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

ing the public money state fedrtesssy here that
the Senate Of the United States Is te most soda-
gal in he expenditure Of The public money 81 any
Department of this Government. Sir, we COM
plain that this Wing Administration has expended
some ffty millions Of dollars year, but to that The
Senate of The United States has added ten nat
lions"
Though it were impossible, within the limits of a
single article to notice all the gross and abominabe
ISLANDERS against the Wing Administration and the
Wbio narty which are scattered broadcast by those
who hope to profit by their produce, there is in
the allegations in the following passage of the
Speech of Mr.. DOUGLAS (above quoted precise
ness as well as bitterness which require exposition
"You find the expenditure nearly doubled, run
& ming up to about sixty millions of dollars year,
{ in times of profound peace; and, when you cast
9 your eve over the long list of this expenditure,
you will find Galphinism and Gardinersm and
every other sort of ism, peculiar to Whiggery,
'marring and defacing every page of the account.
i submit to you whether this very system Of Pc
fculation and extravaganza, in the free Of the
public money, which has prevailed under this Ad-
ministration in all its branches" &c. &c.
The gross exaggeration in the first sentence of this
N~AAoA1>N~SS~' -~"-N~~
of this tissue of calumny is offensive that it is
hardly approachable But when so distinguished a
person as "the Embodiment" has thought fit to
dole it out as fit food for the appetite of his hearers,
how can we humble journalists shrink from contact
with it? We therefore challenge and reply to it.
Ejaculation is not Characteristic Of the Wings.
1t belongs to different race of politicians: not
to the Democrats without distnction--and not per-
sonally, we willingly admit, to the Senator himself.
But the records Of the country teach in what ranks
and under what Administrations, the of 'specu-
lators' has thriyen most.
Whilst we defy the honorable Senator to point
out single case of "peculation connived at by
the present Administration, or by the Wing party
party, political justice demands that we should
recur to the period of history in which defaulters
abounded, and were petted and patronized, instead
of being exposed and punished by the party then in
possession of the Government 1t was precisely
when the Democratic party was at the height of
its power; that to say, in the second term Of the
Administration of President JACKSON and during
that OF his successor But at no period have profess
sions of disinerestedness their part and devotion
to economy, and, above ALL to strict accountability
of public officers, been more profusely made by the
most eminent members of the Democratic party, in
and out of Congress, than during the year or two
which preceded the election of Gen. JACKSON to
the Presidency, and few years succeeding it..
Some Of the actors of that day are yet in the land
of the living, and we summon them to bear witness
to the truth of what we are about to say.
During the term Immediately preceding the ehc.
ton of Gen. JACKSON committee on Retrenchment
was raised, as one mode of operating against the
pure and honest Administration of President
it, to illustrate the beau-dea of Republican Ad-
ministration, one to amend the Constitution by
excluding Senators and Representatives in Congress
from appointment to civil offices under the authori-
ty of the Federal Government. This was the Meo-
~ Of Democracy-that is, Gas described by one of
the leaders, of ga pure and earnest Democracy,
illuminated By the son,dest principles Of political
economy" What was the practice Of the Democra-
cy after it had by these professions lulled to sleep
the vigilance Of the People, and obtained the control
of the Government? Our readers only to turn to
the file of the National Intellgencer for 1910, (0c-
tober and they will find, amongst mass Of facts
equally applicable to the professions Of the Demo-
cratic leaders and organs of the present day, list
of Members Of Congress appointed to office from the
beginning Of President JAcKsoNs Administration
to that day, amounting in number to sirty-eight
Should Mr.. DOUGLAS and his associates succeed in
placing their friends in power we do not doubt that
equaE disinterestedness will be exhibited in the Ad-
ministraton of " the pure and earnest Democracy /"
of this day was displayed in that of the JACKSON
and VAN buren, dynasty.
With regard to the charge against the Wing Ad-
ministration Of peculation, wholesale peculation"
the honorable Senator has it, one stands amazed
at the unabashed assurance of those who dare to
suggest such charge, for which there is not a
shadow Of foundation, whilst the evidence stares
them in the face, the records of their country, Of
multitude of such unexpiated offences committed
under Administrations of their own party 1t can
not be necessary, surely, that we shall turn to the
record for particulars not only Of large and numer-
GUS defalcatons, in amounts from one million down
wards detected and exposed but of cases Of Collec-
tors and Receivers Of Public Moneys continued in
Office by the President and the Heads Of Depart
ments after their defalcatons were known and con.
fessed by the defauters themselves. We have no
inclination to drag the names Of these "peculators"
anew before the Public; the rather that few Of our
readers can well have forgotten them. The details,
besides, are immaterial The general damning fact