Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-04-25
THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL %, 5

sanction Of the people, will create The necessity for
a powerful S~sasdsag Army--as all times sn object
of Jealousy in q free country, aad which has been
uniformly opposedhy the Republican party through
cut the unioa-leading TO an immense annual drain
upon the Treasury; adding f~eariully to the already
bloated and daily increasing patronage OF the Pre-.
sident, AMI jeoparding tho safety of our institutions,
Regarded as antagonist proposition, therefore, IL
cannot be doubted that a vast majority OF The AmeTi-
can people, and PARTICULARLY 1t the people uf Vim
ginia. viii r~epudiate = plan which ~contemplatcs
and must lead 10 results so repagnsni 10 the pseaic
genius OF the age, and so hostile to oil theire cherish.
ed principles of public policy; and that hey viii,
on the other hand, support that system which looks
TO the distribution of the nett proceeds OF the sales
OF the Public Lands among the several States, to
whom they r~ighttally belong. to be appropriated b,
them TO the cultivation OF the arts of peaee-to the
Improvement oftheir social condition, Ia the deveh
opment of their internal resources, and to the diaa-
sion of education nnd knowledge among the people,
which is the only sure basis Of Republican lnstitu.
tons, and The only certain guarantee Of their pres
ervsiion and purity. On this I" ISSUE thus made
up, and semi-oficially rendered to The people. the
Wings are not unwilling 10 res, the contest which
is soon 10 be decided. And it is a question Of inn
portsnce enough, disconnected from all others. to
excite the dispassionatc reflection Of eyery citizen
who places a proper estimate upon the value Of an
tcphoHlSaA Evsefhfithts aud the tar ana equitable
disposition offs revenues, To the objection some.
times made, tina, the distribution ofthe sum arising
feom tho sales of the public lands will convert the
States into stipendiaries of the General Govern.
ment, il is a conclusive reply. that the States will
not present themselves TO the Government in tue
attitude Of suppliants asking for a boon, but as the
rightful claimants of q fund which belongs TO them.
They will, therefore, be no more stipendiaries than
would be the joint partners OF IA concern, who may
1 nnx.a - utthtsupt y.ns. ~. ka I. al kt. 49, 49,
agent any surplus funds remaining in his possession
boyond the amount necessary to carry into effect
the purposes OF hs agency. The General Govern.
ment is the trustee of the States, for The proper adj
ministraiion of this fund; and If tho States deter.
mine that its equal distribution among themselves
is a more appropriate disposition OF 1t than its es-
pendilure in lining our sea coast and our inland
frontier with "ffowning b~at,lement-, " to give sup
port TO a hireling ~soldiery, they will not permit any
false delicscy to prevent the assertion Of their right
so to dispose oft. The proposition Of Mr.. Benton,
too. is liable to the farther objection, that i, lock.
ultimately, If that inded be MOI 10 primary object,
to tina augmentation of Executive patronage and
power; aud it cannot fail TO be apparent to an On.
prejudtced minds that Mis seems 10 be The desigA
ofoA The leading measures 81 The hdminisarat,on
and Of It's confidential supporters. tiencc, their
hostility to the policy OF +" Distribution which
strengthens the SIates as il weakens the Federal
Government, by diminishing the sources of patron
age whlsh a lavish expenditure OF public money
must necessarily multiply. From this department
o. the Government, in all sges and IN all ecu tries
have aggressions upon popular rightsbee uniform
ly commenced; and unless the American people
shall eradicate, in the FIRST development, this dis.
ease of Our system. they will soon perceive that il
has become too formidable 10 be subdued, Dnlrs.
by a resort to physical force. The monster is now
in its infancy, and may be easily mastered; but II
it be permitted p,uch longer to incrcsse in srs sud
strength, 1t may ultimately prove tho pow olfui even
TO-. the popular will, aud may strange Our liberties
in its Herculenn embrace.
There is very litile probability, however, that
there will ever be a sarysns la the Treasury, unl.ss
the People, aroused from their lcthafg, BY tile over
whelming prodigality Of The Administration, shall
effect a change of rulers. by which means alone the
~sslutary work of Retrsnck,nent and Reform, so of
ten and 40 loudly promised, can be in r-sity com.
menced. During the Administration OF John Quin.
cy Adam, the annual expenditures, exclusive o
the public debt, averaged iittle more than twelve
millions OF dollars. 1biswas denounced as n prodi-
gal waste OF the public money. Committees OF re-
trenchmenr were organized for the purpose OF insti.
tuting a searching scrutiny into the subjects of CO.
vernment expenditure, and to the abo.
lition of useless Offices, and the reduction Of exoibi.
tant salaries; and the most solemn pledges were
given, and reiterated. that the expenditures shonld
be economical and reduced. ifihe people would
transfer the guardianship of the Treasury to Gen,
Jackson and his frieuds. The people were induced,
10y the incessant clamor on this subject, to remove
Mr.. Adams. Gen. Jackson entered upon tho du.
ties of the Presidency with the banner of Retreneh.
ment broadly and pompou.ly displayed. How have
these Wanting promises been Icdsemedi BY a
regular and rapid augmentation of tho public ex.
pendituresl Efforts were probably made, during
the first year OF Gen. Jackson's term, to redeem hi,
r pledge; but il these exertions were made, the,
r were Intellectual, as in that year. (l329) the expeh
ditures were larger than in the proceeding year
tie last of his predecessor term. Ia 1889, the,
} had increased from $40, 500 900 tas ia 1928 TO up
p wards Of so. 000. 900; IN 1884, they were reduce,
to the sum OF $l8, 420 467, four millions less thar
in the year proceeding, but still. ak millions NOR,
n than in the last year of MIR. Adams Administration
/, in 1895. they were still farther reduced TO aboui
$l7, 600, 600 but in 1886. they suddenly ran up ts
the enormous sum Of S29,655 244 in 1887. Il
Q S3l, 538 1870; and in 1888, TO upwards Of $40, 900,
OUU--and, Tor the present year, they are estimates
at S3e, 500, 900, The necessity of ~ snchment il
. now admitted BY all men Of ell parties: but will
these facts before US, we cannot hope for its accom-
I p%lishment as long as the present Administration re
mains in power-the whole policy Of which seem,
TO be the aggrandizemsnt Of the Executive, by at
increase of its patronsge-that very increase obvi
viously rendering necessary heavier expenditures o
the public money.
Ii ia most strangely alleged. by the f,iends of tbs
administration that the Wing party is responsible
for the increased expehdit Ires Of the Government
which those friends fnd II equally impossible to de-
ny. to extenuate or TO excuse. Such an allegation
is hardly worthy of a serious reply. Yetit may mol
be amiss to invite public attention TO the fact, BY
which 1T is clearly refnted, that fromth commence.
rnent ofGen. Jackson's term of service until the
present time, the Administration has always com
manded a majority in one branch Of Congress, and
} generally in both. 1t wa. in the power Of that ma
and useless appropriations, if they had in truth de.
sired to economic TIE expenditures Of The Govern
ment, and to prevent the ~ptodissl waste Of the pub
lie money. But, If from the operation Of local in
terests or other causes. the Executive could not pre-
vail upon its friends in Congress TO unite with Il in
redeeming its promises of q retrenchment and re.
FORM" where was the Prssidential Veto, which