The Madisonian., 1840-02-13

possibly disappear altogether.
Who will say that the credit thus claimed in the
anxlees OF electioaeering Campaign Justly due
Lei the friends OF the administration single
instance in which reirenchment has been brought
| by Mr. Van Buren What Office has be abolished
what clerk dispensed wltll--what foreign minister
held TO his post, 20 ouiht--what abuse, in
short, OF any kind corrected Il is notorious, and so
the estimates show, that this boased reduction found
IN the abandonment Of military operations in Florida
which, under mbecIiy and Encouragement, had
swcled up TO inghful charge. II the necessity for
that expenditure had ceased the merit of economy be-
longed not the President but it. M Iepuatlon at
The approach Of the canvass, the had been inglo
nously abandoned, If the Of public properly
was TO tOke new and disguised form, readily
estimated 10 money, then here ought 10 be deeper
sentiment Of indignation than might have been directed
! at a mere empty elrciioneering flourish.
But II remained TO point li,e arul paragraph
Of the Message. After glouylng himself about the
ducuon and promising great things !" so far as de-
peds upon me-, he thus gives cer 10 his parlissns,
and prepares the public mind look with odlum upon
Congress.
"Ihesc are circumstances that impose the necessity
Of rigd economy, aud require its prompt and
exercise WrH LEGISLATURE the power
and duty oil adjusting the public expenditure
promote this end BY the provision OF the Constitution
II Is only IN consequence OF appropriations made BY law
that money eau be drawn from the Treasury. No IN
stance has occurred, since the establishment Of the
| Government, IN which rHE ExEcurvs, though com.
ponent part OF the legislative power, has inerposed
objection appropriation bill the sole ground Of
IT'S cx,ravagance His duty, IN this respect. has been
considered FULFILLED by requesting such approprd-
mons o"y as the public service may be reasonably e.
pcctcd 10 require"
Can any man, not wifully blind fail to see tho pur-
pose and dnlt OF the anxious and elaborate contrast be-
tween the President and the Legislature Every dol
lar demanded by the estimates denounced before
hand as lavish expenditure. The Presdegt had re-
Jcctcd II from the estimates because such as the
public service may be expected TO require Let Con-
gess renstate At heir peril The materials for de-
nunclaton furnished. The President states The
amount OF his estimates the newspapers published by
authority, will give the ultimate Of appropriation
al the end Of the session The difference is found by
a simple rule OF arithmetic. That difference the people
are led believe, the price they pay for
plex form Of government despotism would save II.
Y is the unhappy power Of Congfess TO intemeddlc
with appropriations that cause pruhlgate waste. And
how IDLE. SIR as the President well knows Will be
talk to the People about Executive control the
purse, if their minds be pre.occuped with belief
that this very fact will them from annual tax Of
seven millions Of dollars!
II was humlat'ng to an American to note the misc
rsblc straagcms which had been csorted to order TO
keep up the deluslon. Aside from this of the
Cumberland Road how II to the bill for the
cd occupation of FLORIDA II was proposed, by that
measure, TO give away three millions Two hnndr~ thou
sand Of The choicest lands, TO be selected at will
by settlers This land had been bought from Spain in
1919 by money paid out Of The public Treasury II was
proposed, also, to spend immense IN cash upon
these settlers Bat dollar appeared in the esti-
mates Yet it was proclaimed as an Administration
measure. The gratitude Of the South was claimed for
It accordingly. The Commanding General in Florida
had beer denounced the floor Of the Senate, by the
author Of that bill for prcsnmig TO express unayor
able oplnon oil aprolect sanctioned by the Admnista-
lion. The result that after answering local par.
~ purpose quarter, II would subserve, IN other
quarters the great general purpose Of deception indIcat-
ed by the Message
Again as TO the additional military force for Flo
rida The President asks for one thousand men.
| Yet he had Ike, - this item out of The estimates! A
/ Whg member of The Committee on Military At
fairs (Mr. Thompson) consents 10 be visible in re-
porting bill. My honorable friend whose dsposi-
ton involves loy ignorance OF such ariihceS! Is
! thus made 10 play into the hands OF the deceiyerS
The President gets credit with the South; he gets
all The patronage; and we shall have this piece Of
! Wing extravaganza 10 encounter next fall!
/ The subject OF HgAt.honscs was Of deep inte-
rest The reputation Of the country the interests OF
commerce, and the claims of humanity. were alike
involved. Every one must have been surprised al the
| omission in lhs estimates MIR. b. had ascefiained
that, after keeping out this item from the esm ates
which got up TO sustain the Presidents boast,
the Fillh Auditor had been sent 10 the Conmittee on
| Commerce with urgent enreaties TO report in favor
OF lighthouses 10 an amount exceeding two hundred
and seventy live thousand dollars, an that various
/ other nts were an nxiouSly indicated.
/ Mr. B. sid that he sickened al such exhibitions.
! Can il be that an intelligent and generous people
]
/ pitiu conspiracy TO foster discomfort at their own
free insuonsl The frank and manly spirit of
| the West, he knew, would revolt tIom the spectacle.
| Suppose the president Of board OF commissioners
to expend public money should attempt to- get false
reputation for himself and 10 decry his associates by
hnling that ne was opposed 10 certain expenditures,
but. was over-ruled; that he could not control the
majority, &c. and II appeared, aiterWaIds that ne
had silly countenanced hat very expenditure would
not storm Of Indignation arise Could such a
man ever pretend 10 show himself as candidate :
/ What was The difference, in morals, between ga n
ing reputation by false pretences, and gaining money
| By false precncesl
| Sir 1t Is not mere matter Of personal feeling or
calculation to resist such attempts. Something is due
to the station we occupy. We must not bring 1t need
lessly into odium, The question higher than mere
party. For two months have been circulating this
message at the public expense, far and wide 1t con-
lains what may be employed in connexion with
hls TO do vital injury to the representative
principle. 1t is matter Of grave reflection whether, If
1 VIC take no active measure disabuse the public mind
yet becomes to peril great and permanent interests
by falling quietly into the trap that Is laid for We
hold tins high office IA trust lor The People, and
I not in hands he tarnishcd or betrayed.
4 There consumnatc dexterity in the the
President had put this matter N the message. If the
bill passed, he must his theory Of duty, give his
signature Those who prohled by its passage would
To very closely the reasons which invested
II with legislative sanctions whilst quarters where
the bill odous Congress would be held responsible
not only for sins, but for the painful restraint
imposed upon tho tender conscience OF the President
/ Mr. b said he did not know whether explanation
would overtake Impostnre that had 90, long
start II had been said that Fasehood would travel
/ from Maine to Georgia. while Truth putting his
boots He trusted however, TO the intelligence Of the
4 People and he believed that before long every farmer
would nail these deceptive professions about economy
against the barn. he did hawk other bird Of prey
which, after long lowering in the clouds over the pou
Try, at length made stodp within refet distance