The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-01-22

the coming Administration, and that il was the man
iiest interest Of the now dominant party in the
country that poor defeated Mr. Van Buren, should
come in and make an effort 10 settle il in advance.
1t could not fail to be that portions of that lr-
rnphant party would con plain of any thing which
any man could recommend upon this subject, and
the Senator nigh, kindly suppose that complaints
could not now harm the President.
!, So far from reciprocaiing these feelings, Mr. w.
rcjoced that it had not been found necessary for
the present President to touch this vexed question.
, And he could not be mistaken in surprising that il
would have been INDIGENOUS in him, after the tre-
mendous defeat he had experienced at the late e.
lecons, to have reached after disputed topics with
view To their final and permanent adjustment by
himself or his friends He was taking leave of his
responsible position and Mr. w. reioccd to believe
he was doing, what he believed it was alone prop
er for him 10 do, cOnining himself strictly TO the
discharge of those duties which his short remaining
official term required at his hands, In reference TO
the adjustment of the tariff he had done he should
have done--hc had left the whole matter to those
who are to come after him, and who should be, us
they claim to be, the more immediate and accept
able representatives Of the popular Will, and he,
MIR W., did not speak untruly when he said his
most ardent wish was that they might be able TO
adjust that difficult question happily for the cOun-
r try, ard sa'islacoriyto every interest involved.
A single word more, and he would close, The
/ honorable Senator concluded with n remark which
manifested disposition to say that the friends of
this administration were, or were to be made, res
ponsble for the necessity of an extra session OF
Congress, if convention OF the new Congress
$ should be ordered by the new President. Now he
(Mr Wright) was one of those who should do eve
~ thing III his power to obyate any such nccessly
and to accomplish that object with the greatest GER
5 tanty he should use his utmost cndenvOrs TO Keep
b the appropriations of this session within the antici-
e patcd means of the year 1871. lie believed the
estimates supplied all the necessary winis, and he
intended to adhere TO them strictly. Having done
so, he should chceiully leave it to those who have
c been placed in power by triumphant expression
f of the popular voice, to call Congress when they
Il pleased, and to recommend such measures as they
/ pleased.
Mr. Wright having concluded,
Mr. Webster said he should detain The Senate but
@ short time in answer to some Of the honorable
= members remarks, us he had really rot net the
urgunlcn, Of Mr. W, Yesterday. To begin with the
= subject of Indian treaties. The honorable member
had said that the fund arising from the sale of the
Chickasaw lands had all been invested 10 within
D some forty OF fifty thousand dollars, Mr. w. had
founded what he said in relation to this fund on the
returns furnished to The Senate and, according 10
that document, the balance uninyeScd, amounted
to $500 GOO but hid addcd, that he had heard
D that $50 GOO lNd been invested since the date Of
the returns. Mr. ". had made no complaint of the
mode in which thi. fund had been invested ; aud if
the whole Of il had been invested, so much the bet
ter. Put in regard to the two aud halt millions
Of the fund belonging to the Winneh0gocs, and 9th
or tribes. and which, according to the treaty. was
to be invested for the benefit C those tribes, Mr. W.
asked OF the Senate whether Mr. Wright had fairly
met the force of the argum n, he had advanced, (I
il had any force To be- met y Mr. W had not COM
painCd Of the treaty, nor had he charged the adj
nnisralion with any extravaganza or want of prov
idcncc in entering into il--lhat was not the point
the point was, that this amount constituted dedt,
for the pay nenl Of which II was incumbent on the
government to provide ; and that as such, ii ought
To be kept before the view Of Congress. The hon
orahIc member admitted that i, was debt, but
commended that it WAS not to be reckoncd in as a
norton nf tho public nn,innol doh Ifh, ihis, tho
honorable member meant TO say that this amount
formed no part Of the debt arising from borrowed
money, unqueslonablv he was right but still II
was n national debt The nation owed this money:
and it entered necessarily, as one important item
} or element, into n statement Of The financial condl-
lion Of the government The honorable member
had asked if this were 50, why such statement
ought not, in like manner, 10 include the Indian an
nuilics ? They were included, in effect Did no,
the annual report from the Department, state the
amount Of those nnnuiles rs part Of the eSpenuil-
ures for which Congress was 10 provide Are they
not always in the estimates so the member ask
cd why the pensions were not TO be included =
The same answer might be made. The amount Of
that expenditure also was annually laid before Con-
greSs, and it was provide dior ms other demands on
the government Mr. w. had not complained OF
this amount Of two aud half millions of ndian
debt he himself had never opposed these treaties;
Lam l..
} lie provided for, it was as much part Of the pub
lie debt rs il had consisted of borrowed money
, it was demand which Congress was bound to
meet, In any general view, therefore, of the LA
biliiics Of The government, was there one element
Of those liabilities which could with more truth aud
justice be inserted than this
MIR w. had said that he commended the argu-
mcnt of the President in opposition 10 a national
debt, and he should he quite unwilling 10 have il
supposed that any thing he said could be wresied
Che did no, charge that it had been Intentionally so
wrcsIcd) 10 favor the idea Of public debt at all.
But he must still insist that the language employed
by the President the Sh page of his message did
refer to past political contests in this country. nnd
did bod ont the idea that, from the beginning Of the
Government in the political contests which had
agi'nied the country, there had been some men or
some parties who were in favor of the creation or
manufacture Of public debt, MS part of their poll
cy and this he (Nlr W } had denied he idea
in the message was not that there were certain
great interests in the country which were always,
from the nature of things in favor of such debt,
on account Of the advantages dcrivnbe from il To
then selves, MS the honorable member has argued
10 day. the President had stated this as il had
now been stated in the speech of the honorable
member, nobody could have taken any exception
10 il. But that not The point The point Of
objection was, that the message charged this fond
ness for national debt upon some one of the par
ties who had engaged in the past political sirfes of
the country. and had represented it as broad and
general ground Of distinction between parties; that
one WIS the advocate Of national deb, as of itself
II gcod,and the other The opponent the exis'ance
Of debt. This he regarded IN impuiation Who'll
" unloundett, and i, on This ground tia, he had
objected to that portion ofthc Executive communi.
cation. No facts is on history warranted the ale
CATION. II was mere assumption.
Mr. W. proceeded 10 say that he had, when be-
fore mp, omitted one important item in stating the
| of under tho pyis,ing admin