The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1840-05-12

n ec essary But he did object to the foreign tras
collected in that house; aud he believed that n
man would dare to go before his constituents AM
justify such extravaganza as was there manifest
| ed
lie found among other items, $4,000 charged 70
French comlortables, and French chairs, and otto
mans, purchased during Mr. Van Burens Admins
traton. Then there we've some 'taGaretS' or td6by
cuts, he couldn't tell understanding of foTelg
manufacture. Then there were Fanny Kembl
finger lasses, in which to wash the delicate lin
gers Of this Democratic President, after dinner
and 800 for IA bunch OF artificial flowers, to pac
on the table before him. He objected TO buyin
these articles, and many more OF similar descrIp
tlon, with the peoples money; and believed tina
every good Wing would object TO such expendi
lures.
| 1t had been said that it would let down the Pres
ident's dignity to mention these things Dignity
lorsooh. Instead Of the dignity OF virtue, OF wis
dom, OF veloI, you throw around the PRESIDENT IN
lppery of the courers, and then call him dtghStcd
! A nd what is dgnity-true dignity? There is thu
dignity of rank, and the dignity of mind. Nov
however high the rank, if the dignity of tho mlnt
be wanting, there is no real dignity. If the mlnt
of Mr. Van Buren, be mean, you may place him IL
tho White House and surround him with th'
French furniture and foreign gewgaws, but you
cannot give him true dignity. The circular room
Mr. Ogle. said, was we'll furnished when M
Van Buren, took up his residence ut the White
House; but he had not been there more than elgh
months when, as appeared by the account, he lait
out one thousand three hundred "nd Seoen dollars Il
good enough before, for any republican in Tho
land These things had been denied in the offcia
| organ Of the Adminislralion-the Globe-but he
| held tho facts in his hands, and he should scnC
| them abroad to the people.
In August, 1887, six months after Mr. Van Blu
rem took possession of the White House, said Mr.
Cge, we find the United States charged with tiot
MOuSHRd dOiiarS for gold leaf and gliding materials
| for the circular room
! On The 9TH of july 1887, we find tina. Mr. Val
Buren, charged the United States with upwards o
)our thousand dotLars tor foreign carpetng, import
ed expressly for his use. Domestic American
carpeung not good enough for his royal man
sion-and the peoples money must be paid out in
sums like this for foreign goods.
! Next comes Il charge OF several hundred dollars
for toaOeIS! Mr. Van Buren, has salary of sos pei
day, and charges his towels To the people,
Then we have small bill oftwo thousand dollars
and upwards, for repairs-such as taking down cur
ans and carpets-amd large items for silver paper
Also charge of one hundred dollars for one d
van and eight cushions: Il small bill for n Freucl,
bedstead, aud other French furniture, Of one thou
sand five hundred and ninty nine dollars! And
another bill in which the people are charged for
grinding Mr. Van Buren's table knlves-and for
two knife blades, the of "a %! The people
are also charged eight hundred and fifty nine dol.
lars, for the services ola horse cart, and gardner
to AID in raising Mr. Van Buren, vegetables.
The White House, with the exception of the
East Roou) handsomely furnished while Mr.
Adams President ofthe United States. Gen.
jackson spent $40 900 for furniture during the
and Mr. Van Buren,, tie first year of his adninstra.
lion, expended for the same purpose upwards OF
10000!
MIR Ogle said he was aware that Mr. Van Buren,
was great advocate of gold, and he supposed that
eating with gold kniresand forts gives him 'hank
ering' that way!
M Lincoln repeatedly interrupted Mr. Ogle, in
the OF his remarks, and in formed him that
the report of his speech which was published in
the Globe, taken bv reporter and pblished
without his knowledge or consent; he never saw
= bad
ty revise il, and wished it understood that it con
tanned very many inaccuracies, some of which he
had pointed out to the gentleman from Pennsyiva-
MIA vhe report, he repeated, was perverslon OF
his language, and contained expressions VIII iCh he
did not use lie disowned the spirit of it, entire
Iy.
Nh Oge said he was glad to hear the gentleman
make this explanations He did not believe that
any man could stand up before his constituents and
Justify the foolish extravaganza of the President.
He did not believe that any man could justify him
in his aping of fol eign courtsln this purchasing n
French furniture, OF gold plate of artificial flowers,
British coaches, and other things of that sort. He
did not believe that any man could justify him in
charging his common household expense TO the
people, while he was receiving the largest salary
paid to any public officer in the nation. President
Washington, he said, lived in plain house, in a
PLAN manner--and paid his own ront, and his food
and family expenses. And there law TO
justify Mr. Van Buren, in making such charges
gainst the people, as he had read from the reports
No other President did such thing. If we
permitted these charges In one instance, there
would be no end to them-no limit, whatever, bot
the limit Of avarice. Instead OF q salary of 1875, =
900, the salary Of the President might be increased
by his own will, to $500 900. He considered this
monstrous abuse of power, and one that ought to
be Immediately checked.
Well, then, here yon have specimen of the
facts, figures, and arguments, presented by Mr. o.
ge, to sustain the famous G0d Spoon story. The
spirit OF this story is the charge of extravaganza,
and mean abuse of powerfor pecunary advantage
Mr. nHln hnsf nlx s.h tnr and
will soon present to the public the entire mass of
facts which he has collected, with the receipted
bills, and the certified documents to sustain his
charges. have only gathered few items from
the speech which he delivered last evening-and
this was scarcely third of the whole. Then how
does the Gold Spoon story stand now? l. not Mr.
Van Barren "vain MANI" and does not his vani-
ty ollie within narrow cIrcIe?" Read again the
extract given above from one of my former letters
and see if it be not literally true. declare again.
that Mr. Van Buren, has filled the White House
with extravagant French furniture-thata he
arlstocrat in feeling and practice-tbat his public
table is UarDished with n u ramid of FOREIGN ieW