The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-12-23

:. and by the selfish opportunities Of apph.
cants tor appropriations for works avow-
: |edly for the accommodation Of the public.
put the real objects of which arc, too
: frequently, the advancement Of private
Interests. The known necessity which 30
, many OF the States will be under to inn
; pose taxes for the payment of the interest
on their: debts, furnishes AN additional and
very cogent reason why the Federal Co
> lvernment should refrain from creating
national debt, by which the people would
,lbe exposed to double taxation for SINH
! lar object. We possess within ourselves
ample resources for every emergency;
and we may be quite sure that our citi-
zens, in no future exigency, will pc I'M
! willing to supply the Government with all
1.-THE means asked for the defence Of the
country. In time Of peace there can, at
Ian events, be no justi6cationfor the crea-
ItionI of a permanent debt by the Federal
Government. Its limited range Of con-
stitutional duties may certainly, under
I such circumstances, be performed with
fout such resort. It has, it is, seen, been
avoided during four syearsof greater fiscal
difficulties than have existed m asimilsr !;
period since the adoption ofbthe constitu-r
ton, and one also remarkable for, the .oesR
curence Of extraordinary causes Of .excr
penditures. 4; ID s"5aG ~ !s:i
But, to accomplish SO desirableean OBJ
liect, two things are Indispensable: first;
I that the action of the Federal Govern
ment be kept within the boundaries PREF
scribed by its founders; and secondly 2.
that all appropriations for objects admit
ted to. be constitutional, and the expendii
ture of them also, be subjected to q stan-. !,
dard of rigid but we'll considered and
practical economy. The first. depends
chiefly ont the people thepselves, the opin- :,
ions they form OF the true construction Of !
the consLution, and the confidence they :,
repose in the political sentiments Of those 1
Ithey select as their representatives in the
Federal Legislature; the second rest'uPoH a
the fidelity with which their more immedi- 3
Fate representatives, and other public :,
functionaries, discharge the trusts com!iz
mitted to them. The duty of economis'
zing the expenses of the public service is'
admitted on all hands, yet there are few
subjects upon which there exists a wider
difference of opinion than is constantly
manifested in regard to the fidelity with
which that duty is discharged. Neither
diversity Of sentiment nor even mutua
(reerimnations, upon point in respect 70,
which the public mind is SO Justly sensify
ttive, can we'll be entirely avoided; and
least, so at periods of great political .ex-p
elements. An intelligent people, how
lever, seldom fail to arrive, in the end, ut
correct conclusions in such matter
Prastical economy in the management Of
public affairs can have no adverse inau-
ence to contend with more powerful than
large revenue; and unusually large ap-
preparations for 1887 may, without doabt,;
| lindependentlyof the extraordinary reqdisi-7
tions for the public service growing out Of
the state of cur Indian relations, be, in:
no inconsiderable degree, traced to this
source. The sudden and rapid distrib1?
ton of the large surplus then in the Trea-
sury, and the equally sudden and unpre.:
cedentedly severe reyulsion ip' the com.
merce and business of the country, poin=s
| ting with unerring certainty to 3 great and
protra cted reduction Of the revenue,
strengthened the prorsiety Of the, earliest
practicable reduction Of the public expen.
ditures. ..>.-. ?:
But, to change system opening upon
so large surface, and applicable to such
numerous and diversified interests and OBJ
iects, was more than the work of day.
The attention Of every department Of the
Government was Immediately, and in good
faith, directed to tha. end; and has been
so continued to the present moment. The
estimates and appropriations for the year
1888 (the first over which 1had 'control,)
were somewhat diminished. The expen.
ditures Of 1889 were reduced six millions
OF dollars. Those Of 1910, exclusive OF
disbursements for public debt and trust
claims will probably not exceed twenty.
two and a half millions; being between
two and three millions; less than those OF
the preceding year and nine or ten mil.
|lions less than those ofsl Nor has it
been found necessary, in order to pro.
t;duce this result, TO resort TO the power