The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-06-02
THE WRITING ON THE WALL.

We copy the following prophetic article from
the New York Sun. Let the Charles and
"Destructives" look to it. All the abuse and
odium they have heaped upon the President
will roll back and overwhelm them. All the
savage attacks hitherto made. on the Chief Ma
gisrate will contribute to place him " first in
the hearts of his countrymen."
The PRESENT CoNGREss into power on the
fourth day of March, 184 and from that time until
now, period of nearly fifteen months it has been
almost constantly in session, travelling to and fro at
the public EXPENSE but what has it done for the benefit
of the country? What candid man will deny that
the country would upon the whole, have been much
better off if Congress had not met at ALL The great
S ischef it has done than counterbaances the
little good which it could not well avoid doing. But
its chief characteristic has been not action either
good or bad, but wretched and prohigate waste Of
time and money. 1t has become the settled opinion
of the whole country that eight dollars day and the
present rate of mileage stand in the way of all bene
cial legislation and economical reforms. But these
evils remain untouched while members 60 through
the farce of spending thousands of dollars in debating
proposed retrenchments of few hundreds. They
talk by the week of cutting off the supplies of vi
tai branches Of the public service while their
enormous pay remains untouched.
The Extra Session commenced in May, l84l.-
The members most of them drew as high as eighty
dollars for single days. travel on their way to at
tend it some Of them drew much more than that
They aimed in session at eight dollars per day
til they had barely time to travel home at the
high rate of mileage, attend to their private business
for few days, and then travel back again at the
same rate. Having no hope that President Tyler
will be induced to summon an Extra Session, they
seem determined to extend the regular one through
the whole summer. Unless they proceed with bust
ness more expedtiousy than they have done, we see
no prospect of an adjournment before fall. They
will, however, adjourn then, as to have time to
travel home and travel back again for the winter
session. This travelling at from eighty to hundred
dollars day they find the most profitable part of
their business. Thank fortune when the fourth of
March next arrives they will all travel home, ard
large portion of them will we trust have to remain
there thenceforth and forever
Their first object appears to have been to keep
themselves under pay at the highest possible rate
their second to embarrass the Executive by all the
means in their power-their third to squander the
public treasure and disgrace the nation far in
them lay. They attacked the national credit by d.
vldlng and throwing away the public domain; they
rushed to the repeal of the Independent Treasury
law, before any practicable plan had been devised to
take its place; they passed Bankrupt law, except
ing from its operation the swindling corporations for
which it most needed they raised the tariff in
creased the national debt, and are now seeking to
strike down the Army and Navy at most critical
moment in the condition Of our foreign relations
They persevere in leaving national finances with
out any regulation, because they cannot ride
ncorruptlDle PRESIDENT ana aSen upon the country
great bank and moneyed oligarchy, which, above
all things, the people detest.
We do not mean our censure to be indiscrminate
There are many great and good men in Congress ;
but they are overpowered by unprincipled factions
and combinations that willing sacrifice the ma
ton for party purposes. Such state of things the
natural result of the unwholesome excitement and
lamentable debauchery of the public mind which was
produced during the Of 1910. Butt will not
be without its uses; will deveope great evils and
in the end will bring about salutary reform. From
this year the cry will go forth for reduction of the
pay and mileage of members of Congress. and for
form in national legislation; and in due time this
cry will be heeded-the demands of the people will
be obeyed.