Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-05-15


VOIUETEzEs, Delivered February Is, 1855.
We feel that an spOlOgy is due to our readers, as
well IS to Mr.. JOHEsoS himself, for not having pub
lished at the proper time, his entire speech upon
the Army Bill, and especially his rejOinder to
to Mr. IvERsoE, Of Georgia. in defence and vindica-
ton Of the galantry Of the Tennessee volunteers,
50 WantoDly asssiled By the latter gentleman
At the time first reached our Office and for several
weeks thereafter, attention was Withdrawn from
the paper, being personally absent from the city.
Our attention has been brought to the subject by one
Of the gallant men Of the Mexican campaign, who
expressed the pleasure with which he had read this
speech and the thanks due 70 Mr. JOHNSON for his
manly vindioation Of our citizen soldiers We deem
this explanation to the public necessary, in justice
to ourselves well our able and faithful Senator
In lieu Of the bill reported by the Committee on
Military Affairs, providing for an increase Of the
regular army, Mr.. JOHNSON offered bill substitu-
ting the volunteer service, and authorizing the ao-
ceptsnce Of as manyas four thousand troops should
they be required. This proposition he urged with
great force.
Per the better understanding Of the entire subject
we give this morning bis leading arguments in
support Of the measure, and shall give tomorrow
portion Of Mr.. IvERsON's reply impugning the vaor
Of the Tennessee troops at Cerro Gordo, and Mr.
JoHEsoSs successful vindioatOn Of their honor and
his whitening rebuke Of their assailant. No one
should fail to read them.
Mr.. JOHNSON said:
It is agesed on all hands that the'cost of the regu
lar Army is about million dollars to each thousand
/ men. By one statement made by the Senator from
/ Georgia-and an free to say that | always hear
him speak on this subject with great pleasure, and
/ rely much on his statements-it appears that the
cost is about thousand dollars perman That being
/ 80, each thousand men will cost 81 600 900. By
another statement made by the Senator from Maine
/ Mr.. Hamlin, who seems to be accurate, and
presume So il appears that including all expenses
the Army costs about fifteen hundred dollars man,
or fraction less. If the force to be raised be five
/ thousand men at 81, 500 per man, they viii cost
81 800 900; and that is to become permanent eX-
penditure, because the men being raised are part
/ Of the permanent military establishment Of the
country, and must continue charge on the Treasury
| Of the United States
wish 70 ask Democratic Senators if this is time
| to increase the expenditures Of the Government
You responsible for the expenses Of tie Govern
ment; you have the majority; you hsve the control
of the Treasury in your hands. 1t is idle to 60
before the country and talk before the people aoOut
the expenditures Of the Administr alton Who holds
the purse strings of this nation When we run
through the appropriations Of this Government from
its origin to the present time, find that the ap
| preparations have generally OUTCOME the eIpendi-
lures. Who makes the expenditures The President
| may recommend for this and for that, and he may
make eztravagant recommendations, but the query
! comes up, is Congress bound to appropriate You,
the appsopriating power hold the purse strings Of
this nation in your hands; and if the Expenditures
Of this Government 60 on increasing as they have
been going on for considerable number of years
back YOU are responsible not the Administration.
Then would ask, when we take up this question
Of expenditure, where is it going to carry TO Is
it not time TO pause? Is il not time TO reflect Is
| not time to consult our log book, and get new
reckoning? Ii seems TO me that it is AZ this point
l wish to say to the chairman Of the Committee on
France of this body, that shall look TO him with
great interest in reference to his moves in retreneh
! ing the expenditures Of the Government l will
follow him as an humble volunteer for favor the
volunteer SYSTEM it Is more in accordance With the
genius Of the Government and the patriotic impulses
Of the American people. Let US 60 into the unneces-
sary and extraordinary expenditures ofthis Govern
/ ment, and reduce them down to what is reasonable
and right. Is their place at which we can begin
| this work Cannot the expenditures be arrested?
When We talk about retrenchng upon this bill, 1t Is
said this is the place. let this go; this is not the
bill" This allowed pass, and soon we Ind another
bill before us for the civil naval department or
the West Point Academy, or the military establish
ment ana then we are told, "this is MOI the bill
| either; We cannot get along without this" Well,
where is the bilg What measure is 1t ? Some how
or other We cannot find any. "This is not the place;
this is not the bill; this is not the department TO
which to lay the pruning knife. Oh no. we must
not begin here " That is the constant cry.
Then if war happens 10 exist, and we talk about
retrenching and reducing the expenditures in time
| OF war; the answer is 'Oh you cannot do It now;
! the public mini Is occupied about something else;
III 1To nd Is IN
[ ask when will the time come? When are the foul,
reeking corrupOns of the Government TO be stopped.
Your newspapers are filed with the details Of them
every day, and men confined IN prison for retus
ing to tell the truth in reference TO the cOrupuOns
of the Government. What do those cOrruptiOns
grow out Of? The unnecessary and improper
penitures Of the Government. 1t seems TO me the
| time has come and think it is the duty of the
Democratic party to commence the work of rerench-
ment. We have preached 1t in theory a long Il ne.
Let US commence TO reduce our theory to practice.
came into to the Senate Of the United State as
Democrat and if know myself, intend to be one
in practice as we'll theory. know II is aganst
the taste there6ned and the peculiar nOtOnsof some
men who gel into high places, 10 talk about curtai
ing or reducing tie expenditures otthe Governments
That with them, is all can't that is all for Bun
l oombe; that amounts to nothing. Some may talk
about it ia that light, and some may act upon that
principle if it is principle but intend to act in
! good faith, if know myself 1t may be said, ooh!
be is calculating politician; he talks about
| the pence: he talks about the shillngs and con
seouently he is TO be regarded as being states
man expanded in bis views liberal IN his feelings,
that grssps and takes in the scope Ofs mind all the
nations Of the earth, and the rest Of mankind -
| Laughter wish TO quote what very distin
gushed man once said in reference to public reve-
nue., and do il with desire TO speak disparlngly
| of American Senators, for put a very high est
mate on their character and position, and especial
| ly so since l have got here. Laughter Mr..
| Burke was man Of 10 mean consideration do
not mean Edmund Burke, Of New Hampshire, but
/ the distinguished British Statesman-and what
4 does he say on this subject Of revenue He says
| the revenue Of the State is the State That Is
book; it is a text worth preaching from, that The
revenue Of the State is the State; and that Govern
ment which manages its revenue best operates most
| lightly and best for the people:
| "The revenue Of the State is the State in effect;
all depends upon it, whether for support reforma
ton Through the revenue alone the body polite
can act in its true genius and character; and there
/ fore it will display just much Of lis cohesive
/ virtue as il is possessed Of just revenue"
| That is what Edmund Burke said He was one
Of your pence calculating politicians. He was one
/ Of those demagogues who talk about the interests
/ and the rights Of the people. He, who was not only
| a statesman but a philosopher, declared that the
revenue eff the State is the State, and the virtue Of
the Government is indicated in the very same pro.
portion that it collects just f,Om the PEG
| pie
Again, on the idea Of the revenue of a Govern
| ment Lord Bacon, who was not the most .yirtuous
| it is true but who wrote WELL and said great many
| good things, declared:
"AbOve all things, good policy is to be used that
the treasure and money in a State be not gatherd
/ into few hands; for otherwise State may have
good stock and yet starve and money is like muck,
/ no good unless il is spead
What does be mean by thst2 Do not collect large
/ sums of money from the people and appropriate
/ them among the few; revenue, like muck, does no
/ good unless it is spread but how spread2 Let the
industrious portion Of thecommunity the producers,
spend their own moLey let il be in their own pocket
appropriate it in such way their interest, their
! happiness and their prosperity may suggest; but
| We have reversed that proposition We 60 gath
| ering muck from the yards Of the nation We
! 20 on gathering revenue from the industry of the
whole people, aud we bring 1t here and sqUsuder It
in appropriations, as believe, wholly unnecessary
TO promote the interest and happiness Of the people
! - the cant is very common about demagogues, l
desire to lay down as a text what was preached by
| Edmund Burke one Of the most distinguished of
! British statesmen.
J Now, let US see where we are going on this sub
! lust of expenditure And first as to the Army. ]
/ will divide our history into decades At the end