The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1844-10-16

bodiment ofwhig principles, (Mr. Clay) to reacl
the presidential chair. Why, sir, he went Sc
riously TO work, to show that Mr.. Van Buren, wa
opposed TO the war of 1912. This stale, miser
able, unfounded charge, known by every mai
and boy in the State of New York, and by ever,
reading and intelligent man in the whole nation
TO be utterly untrue-confessed and acknowledg
ed by a leading journalist in his W party re
Gently, Mr.. Stone, to be false,-is his most Sc
rious objection to Mr.. Van Buren,, and his strong
est charge against him. | will not pursue the
sublec; of his remarks, OIL the truth of his state
ment but little further. This is his best point
and this, like all his minor points, is base coin
long since condemned as counterfeit. Sucl
compounds Of fiction are worth no other notice
than silent contempt. One other point in his
printed speech is worthy of a passing notice, and
that is the picture with which he has illustrated
the darkness of his ideas. He has placed Mr.
Van Buren, in the attitude of receiving the vote
of a negro, and rejecting that of two soldiers OF
the revolution. | shall find a more appropriate
place for his picture, with some slight alterations
before | get through. He complains because
MI, Van Buren, did not veto an appropriation in
1898, of upwards of two millions for the i'm.
provement Of the roads and rivers of the West
The member from Pennsylvania, Mr.. STEwERT,
and a gentleman flom Kentucky, TMr. DAVIS
the representative Of Mr.. Clay's district, and one
of the exponents Of his views--have made it a
matter Of Serious charge against Mr.. Van Buren,,
that be did nothing for the West during his adj,
minlstration. They have appealed to the peo-
Mo nf tho Vast In cDr,o oyor TO ,lo,o H.
eau Mr.. Clay will do them justice. Sir, |
will show these gentlemen, before | have done
with Mr.. Clay, what he says and thinks of the
West, and western men. All the gentlemen |
have named have been harpmg upon the extra
vagance of Mr.. Van Buren's administration. He
expended, they allege, from twcnty-eight to
thirty-two millions annually. Suppose either to
be true; what then? Upon whom should the
%censure rest? Without the appropriation by
Congress, he could not expend dollar. Con
gress having passed the laws for eXpending the
public money, he was bound, by his oath of Of
flee, to see that it was expended for the objects
specified in the law. He had no discretion, No
right to withhold the money. 1t must be ex-
pended. This, all these members know perfect
ly well; this, every man acquainted with the du.
ties and powers Of the President knows. These
members also know the fact or ought 10 know
It-that during his administration, Congress APP
propriated 1851 ,73S,562, beyond the estimates
of expenditures sent in by the Secretary of the
Treasury, and more than Van Buren, and his cab
met desired. Whose fault was this? II may
be said that he should have vetoed the bills. E.
ven now we hear the jacobinical cry Down with
the veto.
Sir, an honorable member of this House has
said, during this session, that the President was
not responsible for the amount of expenditures
only for the manner in which they were ex-
pended. His age, experience, and high char,
acter, ought to have been some restraint upon his
junior friends; they should have yielded in some
degree TO The truth, coming from him. | allude
to the gentleman from Massachusetts, [Mr. AID.
AMs) But if they would not heed him, the adj
monition of the gentleman from Virginia, Mr..
NEWTON, who attributes all the disasters and
calamities of his party and the country to the
swami of candor and fairness of the wings of
lS40," and who has strongly recommended TO
all of them ~"honesty as the best policy" ought
at least to have had some influence with them.
| ask of these honorable gentlemen, what appro-
priation, during the administration of Mr.. Van
Buren,, was opposed by MIR. Clay? What one
was opposed by the whig party? I have looked
through the journals Of the Senate, and of this
House, TO find such a case, but in vain. | dc
not believe such a one can be found. 1t is a
cardinal principle with them to vote for all APP
propriotIons, aud for all purposes, and always fot
the largest amount. This is Mr.. Clay's creed,
as derived from his votes and speeches. Large
appropriations and eXtravagant expenditures de-
mand high tariffs and oppressive taxes. This is
the American or Clay system, for which he has
been so much eulogized here. If it is true, as
| assert, that Mr.. Clay, and the wings in Con
gress generally, voted for the largest apppropria-
tons during Mr.. Van Buren's administration,
with what propriety can they now turn upon him,
and charge him with cXtravagant expenditures?
He was the agent to execute the laws of Con
gress--their laws. 1t was their duty to see that
all appropriations were reasonable, just and ne
|~cessary. They are responsible to their c~onstitu-
ents and to the country for their acts. They
controlled the strings of the public purse. II
they opened them too wide--voted too much
they ought to be honest, and take the censure
which they are now endeavoring to throw upon
one subject to their control, and executing their
laws. 1t is not only true that they we're former
y in favor Of e~xtravagant appropriations and ex,
penditures, and opposed 10 retrenchment and re-
form, but they have been so during the present
session in every form. A large portion of the
wing party voted against the army-retreuchment
bill, passed a few days since, by which half a
million Of dollars will be annually saved. They
were unwilling 10 reduce The salaries of military
officers te q reasonable amount, or to discharge
a large number Of supernumerary and useless off
GERS.
But, sir to put this question beyond the reach
of denial or explanation, the Senate, with a large
majority of wings, have laid that bill upon the
table, and refused even TO consider it. They
will not 100000 annually, because it would
cut off some OF their political friends from a fat
living in idleness and extravaganza, at the ex-
pense of the people.