Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-01-18
VERMONT PHOENIX
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY MORNING, BY
VIM. Il. RYTHER.
MIR. MENEFEE's

following sketch is from the Bost Atlas.
Gen. Thompson, OF South Carolina, advo
Gated with great spirit and force the motion
20 print. f. wished the whole OF the ex-
traordinary facts which these documents
contained 10 be known TO the country. He
wished the people TO understand that altho
the government is now pursuing Swartwout
and Price with such severity, Fastening 10
prosecute their suretics, aud to bring their
property 10 the hammer the President and
the Secretary of the Treasury siumbercd for
years orer defaicatioas 10 an enormous AMI
OF WHICH THEY HAD FULL KNOWLEDGE
Defalcation, did | say, Exclaimed Mr.
Thompson,) No ! not that alone but down
right dishonesty-double fraud. These high
functionaries, it is evident, from the cores
pondence, connived at, offered premium
for the pefpeuiaiion of that which they now
profess wish 10 s,igmat'se as felony. He
wished the country TO understand that.
The President and Secretary had reap
pointed TO Office men whom !hey regarded as
defauters--as public robbers. HIS wished
that fact spread before the people.
Whatever matter of an excusatorv char
acter might be presented, he was willing to
distribute quite as widely. Only lei the ma
ton have the truth "Giye me but light and
Ajax asks no more u
Mr.. Menefee said that this was simply
proposition TO print, for the use OF the people,
certain official documents in relation to the
defalca,ion Of public officers. In itself this
was small matter and the sensation which
i, has so evidently produced amongst the AID.
minislraton party in the House, might TO
some be quite surprising To me, sir, (said
he,) is by no means surprising. 1t is the
flutiering pulse. which though unobserved
by others. denotes to the physician the aw-
full malady which RACES within. Even TO
my unskilfnl touch ii bcspeaks disorder and
impending dissolution. The proposition
designs to place before the country authentic,
official indispuia6Ie facts, illustrating the
manner in which the Administration has
been for years past conducted.
Nation knows, chiefly through mputatons
Of Erecutiee corruption and abuse against
the party which preceded it. For all This
imputed guilt the Administration ofthat day
was held responsible. A change Of admin
istration was the remedy proposed, upon
which the people were promised ehectual
reform OF existing, and total and uncondi-
tional exemption from all future evils re-
peat, sir, he Administration was held res
ponsible for every evil, and not altogether
without cause.
Well, sir, the Administration was chang
ed and the reign Of reform and of immacu-
late virtue and purity has proceeded. with
out instruction, for ten years.
Many persons. both in Congress and Out
Of it, looking to the principles on which the
Administration was acting, have pronounc-
ed. and openly and repeated charged. that
corruption and abuse, OF the mos, atrocious
description. had found their way into the
Administration and that an investigation
thorough and unsparing-w ould fully es'
tablish il. Sir, these charges were denounc-
ed as mere iactious defamation they were
denied; unspotted purity, was claimed for
the Administration and all Investigation
denied The people, sir seeing an aceusa-
fidn on one hand denied on the other-all
proof being exclnded-charably presumed
The innocence OF the accused. They were
probable right in doing so. Ii displayed. nj
least, virtuous incredibly OF crime.
But, sir. Of late, in spite of professions OF
saintIiness, of " reform" and OF all the other
engines which the party could devise, the
fact appears that The most tremendous abuses
and cor,upiions erist which have ever dis
figured and dsgraced any Administration
Facts appearing, too, By The acknowledgment
Of The Administration itself! Facts calcu-
lated to strike the public mind like thun-
defboltl Facts unwilling forever, the by
pocrisy and hollowness Of all promises and
professions of purity and reform and estab-
fishing forever, the abuse and corruption Of
the practices OF the Administration
IL is now ACKNOWLEDGED that MILLION
UPON MILLION of the peoples money has
been s1ailowed up IN the botionriess gulf Of
official defaLeatioa Partizan ehrontery
and prostitution shrink from deniall
These facts, sir, and these acknowledge
nents it is the object ofthe present PROPOSE
ton TO disclose to the nation. 1t is resisted
BY whom2 The "reformers poiiti-
cal saints. of the Administration
Sir, il is amazing that any party should,
under any circumstances, resist such prop
osition. 1t is doubly amazing that This par
ty should. But il is unspeakaby more ANA
zing that The reason should he assigned
which has been What, sir, do you sup
pose that reason to be2 Sir, the reason
puts shamelessness itself to shame 1t is
what? ECONOMY!!! II costs money to
furnish the facts to The people T. Economy !
Economy in the mouth Of party which
has. by its own official Acknowledgements,
raised the public expenditures from twelve
millions and a half to near forty millions Of
4 a ~ A l.