Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-09-18
THE ISSUES BEFORE THE PEOPLE.

involved in the present canvass for the Presidency
The personal qualities and claims of the Candidates
who have been presented to the People by the Ma
tional Conventions Of the two main parties amongst
us, are sufficiently well understood by intelligent
readers to require no place in this Review The
distinctive Principles of the Wing and Democratic
parties have never before been plainly and fairly
announced as they now are, in the series of Reso-
lutions, familiarity termed the Platform, of each
party Between these Platforms few intelligent
men who have settled opinions upon the proper OBJ
jects and duties Of government can long hesitate in
the choice, can they be much at loss to deter
mine for which of the tickets the Wing or the De-
mocratic, they will cast their votes at the ensuing
election
There are 8t some conscientious and even con-
sentative men who may not see in the same light
as we do certain questions involved in the conflict
of the two parties. Firmly convinced that upon
the success Of the Wing party, standing upon the
truly Republican creed which is included in its
Platform, depend the healthful progress the pros
perty and the true glory of the country, we expect
to show, from the Resolutions of the opposite party,
and the commentaries of Democratic Orators and
Journals by which they are expounded and illus
trated that their tendency is to mischief to danger,
to change in the national policy which is to affect
the character of our country by embark
ing its fortunes in experiments and projects, the
success of which could not fail to alter materially
the character of this Government.
Before we enter upon the examination of the
Democratic Platform, however, it is necessary to
brush out of our path of the artificial obstruc
tons which have been thrown in the way of a calm
consideration of the real issues of this canvass in the
form of false and calumnious allegations against the
Wing Administrations of the Government, past and
present, intended to reflect upon the morals as well
as the politics of the body of the Wing party
The most common calumny against the Wing
Administrations of the Government is that which
accuses them of improvidence and prodgality in the
public expenditures. This charge has been repeat
edly and pertinaciously paraded in the columns of
the leading journals of the party, and is promi-
nent theme of its stationary and travelling orators
Yet no allegation can be more unjust. Nor, were
1t even as its authors say, could such charge come
that whence it is made.
Most of the allegations to which we refer are in
the vague strain of the following, which we extract
from the :" Union" newspaper
The friends and apologiss of the Administration can
not deny that the public expenditure has been enormous dur
ing the last three gears but they endeayor remove from
the all responsibility for that expenditure
by affirming it to be the legitimate result of the Mexican
war. II would, indeed be singular fact if the war
SSs a rs Sgd hanrsd % and tho
than it did when ships blockaded both coasts Of Mex
co, and two armies supported her SOIL This ex-
cuse will not answer for the reason OF the extraya
gance Of the Government is to be found The character and
constitution Of the Wig party and that extravaganza will
continue and increase while the Wing party administers
the Government"
When the Union comes to its specifications
under this charge, it makes them in this wise
Mr.. Polk was inaugurated on the 4th of March lS45
The Mexican war broke out in May, 1876. The fiscal
year ends the Both Of June and the army was not
withdrawn from Mexico until after the notifications of the
treaty of peace exchanged at Queretare in Nav
lS4e the three last years of Mr.. Folks administration
were burdened with expenditures Yet the record
that he discharged all the ordinary expenses of the
Government and conducted foreign war at less cost to
the country than the Wings demand during time of pro-
found peace; and that, too while the public business is
neglected to give rise to widespread dissatisfaction
and complaint"
These random charges of profuse expenditure by
he Wing Administrations We repealed at the time
hey were first made, as our habtual readers may
remember; but, as this article may meet the eyes
If some readers whose attention has not before been
irawn to the subject we will repeat, with some adj
iitions, the statements then made.
In the outset, let us remark, that the Expend-
ures of War Establishment are hardly felt during
he first second year of the war 1t is not in fact
Until after the termination of war that the cost of it
AN be counted, much less paid A great part of
he expenses Of war do not find their place in the
public accounts until the war is ended and by the
annexed statement it will be seen that the perma-
,snt burdens entailed on the Government by the
Mexican War are but within the last three wears
elt in the public expenditures 1t is true, how
'ver strange" the Democratic organ may think it,
hat the Mexican War is now more costly to the
Treasury than it was during the greater part of the
line when our fleets were on the coasts and our
armies on the soil of Mexico
The same thing occurred in the War of 1919.
The cost of which mounted to lower figure on the
books of the Treasury during the war than within
The years Immediately following its termination.
The actual annual expenditures of the Govern.
nent have been rated by Democratic orators and
journalists at fifty millions of dollars, and in some
,ases even high as sixty millions Yet the actual
expenditure for the year 1851 was only fortv-eobt
millions of dollars and that for the year ending on
he 30th June last was but s44 lbs, 900 These are
A firctai Ia