Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-06-21
Federal PrOhigacy - Let an Outraged
People punish the Guilty Pa rty.

The administration of Mr.. BUCHANAN stands
convicted before the country as being without
a parallel in the reckless and extravagant
use of the public money. The defences set
up by The democratic organs and speakers
have utterly failed to exonerate the EXecu-
tive from the crushing weight of the number
less charges that have been preferred against
it. The most ridiculous, perhaps, and the
most persistently urged Of all the pleas put
forward by them, is that Mr. FHLHORE's adj
ministratiOn was even more wantonly extra
VACANT than either that of Mr.. FIERCE or Mr..
BucHENAs. This is urged in vague and gen.
eral terms. and with an assiduity and serious
ness, that are truly refreshing. We have
again and again shown that both the last ad-
ministrations have Outstripped any of their
predecessors in this respect-and especially
that of Mr.. BUCHANAN has gone TO such an
extent that the popular mind is alarmed for
the purity of our institutions. Wenow state
a few facts from the record which will put a
auietus upon this silly cry of extravaganza
against Mr.. Fn.IMORE's administration.
y -
official term amounted, in the aggregate, to
2.S92. 299 10. OF this sum, $3.50, l01 IL
were consequent upon the acquisition of new
territories, at the conclusion of the Mexican
war. The estimates were made so as to distin-
guish the amount necessary for the ordinary
purposes of the government other than those
growing out of the recent acquisitions. Thus,
for the administration of the government
within the limits it held during the greater
part of Mr.. Folks term. Mr.. FILLMORE only
asked for S33 343 1913 0S. These figures, con-
trasted with the annual budgets of our pre-
sent Executive, show very conclusively, who
is the practical champion of extravagace.
Mr.. PIERCE increased the expenditures I'M
necessarily but ne was not so lost TO all sense
of shame as to run the expenditures up to
seventy and eighty millions. The average
yearly expenditures for ordinary purposes
during his term, ran up to about forty eight
millions, and he publicly declared that he
thought this was enough for his successor.
He said in his last annual message:
"On examining the expenditures of the
last five years,it will be seen that the average,
deducting payments on account of the public
debt. and ten million dollars paid by treaty
to Mexico, has been but about forty eight
million dollars. 1t is believed that, under an
economical administration Of the government, The
auerege expenditure for The ensuing ire years wal
NOT EXCEED THAT SUN, unless extraordinary
occasion for its increase should occur"
Do the democratic masses believe that Mr..
PIERCE knew anything on the subject? We
here have his testimony that forty-eight mil
lions per annum were sufficient for all honest
purposes, for the next five years ensuing his
term f'ofice. But here at the expiration OF
half his term, the hypocritical author of the
Wheatland letter, has run the expenses OF
the government to nearly twice the amount.
Yet we have party in Tennessee excusing,
paliaing and defending this enormous abuse
of powerl Let an honest aud outraged
people apply the scOurge.