The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-05-11

lions, ana WsM any scNSSOie progress ~ That
BY their means cur public documents should 20
forth to the world disgraced. and the whole ma
ton humilated, by such an exhibition as that.
few features Of which we have just now paraded
on this paper, as specimen Of that national
poverty and degradation, to which we would for
ever close our eyes il we could with safety. bur
which, however painful TO behold, must be seen.
that the nation may understand its true condi-
ton, and rise to exert itself with revived and
untlring energies, TO retrieve what we have lost,
and prepare TO avenge insult and wrong. That
they who, five years ago, had talked Of lining
our Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western
frontiers with Gordon of impregnable fortifca-
tons, OF building new armories, arsenals, ord
nance foundries, and navy yards, and of giving
US navy Of $50 sail, with 40 steam batteries,
all IN the course Of few years, should have left
all our defences in the condition we have just
been reviewing, that they should scarcely have
launched a ship of any description and fitted her
for service, and that national vessel in com
mission and ordered on a cruise, should be stop
ped in one Of our ports by civil warrant for
want Of money to pay for her provisions
Here we are nation bankmpted and stricken
with poverty by misrule: plunged in twelve
years--for the seeds of this ruin were sown only
that time ago-from the highest prosperity, 10
the lowest depths of adversely; without the
means Of carrying on the Government, and al
most without credit; crippled in every arm Of
our power with sheer distress threatened with
war by that same recklessness which has impo
verished US, with all our national defences in
the worst possible condition, and exposed to be
wounded at all those points where we ought to
kaye been nvulnerable; disgraced in our own
eyes, and in the eyes Of the world, by the
folly and wickedness of our deceivers, and UNI
prepared to resent the insults and wrongs we
may be doomed to suffer
In case of sudden hostilities, we know the
people Of this country will acquit themselves
honorably, though compelled to enter into strife
at such disadvantage. We know, too, that the
brave men Of our army and navy, though com
PEELED to bare their breasts to the fight, without
deep, TO make their strength equal TO their am
bltion and PATRIOTISM, VIII stu be brave and pa
triotic.
Mr.. Secretary Ponsett, in his last annual re-
port, says, "the whole coast from Passama-
quoddy bay to Sabine river, is exposed, on every
point not defended by nature, to be invaded
Nth imp,nity; and in the event of war, the
expense Of attempting TO defend this long line
by troops, for one gear only, mould cost more
than the works which have been planned, and
which are deemed sufficient to defend the seve-
raj points Of attack along the whole COAST
Again: During the last four years, nearly for
ty-one thousand Indians have been added to
those already residing on the Western boundary,
while the additional securities to the border
States have not been commensurate to the addi-
tional dangers, to which such an increase of
warlike and disconnected neighbors exposes
them"