The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-04-03
DEMOCRATIC EXTRAvAGANCE.
[From the Richmond whig.l

The extravaganza and wns.efulness oi
Whie administrations have been the fruitful
theme of many denunciatory Democratic
harangue But no Wing administration has
ever equalled, or even approached, the present
in the matter of reckless squandering of the
public money.
We have been favored by Mr.. NJ. r. H.
Garnett with a copy Of his recent speech in
the House of Representatives, in which he
comments upon the wild expenditures of the
general government, "and the Irightful rate at
which they have increased" Upon this point
he saysi
81 need not 90 back to Mr.. Van Buren's
Presidency, when the whole country was
convulsrd with indgnaiinh ut an expenditure
OF S25 900, 900 to 10000 600 per annum.-
Nor will return TO 1872, when Mr.. Clay
estimated that the government could be fairly
administered for $26,00O.000. while MIR. Cal.
houn put it down to Sl6 100000, Nor will
! dwell on lS45-'46, the first year Of MIR.
| POlk's administration, when the expenditures,
exclusive Of payments on account o: public
debt and Mexican hostilities, were only 1872,
| S64,296. But, sir. will take year since the
| Mexican war-sinre the empire nf the Pacific
WIS added to our dominons, and pithin Ibis
| present administration, and find that in the
fiscal year 1853 '54 the entire expenditures,
erclusiue of pubic debt and the installment
due to Mexico, were $44,0lS249, while this
last year, 5-'56, they have suddenly swell
ed up to S57, 7,l72, ,40l, being Sl,243,3O6 more
than they were in the height of the Mtxican
war, when our forces rested on either ocean,
and our flag not only protected our own do.
main, but waved in triumph in every province
OF Mexico"
These are the figures Of Democratic Con-
gresham from Virginia, and embodied in
speech for general circulation, we suppose,
among his Democratic and Whg constituents
1t will be perceived, as Mr.. Garnett shows,
that the expenditures of the general govern
ment, under the Pierce administration, in a
time of profound peace, shave suddenly
swelled up to" reary siriy millions Of dollars
per annum! In view of this unprecedented
and startling fact, Mr.. Garnet says: "How,
demand, has this monstrous result been at
tanned? By any just expansion OF our func-
tions! By any fair exercise of our consttu-
tional powers! No, sir, nor
Well may, not only the tax paying people,
but even leading Democratic politicians them.
selves, be astonishrd at the rapid and frghtful
increase of the public expenditures under
Democratic administration. II is enough to
excite both the amazement and the fears Of
men of all parties and sections. For it shows
the existence Of prevalent ard wide spread
extravaganza and corruption on the part of
the servants Of the people. We all recolect,
as Mr.. Garnett reminds.us, how .the whole
country was convused with indignation at an
expenditure of S25,oOO, 600" during the Pres
dencY of Van Buren. And why, we ask, is
there no "indignation" now exhibited, when,
under another Democratic administration, the
expenditures shave suddenly sweled up" to
near'y sixty millions? 1t is because Demo-
cratic politicians have been artful enough to
divert the ewes of the people from an exami
nation into the extent and manner in which
the public money has been spent by raising
great hue and cry upon the slavery Ques-
ton! Such is the kind of artifce to which
they invariably resort, when they wish to
conceal from public view the blunders, folips,
corruptions and crimes Of the rotten and i'm
beetle administration of Democratic Presi.
dent. But the time has now come, when the
people are not to be frightened from their
propriety by the clap.trap involved in purely
sectional issues. They desire to know how
it is that sixty millions of dollars year have
been spent by the late administration. They
want to know in what manner they them.
selves, or the country, have been profited by
this vast expenditure. And they mean, m ORE
over, to hold the dominant party to strict
accountability for their gross and proHigate
waste of the public funds.