The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1840-08-05
Judge necessary, not exceeding $4,000.
I" Daring the administration Of Mr.. jefferson
the appropriations amounted TO 1926, 900.
"In that of Mr. Madison 10 $4,000.

i In that oil Mr.. Mdolson 10 Sxc.OOO.
"h was in this period that the house VA,
sacked by the British, upou their incursion in
to Washington daring the war. and the furni
ture. which from the beginning. had cost The
nation upwards Of seventy thousand dollars, wa.
wholly destroyed.
AFTER the repair OF the house, in the yeal
1917 and 1918, during the Administration o
Mr.. Monroe, the records show appropriation.
for furnishing it to the aggregate amount OF
$4,000.
"In the administration of Mr.. John Q. A
dams the grants amounted TO $50, 600.
ia that of General Jackson to 80 600; and
"ln that Of Mr., Van Buren, thoy have been
to this time. 5000 000
The statement from which read gives the
date of each law aud the precise appro ropriation
under it,
! Having answered this branch Of the question
Mr.. Lincoln applies himself to the other.
And who is the theft The Congress Of
the United States. the Representatives Of the
People in succs ssiop. through a series Of more
than forty years. These are the men. who by
the appropriations. in the sentiment Of the
msmber from Pennsylvania, Mr.. Ogle.l plum
dered the Treasury and robbed their constilu-
ents i there any individual within the sound
OF my voice whose cheek. does not burn with
indignation at The bare recital of the charge
Where were the seeplcss scntinels Of the Peo
pies rights. the dragon guardians Of the public
chests. when these spoilers robbed it ofits treas
ure Was no arm raised for It's protection
Search the journals Of either House Of Con-
cress aud neither voice nor vote is found against
one OF those appropriations. If they deserve
the character now attempted to be given them
how happens it that in forty years there has
been no resistance 10 their passagei How hap
pens il, indeed. that in the last Congress, of
which this Pennsylvania Of more than Spar .
tan virtue. was a member, no opposition was
offered 10 grants precisely similar to those con
tanned in the present bill!"
Mr.. Lincoln proceeds TO show, in the follow
ing satisfactory manner, that Mr.. Van Buren,
is no more TO blame in this affair than the most
frugal democrat Of his predecessors. and thai
many of those articles Of ornamental furniture
about which Mr. OgIo bias made such clatier
that they were purchased during the
present administration, were in fact purchased
during the time Of Mr.. Monroe.
'Thsnas Jefferson was once accounted n
plain and unprerending democrat. and passed in
his day, for an transformations Chief Magistrate.
and yet we have seen that the sum of S29. 900
was expended for furniture during the period
OF his Presidency; and this, too, in addition TO
the $4,000 previously granted TO his imme
dlate predecessor. The purity and republican
of Mr.. Madison's life and manners
have never TO this time been questioned; yet
10 the $4,000 before appropriated. %, 900 more
were added TO the royal pageantry in the eighl
years Of his administration. Colonel Monroe. |
TOO. WAS he vain glorious aristocrat! He has
he credit, in history at least, Of having resisted
% blood, in the revolutionary conflict, gov
,rnment of royal pride and arrogance and, by
life devoted 10 his country, contributed as
argely as any other to the establishment and
support of institutions Of equal rights and po-
litical equality; yet. ia his administration a
greater expenditure was made in refumishius
the house, after the late war, than under all
his predecessors. What say yeu, Mr.. Chair,
man. of my venerable colleague Mr.. Adams,
Is he net good whig IN principle, and plain
republican in manners And yet he received
whatever benefit resulted from an appropria
ion OF 100000 during the four years Of his
Presidency. added TO the large expenditure
,iade by Colosel Monroe.
Mr.. Ogle. deny that either Adams or
Monroe ever had sue h trumpery as Van Buren |
"Mr. Lincoln. And ! undertake to say
hat, during the Presidency Of Mr., Monroe,
more " trumpery," as the member is pleased to
term it, was carried into the Presidential man.
sion, that under every other Administration, 10
this time, put together.
"Mr. Chairman. il was not my wish TO euier
a, all into this subject. But upon tho denial
Of the member now, | feel bound to refer the
committee to tho fact, apparent upon the bills,
that many of the very articles which have been
pointed ont az most Objectionable were pur.
chased from the appropriation Of $4,000 in
the time of Mr.. Monroe. in point Of truth,
they were purchased by him, and for his own q
account, while Ministerin France. and were af-
terwards taken for tie Government, by apprisal,
on his accession TO the Chair of State. Ay,
sir. this famous golden plateau, and most Of
these gold spoons. and knives, and vases which
have so bewidercd the imagination OF the
member, and shocked the simple virtue Of his
heart, were the purchase Of the Republican
Monroe Aud in application to these even,
there is lesson Of infancy, which may profita-
bly, be remembered, that " all is not gold that
glitters :" for, il am not greatly misiniormsd
the raten, and spoons, and knives, and forks,
are but silver gildod, and the golden vases but
china painted ~
Mr. Van Buren, might as well be charged
with extravagance for living in so costly a man
sion as the White House. II cost the nation
more than hall nllisn of dollars, and nobody
viii deny that Mr.. Van Bursn might be com
lortaSly sheltered in house which cost but
hnndredh part of the money. He i, no more
10 be eensured for living in house which
Congress has furnished for the President. than
for living IN houss which they have built for
him. Mr.. Lincoln says:
"While he Mr. Oslel condemns the ex-
travsgance OF the furniture. he is silent in rs. /
spset 10 the appropriations through which il
was procured These appropriations are he
grants Of legislation by he Representatives. Of
The People. Whose was the work OF construct. 4
ing the costly mansion. and TO what eud was
II reared More than forty years have now
elapsed since The building was erected, at The .
charge of more than half n million OF dollars to
the nation. aud from that time to the present j,