removed, Cor he has many
warm and Influential friends both al Fora Wayne aud
10 Dearborn county, from which he ed 10 his pre-
sent residences. Better let 10 be-"
To this letier Mr.. Woudbury replies that Col Spen-
Ger wosd probably continue i. Office
Snch ielow-ciilzens. has been the practice Of this
sira,lonsnch has been us principles Of scon.
Such letters would never have been addressed to ndi-
ndaals, whom, the writers thought honest khey were
reflections upon the hnesiy VI the administration
they were declarations Ia substance. that The success
OF the party IN power the chief object to I've ACCOM-
li.hrd though at the expense Of the public treasure
aud the public morals The consequences were ineyi-
table. The whole amount loss by receivers OF public
moneys arising from the sales Of the public Ands.
s'ice Tho foundation Of the Government L. ~ OI3SU
~. Of which there accrued prior 10 Marrh 1879 S2iS-
l59 10 since that time, B825.675 z8-sho~ing that,
since this administration came m near fonf HINES rs
much money has heen lost by receivers under every
other preceding administration Add to this amount,
Swsr~ous dvfalcaiions, aud you have upwards Of Two
millions Of haney lost ia ten years; and intelligence
is just received that the collector a. New Orleans,
James w. Bfeedoye, is defsuter for some SS000
o
large enough 10 pay the ef Virginia for nine
Il viii he said that there will he deauers under oil
administrations True. but if oil is right how dues it
happen thar they should have increased IN the last Few
wears such slann,ng manner But the amount ol
money Iost hut dust tbs balance, when compared
with The Illuminating fact which is already proved that
dsfaulers haze been continued IN office when il was
known they Tere d(aalfers The loss Of money may
make the Gopenmsn poor, but continuing dsfaul,srs an
office, proves IL dishoaesf.
Two questions here present themselves. lst Can
honest people support dishonest administrations
81 Admit il honest, aud then, can prudent people
support an I'd ADMINISTRATION which preserve the
piblc treasured leave you elowci,izens, TO decide
these important questions.
A different state of things existed under the ADM
nsiration Of Gen. Washington. IN 1894, the colec-
tors Of Tappahannoc aud Yorktown Protested the
Treasury drafts drawn upon them Mr.. Hamilton, then
Secretary of the Treasury. informed Gen. Washington
Of il, aud they removed although some Of the
drafts were paid before notice received Of Their
protest Mt single Instance Of failure TO comply
with the law was then permitted TO pass without ex-
pulsoa from Office.
Alb Has the present administration disregarded pub
lie opeion, aid Instead Of obeyng. attempted 10 con
troll and direct ii This is a question Of deep and
vital importance Il involves the principles Of repre-
sentative government In government Of the people,
public officers The chosen instruments by which the
people NAV do that which they cannot he present in
person do. Representatives sent 10 the Lrgls
atnres and Congress, do what the people would do
were they present; with the President, he chosen
10 do exactly what majority Ut the people oil the
United States would do, we're they present themselves
in Washington When therefore, President disre-
CARDS public opinion, aud attempts To control and d.
he foryets that he is the seroant Of the people,
aud claims 10 he their muster.
The history Of the Specie Circular and Suhtreasnry
bill, shows total disregard Of public opinion and an
open attempt to control AID direct it. Many Of the
warmest supporters Of the Administration condemned,
most decidedly. the Specie Circular" bill to
annul it, passed both the Senate and House Of Repre-
senstives by overwhelming majorilies. IN the Senate
by vote Of Al to in the House Of Representatives
by vote Of i43 To 50. Gcu Jackson, receiving this
bill within the last days Of the session Of Congress
aud Of his administration. did sanction or veto
it, but withheld nnti the adjournment OF Congress-;
and in this manner il failed to become law. The
preston Of the public Interpretations Of this measure.
not less decisive because the law not passed.
and Mr. Van Buren, came into ofi:e fully apprised Of Il
Did he carry out his proessed principles, when he sd
hered TO this in the teeth Of puhlic sentiment.
as expressed by the representatives Of the people, Did
he not disregard public opinion! The effect Of this
circular to hasten il not produce, the suspension
OF specie payments which took place ia May, 1887 -
Indeed, il Predicted, by Of both parties that
such would he the result
The Suhrcasury bill is still stronger evidence Of
Mr. Van Bnrens pertnscity in resisting and opposing
the will Of tho people II should be recolecied that
this Sub treasury proposed collect the whole revenue
Of the country gold and silver alone, and place it
under the charge and custody Of agents appointed by
the President, The Same scheme had been proposed
during Gen, JAckson's administration, not by him or
his friends, for II then opposition and
denounced as dangerous to puhl,c liberty. There were
240 members Of Congress only SO voted for it--of
that 33 only one friend Of the Administration.
IN 1895, this same scheme denounced still more
vehementlv. the administration. through its organ
n r. .s~1..
dangers "by enlarging Executive power. and pntng
IN his hand the means Of corruption; transferring
the public money directly into the palms OF Executive
agents, the friends and partzans Of the President, in
stead OF keeping il deposite in bank. whence y can
not be drawn for other than public purposes without
certain detection aud thus exposing il TO be plumber
ed BY hundred hands, where cannot now reach
IT," And still later. the Richmond Enquirer denounc-
ed the Sub treasury as increasing Executive power
already too great for Republic !" as creating 1.-TWO
currences, the better for the Government the baser
one for the people" These were powerful and unan.
swerahlr objections TO the Snh-trrasury scheme and
produced on the public mind decided opposition to
the measure. THIS opposition was repeatedly and un-
eqnivocally expressed. Aud It created no little sur
prise, when the President in the face Of all this, re.
commended it to the adoption Of Congress and still
greater surprise that after It's rejection by Congessh
should be again urged upon its consideration
The ohiecl,ons to the Snb.ueasury have not, and
cannot il, my Judgment. be answered. But were ] IN
favor Of the measure, would not sustain Mr.. Van
Buren, in his opposition TO the will Of the people The
principle is dangerous and alarming cannot compre-
bend the political lejgerdemain by which this measure,
that obnoxious to p,bc liberty, when proposed
and supported by few Wings, stripped Of all Its OBJ
jections. that il receives the Presidents
mentalion. Il would seem that a measure which
dangerous and destructive to the of the
Try few years ago. would be equally now. But
the .'Magcian's" wand work wonders and we
now see that which, short time since was hideous
and deformed, beant ful and lovely
II may he asked, what plan wonld support for the
saiekeeping Of the pablo funds replv that would
give my sanction to scheme which did not divorce,
far sspracticable, the Government from the money
OF the schemes heretofore proposed would prefer the
E" Special Deposife SYSTEM" Properly regulated,
do not doubt il could I've made to carry safely and
successfully the operations Of the Government. The
State Banks certainly keep bark notes securely