Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1842-08-09


waste, the duty Of the government
At lis last session which closed on the
4th of March, ls4l, the preceding con-
gress had made all the usual and need
ful appropriations, and provided the means
for the public serviCesOt the ensuing year.
But regardless Of this-regardless alike
of the condition of the country and Of
their own promises, so solemnly given,
tie ruling majority in the present congress
proceeded but three months after, and
before one third Of those appropriations
were expsGded, to appropriate, for the
service OF the very same year, an addi-
ton of FIVE millions and forty three thou
sand dollars. The name Of economy was
40 longer heard but when pronounced by
the democrats, TO remind the federslists
Of what they had pledged, and to rebuke
themf or what they were about. Heed.
less oilhis for the leaders, who projected
these measures, seemed but the more
diligent TO discover every excuse for ex-
trsvagance,. that could find inpunity
in the general Ptetext Of the public
good
But those who eXoend, must also ac-
cumulare; and in the case Of government,
tsxes and loans are the chief sources Of
supply Hence II was, that afei b. this
additional expenditure. they had effsctu.
ally pick ed the very bones Of the treasury
they next turned their attention TO the
increases of taxes. Here was q nerve %
be touched, that ran through the body of
the people, and, therefore, il was imPOr-
tant 10 prepare chem for the shock, BY
the soothing process Ol distribution
They had left in The Golfers of the gov
eminent, no, an unappopria,ed dollar.-
The ordinary income was short of the
extraordinary outlay. Taxes, had they
been sufficient in amount came in too tar
dily to meet the rapidity of Ofexpenditure,
and TO borrO W became, consequently, the
only immediate resource. This state Of
things was known and acknowledged, be-
cause brought about by the reling majOrii
ty. What then did they dot IN aggra-
gation of these evils, and, as il totally
bent upon the utter bankruptcy and ruin
of the government confided to their care,
they proceeded 10 snatch every dollar ac~
cruing to the treasury from the public do
main, and 10 cast it away in pittances to
the safes No conciousness Of iO!ly-no
barrier in The constitutiOh-no ''beggarly
account of empty boxes" from the treas
ury department-DO terrOrs Of a national
delt-could possibly arrest them in this.
Nor was the injustice Of augmenting taxes
;ssen rhe means Of the people to pay,
were diminishing, sufficient 10 retard,
much less to prevent this proaigate waste
of the nations resources. Disir butte
they would, and that too, at the ha 'zard
of the public execraIion. They confded
in the craft of the scheme and were vii.
ling to risk its exposure. One dollar was
TO be given by the government through
the state , TO The people, and for that,
three paid back, by the people, through
the custom house, TO the government
The people would see and mightbe tempt
ed, by the amour! they received that
which they paid, was to be taken from
them, in the dark and at distance
The first process was to be direct and
visible-the second circuitous and OBJ
security, that the federalists relied, foF
mpunily against detecIions 10 the lmPos-
,ure, The act of distribution was there"
fore passed, and then in n instant after,
the same men who passed it, urged that
very act, by which the land revenue was
thus excluded from the treasury, as an
additional reason why the taxes upon the
people, should he Immediately increased.
A tax of str millions Of dollars was acs
cordingly added, in the form of tariff du-
ties, TO the burthens before imposed up.
On The nation.
But in view of the lost revenue distri<
bnted-the vast appropriations already
made, and those intended for the futurey
even this increase of taxes would prove
inadeouste. A loan of twelve sillionsof
dollars was, therefore, authorized upon
The credit Of the people and the pledge
of their farms and workshops, for itssp pay
ment. principal and interest. This il wac
supposed would. together with the taxes g
and the treasury notes already saoat,
afford fund sufficient 10 feed for the
present, g zen the extravaganza of the ru-
ling power. A national debt would it
was true, with All It's evils, be the inevit-
able consequence So much the betterv
for such debt, instead Of being reason
with federals's why they should ecOuo-
mise the public income, has ever been,
and yet is, with them, Of all reasons the
verv strongest, for the most bOUndleGs
Dtodigalitv Of expenditure. And there.
6re. with this infatuated affection for q
publc debt. they were not TO be satisfied
with the twelve million loan as begin
nino .bu,. nm the coDtrary,theS proceeded
;mSsdiatsIy to add sixteen millions to that
the last being intended as the basement
s,ock Of the Fiscslity--a national bank
more bidious, infnitly in all its fsSautes
than was the former institution whose