The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-02-17

other $1,000. lhey were Sold on creuiI vi
one or two years, with eight per cent. interest
from day of sale. Mr.. William Ii. Cook, OF
Centreville, was the purchaser"
HAVE WE AN ECONOMIST AMONG US?
The States, of this city, has a very suspicious
way of praising the President by raking up the
good things he has said in the past, and putting
them in juxtaposition with the evil deeds OF his
administration of the Government. The States
follows the practice of the English publclstS,
who denounce the Ministry, while they exonerate
the sovereign from blame, on the maxim that
"the King can do no wrong" To be consistent,
the editor should insist upon change OF the
Cabinet, and of the policy which the present
Cabinet has pursued.
The following letter, written by Mr.. Buchan-
an in 1852, is one of the severesC satires we
have met with upon his Administration. 1t
will be seen that he denounced the expenditure
of fifty millions by Wing Administration as
enormous, and thought that unless arrested
ia their ddrance by the strong arm Of the De
mocrocy Of the country, may IN the course Of a
fe,o gears reach hundred millions"
The public expenditure has already attained
to something like an hundred millions; and If
Congress will only follow the Presidents rec
concentrations, by giving him the right to
make war upon Mexico and Central America,
and at the same time give him corruption
fund of thirty millions, with which to negotiate
national debt of two hundred millions more,
there can be little doubt that he will carry our
annual expenditure up to tie splendid figure Of
one hundred and .tifty millions.
"WHEATLAND, Feb. %, 1852.
"GrNr1RNEy: \ = y On what issues,
then. can we 90 before the country, and con-
fdently calculate upon the support of the
American people at the approaching Presiden-
tal election ? ! answer unhestatingly that we
must fall back, as you suggest, upon those fun
damental and time-honored principles, which
have divided US from our political opponents
since the beginning, and which, from the very
nature Of the Federal Constitution, must con-
tnue to divide us from them to the end. We
must inscribe upon our banners a sound regard
for the reserved rights of the States, strict
construction of the Constitution, denial to
Congress of all powers not clearly granted by
that instrument, and a rigid economy in public
expenditures.
"These expenditures have now reached the
enormous sum of FIFTY MILLIONS Of dollars
per dRnu'n; and unless arrested in their ad-
vance by the strong arm of the Democracy OF
the country, may, in the course of few years,
reach one hundred millions. The appropriation
of money to accomplish great national objects,
sanctioned by the Constitution, ought to be on
scale commensurate with our power and re-
sources as a nation but its expenditure ought
to be conducted under the guidance of enlight-
ened economy and strict responsibility. 1 am
concinced that Our expenses ought to be cOnSid
erably reduced 6eIo1o the present standard, not
| only without detriment, but with positive ad
vantage both to the Government and the peO
! pie.
An excessive and lavish expenditure O
public money, though in itself highly PERM
cious, is nothing when compared with the dis
astrous influence it may exert upon the char
| acter of our free institutions. Il strong ten
| dercy TO ertJaUagdI,ce IS the great political eri
| of tie present day, and this ought to be firmly
resisted. Congress is now necessarily impor
tuned from every quarter, to make appropria
tons for all sorts of projects. Money from TIL
National Treasury as constantly demanded, Il
earich contractors, spectators, and agents
tfslrv adrteu 10 them 81
ingenuity and talent Claims which had beer
condemned by former decisions, and had be
come rusty with age, have been again revived
and have been paid, principal and interest
Indeed, there seems to be one general rush tc
obtain money from the Treasury on any anC
every pretence.
What will be the inevitable consequence
of such lavish expenditures? Are then MOI
calculated to disturb the nicely-adjusted balance
6et,ceen the Federal and State Governments
upon the preservation of which depend the
harmony and efficiency OF our system? Greedy
| eXpectants from the Federal Treasury will re
| gard with indifference, if not with contempt
| the Governments Of'the several States. Tht
doctrine Of State Rights icW he laughed to scoyr
| by such ndiUiduatS, as an obsolete abstraction
un'cOrfhy the enlightened spirit otrte age. The
corrupting power Of money will be felt through
out the length and breadth of the land, and the
Democracy, led on by the Hero and Sage Of
the Hermitage, will have in vain put down the
Bank of the United States, If tie same fatal
influence for achich IL cas condemned shall b.
crerted and tostered by means dra,on from The
| pubtic Treasury.
"To be liberal with their own money, but
| sparing of that of the Republic, was the glory
of distinguished public servants among the an.
cent Romans. When this maxim was reversed
and the public money was employed by artful
and ambitious demagogues, to secure their own
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, genuine liberty soon expired
1t is true, that the forms Of the Republic con-
tinued for many years but the animating and
| inspiring soul had fed forever 1 entertain no
serious apprehensions that we shall ever reach
| this point, yet we may still profit by their ex-
ample.
with sentiments of the highest respect, /
remain your friend and fellow citizen,
JAMES BUCHANAN"