Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-10-13
extravaganza, because il mt only recovered bot ds

,r,butcd these sums
The payment ordered by Congress, TO liquidate the
claim Of Massachusetts,, Connecticut and North caro-
lima, for their expenditures during the war, forms an.
other item of The charge ofcxravagance 50, too, the
three per cent, and the two per cent Tor roads paya-
bic the States Of the amount o! sales OF pub
lac lands under laws passed years ago, winch increases
with the quantity Of land sold every yca! Duties r..
funded 10 merchants which are, TO certain degree, an
evidence Of the increasing prosperity Of our commerce.
made 10 appear increasing item o: crtravagance
50 that, III fact, If we had no, paid any por"" 81 ,
national debt, and left the Treasury notes unredeeneG
# had not honestly executed duty as trustees OF
The Indian fund, BY dsbursny them for the benefit Of
those tribes ii had not sold any public lands or had
neglected Ia pay the new States the five per cent, due
them upon the nj of sales; and it the commerce" Of
the country had been parllyZed, and the merchants fail
ed to trade extensively, the Government would, ac-
cordnr the reasoning Of the Opposition, have been
administered most faithfully and commonwealth TepE-
ia,ion which would have been founded upon L bad
faith and destructive policy.
These disbursements for The years -3G, 81, and =,
amount 10 So i52, Is IL To these items should be
added The amount OF appropriations Tor the payment a.
pensions Tor The District of Columbia, survey 81 the
coast taking the census exploring expedition, the re-
noval of Indians, which all OF temporary nature,
and certainly not chargeahle to the present Admit
nistraton; and those for durable and fire proof build
,nss, for armng and equpping The militia, tor the I'M
proyeueut Of the navy, for roads, canals, and break
waters and river and harbor improvements, under laws
passed many years ago, for orticatons and the pur
chase of lands from the Indian tribes in order TO free
the individual States from The presence Of this popula
tlon and 10 benefit essentially the whole Union. All
which charges, amounting in the aggregate TO larg"
sum- musts H. considered expenditures for the secu.
r,y our common country, and tor the benefit of pos
'cr,. and not therefore properly charseab!e upon
the present Administration, they were authorized
before its commencement. These deductions, in.
cudlnr the expenses growing out of the operations
serve onr national faith with ncighboring and friendly
nation and those which have been incurred IN protect
iur the Southern portion Of our country from indian
aggrrs>iuns, hrin" the annual expenditures OF those
wears la the moderate amount of Sl3,tOOODD. One
word as 10 the expenditures growing ont u these wars,
which have been fruitful theme OF accusation and re-
nroach against the Administration. tn" wars OF The
Creeks and the ScmInnes originated IN the prriiouS
and cruel conduct o.! those Indians They not only re-
fused 10 comply with their treaty Stirulit"ns, but AT
tackled and DESTROYED IL" white settlements ana butch
cred the inhabitants The Government, in the iGihi
nent u one ot most imperative duties. took all Tie
measures IN is mower protect the country winch was
exposed 10 these iarrc!ess sGvag"s In" very limited
regular force and the want of proper organization OF
the ta rendered those efforts more feeble oa the!
would have been under other circumstances, and much
more expensive The militia volunteers cannot be
bro,Iph 10 get on foot the best II not the only GcScrip
ton ~ force suitable for finding and subdGlng the row
in. >;tya-.~ II Florida: and under the most economical
nrn.cnt Tor supp yng horsemen, MS cost, co"!-
pared with tia, Of the regular soldiers as SIX TO one:
that is 10 sag, mounted ntiaman costs the 90
vernu"nt as much rs SIX regular infantry: and yet the
Administration * blamed for not covering 10000 square
miles ofcTrtorv w.th volunteer cavalry, aud sweeping
the whole territory with net-an operation winch
world probably ial and winch would certainly require
ut least nuO ncu and cost Tor one campaign oil SIX
months, less than fourteen millions ot dollars, With
out Eiul"ratnr til. nirrmdabc claims ARISING !foiI
t,g. In. / lpr.
and Gi-ab ltrs Ia some extent this policy was pur-
sed III l~:i7 and -I-, when double the force required
by former Generals who had commanded IN Florida,
was sent there and placed under an active and Skiu
and experienced commander. Volunteers were brought
from Tennessee, Georgia. and Missouri, men counted
among the best and hravest ot their citz'ns indan
scouts were assembled from the Western frontier
Every thing was done that zeal courage perseverance
and endurance cuuld effect: but st the war was not
ended The indians ceased 10 concentrate TIER forces,
and To resist the advance OF They scattered,
and became the most terrible bandttI that ever infested
and devastated country. Large columns OF attack
became unnecessary. and The large bodies OF volunteers
hitherto cmpovcd were succeeded b. dctachncnts "i
REGULAR troops who are both efficient aud less
costly. IN. militia Of Florida has been embodied /"
protect their own settlements, and the regular forces
will be CHARGED with the active duty OF breaking
up the Indian camps, and of forcing iese savagrs 10
sue for uearc THIS Arrangement has reduced the eS-
penscs of the Florida from five millions year to
not more than t,y" Stories of the eXtravagant eXPrn-
di.ures Of Government officers have been made up BY
insrnraons and inference equally unfair as false
statements 1t = said, that steamboat was ircighted
for $3.50 dar, which IS S9O21o year, leaving II !"
he ncrrCd tina, Government pad that sum Tor the hre
o, the boat: when IN point OF fact the boat was Only
taken npon an emergency ard for few days that wood
v as brought from New Orleans I" spot where II wiS
growing abtndanty without stating the additional fact
that these woods occupied by Indians, and that u
would have required large escort To- protect the wood
hrFl. .It.rs IN TORI
this duty from other stations where their presence was
more needed mention these things only IN justice 10
my predecessor No such transaction has taken place
under the present Administration. 1t - equally doe !"
the several commanders in Florida, 10 state, and Do
without fear Of contradiction, that in the Creek and
Florida wars mere Indians have been destroyed. Gag?
urc ai removed, than in all former wars against In
diam tribes since the commencement of our Govern
mrnt; aud that this has been accomplished under the
most difficult and discouragrg circumstances.
Notwithstanding the existence OF these wars, the
Admjuis- aton b. lis energetic efforts to produce
sconcn; IN the public expenditures, has been enabled
10 effect a l,rg, reduction in the appropriations,
amounting annually, if averaged, to not less than
81 100000.
viii close the observations which have felt It M
,u,y 10 make on the subject OF the expenditures OF the
Governments with extract from letter addressed
b. the President, the 18th lns to citizen OF Zen
nrssee III reply n;errogaory, whether IN his OPT
nion there could be any further reduction OF the ex-
The interests Of the people:
Il do 10, doubt the prac;cability of further reduc-
ton in the expenditures of the Government, without
detrlinent the interests of the people and 1t has been
the object cf my "o.i~c and nro"a""= "n"rt.""H :"
cause il be made. The appropriations Tor inc year
l-37 were made before into office. Orr ordna-
~ disbursements without including those on me pup
lie debt the Post office, and the trust fund IN charge
of the Government had been largely increased before
the commencement of nv term by appropriations ior
the removal of the Indians for repeling Indian hosti
ties, and for other less urgent expenses which gre"
out oil an overlooking Treasury. Independent 81 me
public debt and trusts the expenditures oil seven
teen and eighteen millions IN 1884 and l1J' nad by
these causes swclled 10 twenty-nInc millions n I'D,
and the appropriations for }7 made before stated
previous TO the 18th Of March OF that year. aised me
expenditure the very large amount OF thftT-tnfee
millions caused Immediate and unreWI'iing elof''
10 be made throughout the public service, to reduce
these LARGE expenditures speedily ard to as 10"
roint as could be done consistently with The PUBIC m
teres al. object which have the best reason 10 kh""
,yas one of great snc,tude the part OF ~? p7caeces
sor though his efforts TO accomplish "ere gTea'S nm
bio trlI 4