The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1840-12-22
REFRESHMENTS MEsS,,,,


r ever treated Nj Van Buren, with ,ho
s due alike TO his station as President and "
} character. We bring no trailing accn.sr
gains, amy man certainly not asaiu.,
; Ma aislrnle OF our Country. We diIn.
IaIlercation delest The froth Of poL,ic,, t'
and would gladly contrbnte whatever :.
power 10 render our political conuovo,
they ought tn be-a candid Comparison -
aud prcseniment of considerations h,o,
subjects oftne hIghest moment to the ven.
being. Aud we have earnestly hopcd u N
last Annual Message of the reutinr D.
would be Of such character-not in ia .,
public measures, for those we expected 10 e.,
ri To our own-but in lis spirit. its temnn,
rnndor-,hat we could heartily commend H.
! readers as The best which has emennred r.. N
| White House for. n humble, Of Years w.
hoped IIIai we might he permitted to praise NJ
cid and frank survey of our National ANhr, n
leave its mistaken doctrines to the shclnri,n, ~
! ion which so speedily and surely awaits them
| But Mr. Van Buren, appears incapable elh,
deserving courtesy or Imilating candor, His IL
apprnrance' before the American People isa
led insult to the ma nrliy: aud studied mis,.
senra,ion of their views, their prncp aud IN
acts. More Than one half Of h,S Message, Ia, =,
The case with that of last year) is devoted u,;E
uiicaiion of The Financial policy aud review 4
the Financial history Of The last and prespn, IN
minlstrations. or this, though we deem /, A, N
buse of the opportunity afforded the Presidrp Ri
once year of addressing the People and ihc;n III
resen,u,ivcs in exvosloh of their National An, n
we would not complain, If decent respect fa NJ
majority Of that People-a toiernb'e regard 10 6r
n IS and honesty had heen manifested. Blu, wIe
is the Locofoco who can read, however blinded M
prejudice aud embittered by defeat, who will jpM
ify the Presidents sermopZng on the snhisc, NJ
"A National Debt and I National Bank? WhatmE
son what Justice is there in blending these togt
er in the insidious manner of The Message Eve y
surprising there we've any preteXt for his lruevg
attacks upon National Bank, when none has IA
,sled, none has been pressed for, and none will \
proposed under his Administration. what rpan,v
would exist lor blending with it National Dehl
MS he has done? What force or sense can lheir bd
in his remarks except IN the assumption that lht
creation of Il National Bank must lead 10 TIM, Of 4
Na,iouaI Dchf' Does not every man see iha' IA,
is what is sknkinslv insinuarcd, though not bo.
asserted, throughout this par, Of HE meysagc-ag
it has no meaning wilh"ut this? And vet vi,
shadow Of reason for This rnsinnation does our
,innal history afford? Consider wha, waS the cr
diii"n of our Country when The first Nationals a
WITS chartered. Weighed down aud crippIed h
-ht. both Govern mcni and People, withou, rrel
or resources; incapabl" even of pa, ing the n,prm
such was the situation when the bank was cel
ted and the Drbl funded Did the Bank create ,
Debt, or tempt 10 its crcation' On the confirm
who does not know the interest WINS promptly pl!
and the Deb, steadily rcdmred, Except durug ,
year or NV" ofour hn'fway war with Frauce) 50
long rs the Bank cxs'cd2 Who does not know
that II reduced 10 nm amour, almost nomus
when the existence Of that Bank termna'ed
Well, the first Bank went down; the Nation
went Ia war; and soon bountifi Na,iounI Deb
was again incurred. But had n National Bauk an
thing TO do with il? Certainly not: we had nom
in 'xiStencr But after five years another bank
was created. On coming into existence, it found
National Debt, larger than ever before. Did tho
Bank operate to increase that Debt? Cerainym,
Every day Of its existence, after i, got fnuIy NIN
operation the Debt was reduced. unii every d@'
owed dollar TO nobody.
a gain was the Bank struck down. and JUS, 81
its National existence ceased MIR. Van Bnren can't
into p"we'. Has he done any better W without ,'ho
his predecessors did with Bank? Read his Mes
snge Tor the answer. Putting the very best face b
can upon matters, he is in debt fur and half mi
lions In other words, instead Of paving "tf M
Thing, or laying up amy thing during his term,
all ms predecessors have done except when eng'
eed in II disaserous foreign war; he has RON in
debt 81 ,5h,0 600. When he came INTO office the
was aciua'iy in the Treasury (hesdes all that h
been dStrihn'cd Ia the Siatrs) ubout ~ ODO. 90
ury 81, oO0, GOO Then he has sold the Cover
ment Stock--$7 900 coo paid in under former A
mnisra,ions-lor over $4,000, 900 and spent lha
All the money now due the Government Gn7
Banks which suspended in IS37is less than 81 ,N,
00e-(Mr Van Buren, tells MS that they suspende
and could not or would not pay, but is very care
iu' not 10 tell that they lave paid in foil nearl
every d"llnr that they owed, and that most Of tn
same balance is well secured on interest) Setha
IN truth he has spent all the revenue accrning I'M
der his administration, and about 10000, 900 b(
sides. lie has run behind hand so much ia tim
"' protested peace, except miserable scufle VII
II handful o:nacked, iamished snvages in florld
lie alone of all the Pre- sdents has contracted \
,ional Debt Of 81 100000 in a time of peace. Al
now lie turns round and warns the People again