The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1840-06-13

Gentlemen, in the first place, fix fifteen
millions of dollars as the proper annual ex-
penditure of the Government, and then
charge the Administration with extrava-
gance, because it has exceeded this imagir-
ary standard. The present report of the
Secretary of the Treasury exposes, in the
clearest light, the lallacy and the Injustice
OF such course, Among the items consti-
tuting the twelve and half millions of the
extraordinary and temporary expenditures
during the last year, we must certainly find
the evidence of this extravaganza If it IS any
where TO be found. Can any Senator spe-
city single expenditure upon this list
which ought not 10 have been made! In
1t the items for Indian wars, for the pur
chase OF lands from the Indians, and their
removal west OF the Mississippi, amount to
a large sum- But who will say that these
expenditures have been unnecessary? The
present Administration, when it came into
power, found an Indian war raging on our
Southern frontier. This war was more sa-
wage, il possible, than any war which the
savages had ever waged against us. Men,
women, and children, weie murdered in.
dlscrlnately. Would any of our friends on
this side of the House, stop to calculate the
cosi of defending our citizens arainst such
a cruel and treacherous foe auswer.not
one. Ii millions more had been necessary
for this purpose, they would themselves
have granted these millions. With what
justice then can the Administration be CEN
sured for this expenditure Extravaganza
in this particular can with no more Justice
be charged on Mr.. Van Buren,, than on the
Emperor OF China. He found the Florida
war raging when he came into power, and
he was bound, by the most imperative OBJ
legations, TO apply the money granted by
Congress to the defence of the countrv.-
Had ne acted otherwise, he would have vi.
olated the highest duty of his station, and
yet this is heavy item in the extravaoant
expenditure with which he is charged. i
is perfectly fair for gentlemen to examine
carefully the manner in which this war ha.
been conducted, and if they can find any
thing in it justly censur9ble, to hold it uT
to public view. But the war itself, and tht
necessary expenses of conducting il, wer,
inevitable, Then as to the removal of tb,
Indians and the purchase of their lands
This policy was, believe, commenced un
der the administration OF Mr.. Monroe, anc
has been steadily pursued throughout all
the succeeding Administrations. The OBJ.
jeet has now happily been almost accom-.
plished. Is Mr.. Van Buren, chargeable
with the expense incurred by pursuing this
policy If Indian treaties, ratified by the
Senate, and sanctioned by Congress, had
requi.ed the expenditure of five or ten mil
lions more in removing the Indians from
the States east of the Mississippi to the
west of that river, who could have fairly
charged Mr.. Van Buren, with extravaganza
in this increased expenditure =! Is there
any Senator who would restore the Indians
to Georgia, and the other States from
whence they were removed, even if, by
doing so, he could restore the cost of their
removal to the public Treasury Not
one.
The most extraordinary item embraced
in this general charge of extravaganza, is
the large amount of indemnities paid by
the Treasury TO our own citizens, for loss
es sustained by the injustice Of foreign Go
vernments, and which the administration of
General Jackson obtained from these Go
vernments by its vigorous and successful
policy. These sums were paid into the
Treasury in trust for the claiments, and of
necessity they were paid out to the cai-
ments. And yet this very disbursements
contributes largely in swelling the aggregate
expenditure OF the last year to $37 900, 900
and is thus made TO constitute one of the
items of proof to establish the charge OF
extravaganza against the present Admins
tralon.
l might examine in detail the whole list
of these extraordinary and temporary ex-
penses of the Government during the last
year, and ask which one of them could
have been avoided; and the answer to each
individual question must be the same
They were all necessary. Mr.. Van Bu-
rem is fairly chargeable with none of them
Point out when and where and how, he
could have avoided or diminished any of
them. Unless you can do this, you give up
the question.
The honorable Senator from Kentucky
Mr.. Clay] takes up the expenses of the
civil list. He compares their aggregate a.
mount with what it was number Of years
ago, and shows that it has increased. This
increase has been rendered absolutely me-
cessary by the increase of our rapidly ex-
tending country. But he deals altogether