The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-05-07

Gentlemen--I hope none will do me the injustice
to suppose that have any desire to continue cor
fespondence or newspaper controversy with gentle
man, over whom even triumph would not be unat-
tended with humiliation but such is the peculiarly
OF my situation, that should feel that had done
Justice 10 other gentlemen, with whom have been as
scented IL did not take some notice of handful
recently put forth by the Editor OF the Enquirer in
which he has attempted to dsparage them, well as
myself with the people Of Virginia without provoca-
ton and without grounds
Some ten twelve days ago, | read an article in
the Enquirer under the editorial head complaining OF
the statements that had been made by the Wings
in relation TO the increased expenses of the Govern
ment, during the present administration, in which the
writer urged, thai deduction of ten millions should
be made for the public debt which included in
the amount Of expenditure, and which the Wing
Orators had not the candor To acknowledge.
knowing MIR. Richie TO be either amentably ig-
norant OF matters with which he should have beea IA
miiari or wfuy deceptive in Misrepresentation and
having IN my possession an original copy Of tbcu
ment presented 10 Congress in 1888 from Mr. Who'd
bury showing TINT tle amount ofeFpsndtsre srcuSfye
or NE fu6sie debt in the year 1897 was thirty nine
millions one hundred and sixty-four thousand seven
hundred and orty-ive dollars and thirty cents
with some variations, as stated in note appended
thcreto,i thought it would be well TO have that do
Gu nent reprinted and extensively circu tied well
for the benefit of Mr. Richie his readers not
posing that either HE, or the Of the Globe, would
have the temerity to contradict official document
part Oh tne Tcc0rus Oh SOnUFt-s, anu
given under the hand Of one of the heads of Depart
ments.
Iordered several thousand numbers to be struck off
for my own use, and before the type sci up de-
termined to attach to it extracts from the reports
of the Secretary of War and from the message of
the President of the United States relative to this
magnificent project Of 100000 armed militia which it
is proposed 10 give him the power to call out twice
year to perform military duty in any State within the
District he may deem fit.
Al "a
letter for letter, and figure for figure, precisely
az IL was presented 10 Congress, and bound up with
other documents not the dot of an or the eros of
more or less than the Secretary himself had fur
nshed
The whole publication was the work Of my own
hands, and all that the seven gentlemen who signed
the paper, had to do with it, was unite with me in
certifying TO the accuracy of the he'd made
from the reports and message above referred to-the
truth of which have yet had the hardhood 10
dfnyand as they did not certify TO the accuracy Of
the original off rial document, which spoke for itself
hold myself alone RESPONSIBLE for il, as they had
nothing TO do with its publication and not
asked to certify TO IFS correctness they have since IL
Is true, IN Congress- assumed the responsibility and
established It's accuracy beyond question: has been
read in the House by the Clerk, and compared with
the original, and acknowledged TO he accurate in all
its parts.
and profile Prince Of Prcvaricators the of the
Globe announced 10 the world that eight federal mem
hers had pu, forth handful containing statement
of the public accounts calculated to make false
and foul impression the public mind that the
items Of which the aggregates were composed (Which
we had never seen and therefore did not pretend to
qive) were not in factmade up in such way as to
present a state of the public expenses; that the
ndcmnities recovered from France, Spain Denmark,
Naples and other nations were set down, as II by u.s.
rs en expenditure out OF the Ireasu ry--while the
Secretary Of the Treasury himself had said, pub
lished in the document complained Of that the fore
|
IDENTITIES which in 1887 amounted to IS, ,4o4 &c.
being the whole amount be deducted on account Of
indcmnrs and trust funds
The Ed tor IF the ENQUIRER, not satisfied with this
wanton assault official document takes up the
subject where his great leader and prototype had le
off and on the morning of the election, crculates
through the adjacent counties handful Of his own
pronouncng the document garblcd, false and deccp
tive; denounccs the gentlemen who have signed it.
in unneasurpd terms. as secret cabal who have a
prvy purse subsdize the press and undertakes to
furnish his explanations for the Secretary of the
Treasury
OF myself, and the respect my statements are en-
titled to, have nothing to say-and, trust in Vir
gna is not necessary defend myself against any
charge that may be preferred against me BY the En-
qurer whose yilcst SANDER and abuse has been Ia
Wished upon every cool and virtuous in public
life and whose worst censure is esteemed the
highest commnndation; but of the other gentlemen
will say, that the House of Representatives does not
furnish seven more respectable names, the least of
whom would feel himself humbcd and disparaCed BY
having a comparison instituted between himself and
any of the palace slaves that have assaled them
Now only observe the rccklessness of the Elitor
the blindness and the madness with which he aims
his blows the of great election, and his entire
ignorance of the subject which he profers his aid
the Secretary ofthe Treasury in the way ofexpla-
nation, for this enormous expenditure in 1887
" Now for the facts he says:
{" The Wings have most grossly misreprcsented the
expenses under the guise of document, which they
promulgate under the flaming head OF 7" official Sc
which, unexplained may be used to deceive the
people And then to furnish such an explanation
will remove the deception, he proceeds: The fol-
lowing table ofast years proprotion (yiz 1897 is
pronounced BY Hugh A. Garland Clerk ofthc House
of Representatives to be correct" What degree of
gubility must he expect from his readers of half
century, Would not one suppose that in an edi,o-
rial career OF fly years Mr. Richie had learned tho
difference between an appropriation and an cxpendi-
ture But he undertakes to explain the expenditures
81 1881 by showing the appropriations of 1899 And
what else does he do Why he asks that the people
viii discfedh the certificate Of eight members Of Con
gress, and an official document from tho Treasury
Department, and believe stat ament which he says
Is pronounced by Hugh A. Garland to be corr ct
HE docs not even show Mr. Garlands certificate
but asks you to take his word that Mr. Garland did
say that such and such correct statement ofthe
appropriations of 1889, and this explains the cxpen-
dures OF 1887, though furnished by the Secretary OF
the Treasury, in obedience II call of the House as
nc amount ~ expenditure, erciuSire Of the public
ds6t for that year"
But this is not all. lie further shows either his
entire ignorance of the whole matter upon which he
had undertaken to enligh,en his readers or wi! ul
and deliberate misrepres entaon OF the truth We
had no where (be IT observed) spoken of the cxpen
dtures after the year 1887 because we preferred tho
Off 'ial statement, it from the hands of the
Secretary and that document only came down to that
year.
Remember" says MIR RitcSe in his hand-bill,
that the first item OF ten millions was contingently
appropriated by Congress TO be used by the President
IN case there were threatening snns nf var with