The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-09-22
WHOLE NO. 39l.


our desks during the present session from the
Comptroller Of the Treasury. BY which II will
be seen that there are at this time millions un
accounted for by these collectors and receivers.
These documents, sir, are curioslties. In the
columns headed Remarks by the Solicitor Of
the Treasury some of the defaulters are mark
ed mo SUIT ordered; ]" others, "residence un-
known" "cannot be found" {" dead-left no
property" "no administration--deb lost"
principal insovent," &c, &C.; but believe
the greater portion are marked non est inUentus.
Perhaps it may be said that these defalcatons
have not taken place under the operation Of the
sub-Treasury, but that many of them happened
during the existence of the United States Bank
True, but II was because the money neverreached
the vaults Of the bank that il was stolen. Had il
been deposited according TO law, il would have
been safe. Il shows the practical operation
OF the system of individual agency in the Gus
tody of the public money. And if SO much
money has been plundered when it merely
passed through the hands of these agents-when
they were required TO pay il over Immediately
after collection-what will be the result when
they are allowed TO keep it all the time Why,
you must not only cease appointing Iogues 10
oftce, but you must improve human nature.
on must alter man, so as 10 make him less liza
bic TO temptation before you can succeed with
such system. The bill proposes pains and
penalties upon those who make an improper use
Of the public funds. That has always been the
case, and still the terrors of the law have not
prevented defalcations. There is vulgar adj
age, 'There is catching before hanging which
IS no more trite than true. believe about the
first account we had Of the defalcation of Swart-
won't was, that he was regaling himselfupon the
luxurles OF English cities, upon the money which
had been rung from the hard earnings of our
people.
Why, sir, under the operation of the proposed
system, how many various temptations will there
the line of duty much more the vena pack that
will occupy these places of trust Suppose a
temporary arrangement in his own private af
fairs; suppose a friend in distress applying to
him for temporary aid suppose he sees an OPP
portunty for profitable speculation, with thou
sands of the public money lying idle in his
hands, and there likely to remain for months or
years even do yon think that his virtue will
prove stern enough to resist the temptation /
have gone on the suppostlon that the depositary
is honest; but suppose he be a corrupt partisan
and how then Suppose he sees that the
tenure of his office depends upon his devotion to
the interests of "the powers that be )" suppose
he discovers that by the use of portion of the
public money in his hands he may restore the
waning fortunes of his party and that still higher
promotion will be the reward OF success, do you
think the public money will be in no danger
then? The restraints of the law will have no
terrors for such man, when he knows that his
violation of the law is intended for the benefit OF
those who are to execute it. And, sir, this is no
fancy sketch. In the conflicts of party strife
men will make desperate efforts to obtain power,
and still greater TO preserve it.
But il may be said that these agents are re-
CURED in the bill before us TO give bond and Sc
curity for the faithful keeping and accounting for
all moneys which come to their hands. And so
the law has already required. All your defaulters
were required to give bond and security. The
law required il of Swartwout, and yet it was no
protection against peculation. Besides, if the
tendency of this system will be to cause the spe-
Gle to accumulate ad infnitum in the hands of
the collecting officers, as believe it will, it will
be impossible toknow the amount for which any
one of these officers should be required to give
bond. How large a bond will you require Of the
collector of New York? He may, under the
operation Of this measure, have ten millions in
his hands at one time. Who can give security
for such an amount2 Suppose the Secretary of
the Treasury fail to take any bond at all, as he
did in the case of Swartwout for three years.
Suppose the Secretary be disposed to connive at
or participate in defalcation. He may, at his
discretion, transfer any amount to the hands of
some collector on the confines of Canada or
Texas; and the first we hear of them, both Sc
cretary and collector may be, like Swartwout and
Price, giving splendid entertainments in foreign
land
What will be the operation of this system in
political point of view, with reference to the
power and patronage of the Executive No
matter how much the argument may be derided
by those who cannot answer 1t, still insist upon
1t that 1t will unite the purse and the sword in
the hands of the Executive. II will make him,
in fact, the absolute master of the treasure of
the nation. II is no answer to this objection to
say that the Intervention of inferior officers will
operate as check upon the President. Ever
since that plant tool, r. B. Taney received Of
flee as the condition OF thrusting his unhallowed
hands in the Treasury of the nation, the doc
trine has been openly avowed and acted on, that
the officers of the Government are the Presi-
dents officers. The devotion with which, from
the highest to the lowest, they obey their mas
ters will, show that they consider themselves
his mere instruments, appointed TO do his bid
ding. They dare not do otherwise. 1t is the
price they pay for place-the condition on which
they eat their bread. Can any one doubt this,
who sees the esprit du corps with which this
trained band OF greedy vultures are lcagued to-
gether, for the purpose of sustaining that power
to which, alone, they hold themselves response
bic? Look at the organized effort they are now
making to sustain the tottering throne of their
idol. Who get up the sham meetings that are
paraded in the "colar presses as large and
assemblages of the People 2" The
otiiceholders. Who compose the conventions
that herald forth such fair professions of democ
racy, just on the eve of an election, for the pur
pose of concealing their heightened Federal
practices The oifceholders And can any
one believe that these men are to constitute a
check upon Executive power? No, sir, no
The inferior animals, that have no other feelings
and wishes to CRAFTY than the simple cravings
of nature, would know their interests better
g The OK knows his owner, and the ass his mas
ter's crib" As well might you expect the dog
to tear the hand that feeds him, as for these men