The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1841-06-08
"a FORTY MILLION DEBT"

1t is stated in the National Intelgencer
that in the progress of settling the old accounts
and opening the net0 books at Washington, the
existence of very heavy public debt hasbeen
discovered. Sufficient time has not yet been
allowed 10 the heads of the different depart
ments to ascertain precisely the amount of
this debt, but no doubts are entertained that it
will exceed FORTY MILLIONS OF DOL
LARS. 1t is further stated that the whole of
this debt has accrued during the four years Of
MIR. Van Buren's administration-being de-
ficiency of len millions Of dollars for each year.
1t is not to be believed that this enormous debt
was incurred to defray the legitimate expenses
of the government. 1t is impossible that in
time of profound peace so large sum of
money should have been necessary, in addi-
ton to the revenues of the government to meet
the current federal expenditures. The cost of
the last war was scarcely drop in the bucket
compared with the enormous and lavish expen-
ditrTes of the Van Buren, administration for
the last four years. And yet what benefits
have been conferred upon the country by this
immense outlay! Where are we to look for the
rich results of this rash expenditure? What
great works of Internal improvement have re-
ceived a share in the distribution of all this
treasure! Which of our frontier posts have
been Completed Which of our sea coast bat
teries have been armed! In which one of our
harbors has the system of defence been perfec-
ted Is the Army increased in strength or i'm
proved in discipline! Has the navy been en-
larged or rendered more efficient! Is there any
section of the Union, in any department of
the public service, any thing to show for the
vast sums which have been spent! Nothing,
absolutely nothing.
So far from carrying forward its works of
internal improvement, theGeneral government
has within two years abandoned almost all it
ever undertook. The works on the lake har-
bors have been stopped and the improvements
sold at public auction, and at great sacrifice.
We have seen the improvement of our own riy-
er abandoned, and The public property advertis-
ed for sale. And what has been done here has
been done everywhere. Under the admins
tration of Mr.. Van Buren, the fostering aid of
the General Government has been Withdrawn
from works of Internal Improvement in all
quarters of the Union.
Our frontier and sea coast Notifications, too,
have been utterly neglected. During the
whole of Mr.. Van Buren's four years we have
been engaged in controversy with
Great Britain, the issue of which, from
week to week, no man could undertake to
predict; and yet, not an effort was made, not
a cent expended by the general government to
put the country in condition to resist aggres-
sion or to exact redress. And what is true of
one, is true of all the departments of the public
service. The general government has been
ruinously extravagant, has emptied the treasu-
nv, and sunk the nation in debt forty millions
of dollars. And yet, such has been its GRIMM
al indifference, or culpable neglect, that tcan-
not show the least equivalent for this vast ex-
penditure. Nay; it turns over the public prop
erty to the successors whom the people have
appointed to the trust, diminished in amount,
and in far worse condition than when it came
into its hands. Like faithless trustee, Mr.. |
Van Buren's administration has not only |
squandered the revenues of the rich estate en-
trusted to its care, but has saddled it with a
heavy and unlocked for debit and when called |
upon to surrender up its trust, can produce no
trace of improvement in return for the cnor. !