Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-06-14
"Retrcnchment and Ref0rm"-MOye.
mentS Ofthe Administration.

| "Nnsc Vi suC <AumkukOsl osSVns
The experienced sailor upon The hi.h
seas can often, in the deal calm of an
uncloulsd horizon detect the infallible
warnings Of impending danger and is
thus enabled to "make all snug and
light" to meet ana ride out the gathering
storm. J. u.ay be that there is SC me
such extraordinary prescienee in thisal
minis,ralion-it may be that General
Pierce has been taught by experience
10 regard the presen, most remarka.
Bile ana expansive prosperity in the e.
nancial world as somewhat treacherous
and delusive, and that the prevailing
plethora Of the money market, the still
increasing imitation of real and fancy
stock operations anil the unbounled
public confidence in The resonrses Of Cal
ifornia and Australia. may possibly enl
in some such terrible and sweeping Fl.
nancial tornado as that which signal.
lied the pet bank administration Of Mar.
tin Van Buren. Dubious of some such
approaching catastrophe, one would
conc clu'le that like the prudent Jack tar
the administration were making all snug
aal tight to weather the anticipated
shock of the element.
But whatever the causes or objects OF
these movements the public canno, have
failed to mark the apparent earnestness
with which General Pierce and his cabi.
ne: have proceeled 10 cut away with
the pruning.knife Of "re,renchment and
REFORM" When General Jackson sup.
planted J,hn Quincy Adams in the white
House he numerically declared that in
the catalogue OF his official duties the A.
merican people had "inscribed in char.
acters too lcgible to be misunderstood,
the paramount duties Of "retrenchment
and reform" There is no doubt in the
world that Oh Hickory believed it.
And COOL reason had he to make TIE dec.
aration; for the expenses ofthe govern.
ment under Mr.. Adams, had risen to
thirteen millions o year; and Tobias
Watkins poor old man was found gull.
ty at Washington Of a defalcation OF
nearly four thousand dollars! Perhaps
General Pierce may have concluded
that The time has arrived for restoring
this old Jacksonian plank to Inc demo.
cratic platform; and to this simple
judgment it may be that we are indebt.
cd for the initial steps which have been
taken to increase the efficiency and to
cut"own ;ae ;a expenses o. d ;a ;ae several de-
partments of the government.
Nor has the work been commenced
day too soon. What with the annual
expenses of the government magnified
from thirteen to fifty millions per annum
and what with Galphin, Mexican, Flor.
ida, Chickasaw, Cherokee and other
claims, amounting up from two hundred
thousand to half million at a single
haul, it is certainly high time for clio.
sing up some Of the leaks Of the public
treasury. The retrenchments therefore
OF Mr.. Guthrie in the administration OF
the Treasury and the custom houses; oi
The several other members of the cabi.
net, in reducing the contingencies and
in enforcing an additional quantity Of
work upon the clerks Of their several
departments; and the reforms Of DR.,
Campbell, as far as he has gone in the
mana cement Of the vast machinery OF
the General Post Office, arc all season
able and judicious. ~.
We hope although" new broom sweeps
clean, }" that the broom Of this admins.
iration will not be worn out before the
work sweeping away ell the old abuse
upon the Treasury, Of every sort is fully
accomplished and the government is
clssr Of rosues and swindlefs from stem
to stern. ilil@ ~ sle,aea! 'eogc8 .t..
Per Sc this business OF '.retysnchment
and reform" is q good thing; but in
view Of an approaching financial revul.
sion il 10 most wise to rish. up the ship
Of State in season. OF s9c cu. tsiasea gc
The Sub. Treasury, TO a limited extent
10 admirable calculated. under fai:h.
ful adminis,rationof tie law, to act ss)
a.check. upon the. spirit Of speculation
so universally prevailing in the financial