Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-06-20
MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1859.
Fixing the Responsibility.

Fixing the Responsibility.
The apologists of the extravagance of the
administration are completely driven to the
wall. The only ground they have had on
which to make even a pretense OF defense,
was the circumstance that the House of Re
representatives. of the 34th Congress was black
republican. This was wholly swept from
under them by the fact that during that same
Congress. the Senate, which concnrred in and
passed all the appropriation bills. and the
President who approved and signed them,
were democratic, and had the power in their
OWE hands tocheck any unnecessary waste
of the public money, which black republi-
can House might have wantonly proposed.
The entire absurdity of this pretended vindi-
cation of the administration from the charge
of profiigacy and waste. is placed in the bold
est relief by the indisputable fact that the
administration not only exhausted the aPpro-
priations, but that the next democratic Con-
Qress was called upon and voted, in the shape
of defceacies, more than ten millions above and
beyond the extravagant appropriations OF the
Saith Congressl F.- ~.
But the NASHVILLE CHtOH ana sIdS-
pering under the crushing weight of these
charges and the proof which sustains them,
with a boldness worthy of better cause
reiterates the preposterous argument that
the black republican Congress House of the
34th is responsible for the extravaganza at
which the popular mind revolts everywhere.
In relation to this subject, that paper holds
the following language in its issue of Friday:
"The consequence was that the next Dem
ocratic Congress had to pass deficiency bill
so paw up the arreaTages OF the preceding
Congress. They were compelled TO appro-
pirate S34l lSy So, for printing ordered, but
not paid for by the former Congress. $50, OO0
90 for expenses of Investigating Committees
{ to look into the corruptions OF Opposition
members of Congress and officials; S36O,OOO
/, 90 for the manufacture of arms ordered the
u wear before. and 81 ,925. 900 90 to pay the ex-
Q penses of the army i'll Utah, in a war made
necessary by Mr.. Fillmore's appointment OF
Brigham Young as Governor of that Terri
tory. and the timid policy he pursued to-
:, wards him."
The first item of $34l lS9 So, printing
: deficiency. not, las stated, ''tor printing
: ordered, but not paid for by the former Con
gress;' but it was ''for paper. printing bin
l ding aud engraving ordered by the Senate
=, and House of Representatives of the 33rd
., and 34th Congresses" The 33rd Congress
= was democratic and what part of the appro-
= priation supplied the deficiency for each is
=, not stated in the act making it. The DEM
ocratic 33rd Congress is just as much respon-
sible for that deficiency the 34th, and the
Tot Of ba md 1,sr iS there
:, fore too broad by half.
y The S360,900 appropriation for the manu-
= facture of arms was made at the first session
ri of the 35th Congress, which was democratic,
N to supply an omission in the enrolment of a
al bill for the support of the Army, passed at
p, the last session of the 34th Congress. 1t was
r, usual appropriation, and cas estimated for By
" the Democratic Secretary Of Var, and recommend
6y the E1ecW,pe When the question on sup
tplying the emission came up, seven months
A, of the year Tor which the appropriation was
= made had expired, and republican member
n, from Ohio proposed to strike out 1850, OO0''
,r and insert $3.50, 00O," giving the armories
for five months what was contemplated by
p the previous Congress to supply them for Fix
Ell months. A large majority Of the Democrats
I'd voted against and defeated. this motion, and
Il the bill, under the management ofM FAULK-
NER, Democrat of Virginia, passed the
s House, and was afterwards concurred in by
IL the Democratic Senate and approved by Il .
President. 1t is thus that the pleas and ar
1 guments in defence and extenuation of dem
il ocratic extravaganza, vanish into thin air,
70 when fully examined. And it is thus seen
al who are the true friends of economy and who
u the true authors of the reckless eNtrava-
gance which is corrupting the morals aud
I destroying the public integrity of the govern
II ment.
10 The attempt to make the administration Of
al Mr.. FILLMORE responsible tor the Utah war
VI is simply ridiculous. After the appointment
ofBRIGHAN YoUNe was indorsed by President
2 Pierce, and he was retained in Office for the
IL four years of his term, and was not even re-
moved by Mr.. BUCHANAN for some time after
{ his Inauguration, the people can not be made
to believe that plea. If the appointment was
l. wrong in the beginning, his continuance in
a Office was wrong every day afterwards, and
u both Mr.. PIERcE and Mr.. BUCHANAN are
greatly more to blame on this hypothesis,
than Mr.. FILLMORE. Our Democratic friends
had as well acknowledge the truth Of charges
which have been so often proved, and come
e before the people penitently for forgiveness.
U