Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-12-03
ISLANDER.


country, and the consequence cry for retrench-
men and reform, which resounded through the land To
protect the Treasury from the Gaphins and TO put an
end TO schemes of public plumber 10 introduce into the
administration of the finances principles Of honesty pune
tuality and economy chief end contemplated by
the people in substituting Democratic for Wing Pre-
sident"
The propensity Of the Wing party to squander the
national treasure either in corrupt agesscs to depend
ents in egtmate schemes Of expenditure determin
ed the vote Of people intent purer and more care
full administration Of the public finances"
st was their 1.-THE peoples) WISH in short, that the
Government should be brought back the sphere in which
10 moved under the Administration of the old State rights
Presidents that the reproach official corruption should
longer dshonor the Republics and that the Federal ex
pendture should be reduced the lowest possible figure
to which might be brought by the purest most faith
full, and most economical administration"
"FRAsKLIE PIERCE, then, became President under the
solemn instruction of the people to execute their will by
cleansing the Augean stable and giving to history the re-
cord of another Administration unstaned by corruption
and distinguished by honest and economical expendi-
ture OF the public money"
We take the above extracts from an editorial ar
tice in the Richmond Enquirer of the 23d ultmo,
and we confess our surprise that such wholesale
SANDER should be placed in the columns of that jour-
nal under its present Editors It may plead, we
know, for this gross injustice, the example Of the
Union of this city, which teens with similar un-
founded allegations almost every day. But the very
commences of the offence in the Union, which
sails with opprobrous mputations every party, fac
ton, or with which or whom it differs, renders
it unheeded and innocuous in that print. But in
the Enquirer, which has eyinced latterly more
candid spirit we cannot pass such sweeping charges
in silence.
Where does the Enquirer find any foundation for
echarge of profigacy on the late Wing Admnistra-
| ton? Where do they find cause for accusing the
Wing party of squandering the public treasure
ruptly, for ilegitimate schemes of expenditure?
During the whole term of the late Ad,ninistra-
ton the Democrats had controlling majority in
both Houses of Congress, with all the committees in
their hands, and consequently all the expenditure
OF the country completely under their CONTROL yet
at every session those Democratic maorites not only
increased the appropriations far beyond the estimates
submitted by the Wing Admin stration, but passed
additional items for heavy OUTLAWS which the Wing
Executive officers had not asked for, and which they
did not deem necessary.
We have on former occasion, proved by facts
and figures, taken from official documents that the
expenditures under the late Wing Administration
for the regular outlay of the Government, including
civil and diplomatic expenses army, navy, &C., did
not exceed those of the first year of Dir. PoLK's
administration, which was year of peace; for
it would not have been fair comparison to place
it against Mr.. PoLK's immense war expenditures.
In making this comparison we of course exclud-
ed from the Wing expenditure the extra items
resulting from the Mexican war, which the Demo
cratic Administration left legacy to their Wing
successors-such, for instance, as the interest on
the war debt, the indemnity to Mexico, the ar
rearages Of war claims, &c. and we showed conelu-
sively that for the items of expenditure un
der Mr. PoLk's year of peace, notwithstanding the
natural increase and expansion of the country in
volving new OUTLAWS, the Wings had not increased
the expenditure 1t is also matter Of notorety that
with the words " economy "retrenchneRt," ere
torn, &C. constantly their lips, every successive
Democratic Administration has constantly and great
ly increased the expenditures of the Treasury, not
only upon the outlay of their predecessors, but each
year that they were in power there an increase
on the preceding year. This was the case when
Gen. JACKSON came into power. Mr.. VAN BUREN's
administration had the same result, and likewise
Mr.. PoLKs.
These charges of reckless expenditure and cor
rupton come with very i'll grace from the presses
of the Democratic party when the antecedents OF
that party are remembered. Does the Enquirer
collect the defalcations, counting by millions, of the
scores of worthless Eve forbear to mention names
they are familiar to every body under former
Democratic Administrations And though there
may be some officials under the recent Wing Adj
ministration who have not settled up their &C
counts-it would be strange if, in the many thou
sand subordinates, there not delinquents-
is there any comparison to be drawn with the gross
robberies of the Treasury in the days Of Democratic
rule? We have not, in fact, heard the name Of
any one under the late Administration who has
been, in the usual acceptation of the word, de-
faulter; and we much doubt whether, under any
preceding Administration, the fiscal concerns Of the
country in all their ramifed operations have ever been
administered with more economy correctness, and
honesty than under the administration of Gen. TAY-
LoR and Mr. FILLMORE.
AS regards the gross malpracticcs under former De
mocratic Administrations, the Wings have for year
been willingt throw over them veil of charity, and
to consider that political opponents had the right
to plead statute Of limitations and they have also
even abstancd from answering the continued ISLANDERS
and vndictive assaults upon themselves, until some
of the Democratic presses seem to think they have
the right to make these sweeping and unfounded
allegations with mpunity.