The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-05-14

u"ihuieu down from $4J,OUO,0OO year the highest
point attained in prosperity TO less than 50 OOO,-
No. and the revenues from land sales alone from 21,-
600 900 TO $3 600 600 The wealth and prosperity Of
the people in their private pursuits have fallen OF in
like proportion, and by the same causes No govern
ment and no people could stand such reverse, all
brought about in the short space Of five years. the
seeds Of which were all sown within the limits Of ten
years.
The erpedieaf
As the prosperity of the country and the of
the government both Of which are always fair and in
faiIibe measures Of each other have declined under
those bghting influences the authors Of the schef
still at the head of affairs, were compelled to resort to
artiiice TO conceal both the fact and the cause The
deeper the country was plunged in adversely, much
deeper was the darkness and SO much more toruous
and unsearchable the labaryn,h Of obscurty which
they hid themselves They have talked Of good times,
when every body knew they were bad they have la
bored hard to ascbe the effects which would
acquit themselves in the falling of Of the revenues,
they have pitched upon trust funds and used them up
they have deferred the obligations Of Indian treaties,
till they have accumulated millons they have
pended government dues in every possible form; they
have neglected the national defences, and suffered
them to 60 into decay till at last they have beggared
the nalion bankrupted the Treasury, and thrown up
on the present administration average Of $4,000
600 year for its whole above the prospects Of its
income
Hop ace haze fallen.
Thus have We fallen in few short years. And
while falling and being down, il has teen the object
of these men to show, that were not falling, and
that we are not down; or, il are, that somebody
else is to blame for IT, Mr. Van Buren,, in his last
annual message congratulates the nation on its con-
dtion and its prospects, and Mr. Secretary Woodbury.
proves it by his financial abilities Although after
having spent all they could get exhausted every poss
BILE resource and committed sacrege by millions on con-
secrated funds running the nation into debt for its liza
btes on these accounts they have been obliged in the
course Of four or five years. to TO borrowing from
time TO time, in the shape Of Treasury notes. till these
facilities in all have reached $50, OOO, 600.
comprehensive fact.
The Secretary of the Treasury once told us, that
the available means in the National Treasury on the
Isl Of January 1887, including the depostes of $685.
100000 with the States, upwards of 42 900 900
Deduct the dcposites, $4,000 900
And il leaves, 10000 900
There has been received from the u States
Bank, . 5000 900
On old Merchants Bonds, 6OOOOO0
Add Treasury notes outstanding 4th of
March, ls4i, 100000
Which leaves, 100000
and above the current revenue for the last four
yearsall gone not to speak of Indian Treaties un-
E,Ie lInJ n.
forward on the future, supposed be not less than
$lOOO0,OOO
Modesty and a Thumper
II is in such circumstances, and by such means, that
Mr.. Van Buren, could speak, in his last annual mes
sage, of the sound condition of our finances, our
success, &C., as matters upon which the people and
Government Of the United States may well congratu-
late themselves" Of every demand upon the Gov
eminent, as having been promptly met J" Of ours
as being the only government which, having fully and
faithfully paid all its creditors has also relieved itself
entirely from debit and "that all the purposes for which
this Government instituted have been accomplished
during four years Il !"
This is even passing strange, that President of
the United States, who could not be ignorant Of the
financial history of the country in such matters rs we
foul, for having contributed to reduce us from the
highest prosperity to such condition And his Sc
cretary of the Treasury supports it The efrrontery
with which these untruths-for what else they be
called 2-are announced, be equalled only by the
insult offered to the feelings and misfortunes of the
country.
Hoic IL a1as and hoao ii is.
Back but little way in eur history we find pros
perity and superabounding revenues. That is one
fact. Now, universal distress, all national resources
used up, and the greatly insufficient to carry
on the Government. This is another fact. The two
things put together present the most extraordinary
picture to be found in the history of this OF any other
country.
Instead of saying, Ours is the only Government
which, having fully and faithfully paid all its creditors,
has also relieved itself entirely from debt ii would
have been ifthe Head Of the late Admins
tration had said "Ours is the only Government that
has ever ruined SO prosperous a country exhausted
ITS financial resources, and put it in the way of an
cumuating debt, in brief time" The great and
comprehensive fact Of what we mere and of what we
are, cannot be eflaced from the public mind by the
self-laudatory compliment of President, " that all
the purposes for which this Government was establish
ed have been accomplished during my four years adj
ministraton." Ifsuch the purposes of our Gov
ernment it is indeed time pause the spectacle
PRESCRIPTION"
We have numerous communications on this
subject, for which we have no room. We are
al. r.I u r A.