The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-09-03
From tn Log Cabin.
Mr.. oGLE AND HIS ABUsERs.

~ Tvs ~ oSse, o<ASiAi'Ao OiC ny
Authority press, and the whole kennel
yelp out the chorus--'sOgle's Ies!''
''The falsehoods of Ogle!''
What lies! Where are they? Why do
not these paid defenders Of the Court and
defamers of its opponents point them out!
Why do they rest upon abuse if they !,
can muster particle of evidence? Who
will be blinded by their empty clamor?
None who are not anxious to be deceived.
The Globe has been enabled to contradict
one remark of Mr.. Ogle-it asserts that
Mr. Van Buren's superb state coach is
not Of English manufacture. But that is
not at all to the purpose. We consider
ed Mr. Ogle's remarks about that coach
out of place and did not publish them.
Mr. Van Buren's coach is his own, bought
with his own money, and he has right
to buy it where he thinks iproper. But
when he or his household servants en-
ploy the Peoples Money to purchase ar
ticles on account Of the People, they
ought to employ 1t IN accordance acith
the letter and spirit Of the laaUs under
,ohich they act. Will any man dispute
this! Is it not self-eyident truth! Now
be it borne steadily in mind that the
complaint against MIR Van Buren, is not that
large amount of money has been ex.
pended by him in buying rich furniture
for the Palace he occupies-for that he
was by law authorized to do; but that
much of it has been expended for purpo-
ses not contemplated by the law-much
off for tawdry fnery and tinsel ornaments
which are not furniture in any correct
sense-and very considerable portion
of it in direct violation Of an important
and salutary la,v Of the land. These
are the grounds of objection to the Presi-
dents lavish disbursements of the Public
Money in the adornment of his Palace.
Are they not sound ones? We appeal to
the law and the testimony-to the un.
biased good sense of every honest and
unprejudiced citizen.
And here be it remembered that all the
defences set up and skulking-places
burrowed out by the apologists Of Power
have been utterly overshrown and demol-
ished. The correctness of every item
in Mr. Ogle's transcripts from the public
vouchers Of expenditures is established
by the testimony Of nine other Members
of Congress, and no attempt is made TO
impeach it. And Mr. Lincoln, who has
been most falsely quoted as asserting that
Committee of the House of Represen-
tatives were responsible for these prodigal
expenditures, has himself positively de-
MED the charge, and stated, what is the
notorious fact, that the House and its
Committees have nothing to do with pur,
chasing furniture for the President. The
Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds recommended an Appropriation
($20,0O0) for purchasing new furniture
upon the Inauguration of Mr. Van Buren,;
Congress appropriated the money, and
that was the end of its agency, or that of
any Committee, in the business. The
money was placed at the discretion of the
President, to expend so much of it as he
might think proper for such articles as
he should deem necessary. 1t aUas so
spent by the President, or those who
acted under his orders; and now, when
an inquiry is instituted into the manner
and objects of its disbursement, most
unjust and absurd attempt is made to shift
the responsibility from the President,
who spent the money, to Congress, who
merely authorized him to spend so much
as he should think proper, not exceeding
$4,000! Can this 60 down?
Bear in mind that the objection is not
that the money was not appropriated but
that it was foolishly and prodigally spent.
Had Congress any thing to do with the
disbursement? Not the least in the world.
There scas no Congress when the bulk
Of the money was spent. Mr. Lincoln,
our opponents own witness, is decisive
on this point. Thus vanishes their ref.
uge of deception.
Now let us consider what are the true
grounds Of objection to the manner in
which the President has expended this
money:
l. Much Of 1t ,vas spent in plain viola-
ton Of an eristing laO. A law was
passed 22d May, 1926, of which the
second section enacts as follows:
$50. That oil furniture purchased
for the use Of the PRESIDENTS HOUSE
shall be, as far as practicable, Of AMER1-
CAN or DOMESTIC MANUFACTURE"
This appears to US wise and patriot
ic enactment. 1t is intended to rebuke
and curb the wretched hankering after
foreign inery and frippery which is one
Of the curses of our Country. Our Peo.
, pie (like many other People, are too apt
to try to live and appear richer than they
: are. Each ene-with many exceptions,
Il of course-tries to dress and show of
; equal to somebody else who either is
living above his means or can Oxford to
live better than he can. This foolish,
baneful propensity keeps us in debt to
foreign nations for that which profits lis
: nothing. And SO long as the wealthy
and the honorable in station take the lead
:. in this foolish race of fashion, there will
!. be too many of all classes to follow, as
far as possible, in their footsteps. Con
gress, therefore, wisely determined tc