The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-15

cluded from Office 7 Did he not, on the contrary,
subsequently rise from grade to grade OF public APP
poinment until be reached the Presidential chair
| And were the who promoted him, guilty Of high
| crimes and misdemeanors1 Let II not be supposed
thai am jusiying the proceedings Of the Secretary
OF The Treasury, or passing judgment upon those
men who are said 10 be public deiaullers am do
| ing no such thing, ! have undertaken simply 10
| show that The gentleman from Virginia Is ignorant
of the principles upon which an impeachment should
be based, unless he has other evidences OF guilt be-
sides those exhibited to-day But Is il not time 10 be
done with defamation and inveclve (for which the
gentleman has much lalenD upon this subjects
II the Secretary be guilty lei The gentleman bring
forward a specific tangible charge Let him sub
NH resolution declaring that therein and then the
secretary OF The Treasury did IN act calling Tor his
Impeachment, and therefore ! arraign him before
The bar OF this House and before the bar Of public
opinion, Let this he done, and ! pledge myself
solemny 10 do justice in the matter. know that
have party attachments. They are strong ! can
not buI feel partially for men with whom have
fought many hard battle 10 what we esteemed
good cause. But know thai can dlveSt myself Of
all prejudice and give an impartial vote when the
issue is made up in due form between the Secretary
and his accuSers.
| Before close my remarks, desire 10 say very
few words in reply 10 the gentleman from South
| Carolina, MIR. Thompson.) He much mistakes in
supposing that intend 10 palliaie The delacaons Of
| the friends of the Administration by showing that
| their opponents were no better
In repelling the assertion that the friends of this
administration dreaded the publication Of list Of The
names Of these deiauers, / referred TO the known
lac, that there are on the list men of both political
parties now existing, and Of all parties which have
| ever evi'ed in this country. These men were not
put in office by Gen Jackson and his successor alone
Some Of them have been appointed by each of The
other Presidents ofthe United States. This circum-
stance was adduced 10 show that no particular party
has cause 10 dread The publication and republication
OF these documents. Let them be published, and lei
us instead OF eliminating and discriminating, for
mere party purposes, profit by The past and, looking
TO the great and vital interests involved guard five
can against recurrence Of similar evils hereafter.
But let not the friends OF economy now, any time
hereafter be driven or dragooned into a lavish and
extravagant expenditure OF money by printing an
| unreasonable number Of copies Of any document
whatever. Gentlemen tell us there are $4,000 vo-
ters in New York, and nearly an equal number in
| Pennsylvania. Well, what then Are we 10 pub
liSh one copy of these documents for every voter in
the United States No man has proposed measure
OF that monstrous character Then, il that is not 10
be done, some medium between no publication at all
and the printing OF millions of copies Of large docu-
mens must be adopted, and that medium seems TO be
10 print sufficient number 10 furnish with copy
each editor OF periodical newspaper each legis-
| laior, and each public library in The Union, and
leave few copies TO each member OF this House for
general distribution. When that has been done, we
should touch the public money no further II a more
general diffusion Of information than is 10 be had
here Is desirable, each member can, out OF his own
private funds get the means, and in expenditures OF
lhat character my constituents have not had and ne
yer will have, cause to charge me with parsmony
Mr.. MERCER had heard with great regret the
name OF MIR Monroe introduced in this debate
having been deiauer to Government. II might,
perhaps, have arisen from the circumstance that he
had mentioned, at his seat that far back The adj
ministraiion of Mr.. Madison ii had been the prac-
ice TO publish the names Of defaulterS and that Mr..
Monroe'S name had been so published. He might
have added the name of Timothy Pickering also,
which was published under similar charge The
publication Of Mr.. Monroe happened in a singular
manner A box of public account books had been
wheeled on its way 10 another place. into the Office
OF Benjamin Franklin Bache, of Philad.lp ha, edi-
tor OF The Aurora, who had copied the debit side
alone OF Mr. Monroe's account with the government,
in which it appeared that he was debtor to the
amount of SSSO,00O and published il in tina, paper.
Mr.. Monroe was then sick in Albem2Te county,
Virginia; yet he rose from his bed and mounted his
horse, drew out his account and Immediately had
settled This was a different matter from the final
settlement of his account after leaving the Presiden-
cy. II was the custom of the Treasury 10 charge
public officer with all the sums paid him account
OF his salary and not 10 credit him by his services
hence he stood on the books debtor when he did
not owe iarthi2g This might occasion some of
the statements in document No Ill, which had Gre
ated SO much Amusement. Mr.. M. said he had no
idea that these cases had the slightest analogy 10
those of these land receivers; and he would under
take to say that more scandalouS correspondence
he had never listened TO in his life than that which
had taken place between these men and the Secreta
ry OF the Treasury; and he was prepared to sustain
an J parchment OF that officer whenever il should be
moved in the House.