Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-06-16
The g Opposition, ON Gov. harris

I
The Opposition" having relied upon q state
ment by Senator PKARcE, Of Maryland, to invsli-
date the statement made by Gov. HARRIS, that the
expenses Of the peace administration Of Mr.. FILL
MORE exceeded the expenses of the sdministrs-
ton of Mr. Polk, we yesterday copied brief ex-
tract from the speech Of Mr.. BORLAND, in reply to
Mr. PEAEcE, fully sustaining Gov. HARRI9. We
make an extra,t Today from another speech by Mr.
BoRLASD, defending the figures of his first speech,
and still more conclusive than the extract published
yesterday We copy frem the Congressional Globe,
vol %. PIP, 727 and 72s:
Mr. BoRLAND said:
"Mr. Polk came next; and during his first year,
(l845) before the war begun, his expenditures
we're but S763, 85I more than Tyler's average, al
though he had to prepare for the with Mexico,
which was impending. Then came the war, how
ever and with it extraordinary and unavoidable
penses. By retrenching ia other branches, under
the necessity of giving $l3, $40, 428 to the Army
alone, these expenses were yet kept doWnAtO about
/ $2T, 900, 900 during his stcond yea Even at the
| highest, which was in l8i7, they never exceeded
$56 600 0O0 and in l84S, the last Of he war, they
! were brought down TO less than $40, 900, 900; his
average for the four years being only $780, 7C8
! co.. Under the circumstances, engaged in ex-
pensive foreign war; carried by land and water,
in the enemys country, and ssssiled AID embaTrass
ed by envious, interruptions, unpRtriotic, party
opposition home it may, with perfect confidence,
| be claimed that no Government at any period has
ever been more economically or faithfully admins
tered than Mr.. Folks; as certainly n5 Administrs-
tiOn was energetic, successful brilliant
in it's policy and results. It's financial policy in
creased revenues, at the same time that it re-
duced the rates, by equalizng the burdens of tax
| alton. It's foreign policy enlarged strengthened
and Gberalizsd, 60 our advantage, our commercial
relations with other countries. And Its war policy
characterized by prudence and energy, never sur
passed at any period Of our history gave u.s. in the
best sense of the terms, Indemnity for the past
and security for the future" For, without adding
an annual average of more than 81 900 900 to our
public debt, but securing full payment of our citi-
Gems claims from Mexican spOlaliOns, il added an
empire TO our territorial possessions, measuring
/ 526,07 square miles in extent, and spanning an
an ocean coast of 1000 miles; and of a pecuniary
commercial and political value, which no arithme-
tician, or economist of the present day can folly
estimate. 1 shall not attempt the task. But this
we all can estimate The whole Of il has cost u.s. in
money, all told, only $I65 $50, 404. Aud this in
eludes the aggregate expenditures Of the Govern
ment in every branch of the service, and on all
accounts, for four years. (including TIE $751;
500 900 paid to Mexico and the So, 000 900 sssum-
ed to our own citizens under of ls4S This
sum, divided by four, gives the annual average Of
Mr.. Folks expenditures, including every item Of
expenses military and civil, ordinary and extreor-
",
is the highest amount which the most exacting POI
lical opponent can even pretend charge against
him. The true amount, as have before assumed,
from the record, is $50, 70S Color some S. 000.-
900 less II is not three times as much John
Quincy Adams administration, from 1926 to 1929;
only twice as much General Jackson's, from 1929
to 1887; only fifty per cent more than Mr.. Van Blu
reR's, from 1887 to lS4l and it is Iess-msrk this
absolutely Iess, by So, ass, 400 per snnum, than
that of the present administration Of Mr.. Fillmore
Mr.. President, I do not make this statement ct
random, or without authority. Irepeat it. and sp-
peal TO the record for tstruh Here is that record
before me. 1t discloses the facts that the expend
Nitures of Mr.. Folks administration, expensive as
we know it necessarily was, account Of the three
years war with Mexico and fruitful we also know
it in the acquisition of territory, averaged for
its whole term Of four years, only $780, 70S Col per
snnum; whereas, Mr. Fillmore's, in time of pro
found peace, and without acquiring an acre of
ritory, has averaged, during its three years, $40
IL, 900 per aDnum-that is s., 468, 429 more than
Mr.. Polk's These are remarkable facts; and to
the country, when they are known will, doubt not
be astounding. confess they astonished me when
upon searching the records, for another and more
general purpose, found them TO be as | have set
them down. Are they not Of sufficient import
ance 10 arrest attention, and command our serious
thought? Well, indeed mey the people, who have
to pay the taxes TO support this enormous exrava-
gance, look to its consequences.
"It may be attempted, but it cannot be truly said
that although the current expenses Of Mr.. Folks
administration we're nominslly less than Mr.. Fill
more's yet he created large debts, which he did
not pay, and which have nov to be psid, ana make
up the enormous amount Of Mr., Fi.lmore's expend-
iture A balance of accounts ON this seOrce, be-
tween the two Administrations, may vary the differ
Cnce between them somewhat from the precise
amounts at which have stated il but not much
to change the general result which / assumed,
ncr break the force Of my charge of enormous ex
traJagsnes against the preselt Administrator.
TO show that an right in this let us look at !
lie items of that account During Mr.. Folks ad-
mi0istrRtoD Of four years, the annual average of
tie public debt created BY him was S1l, I33 ga:
while the annual average amount Of the same debt
paid by him was S7,lsS, 3l5; leaving an annual |
baspce against him Of 81, 544 659-thst is an sg-
gregats for his whole term of Sl7 sos 1872 or about
ths-aRoEGt (uolGdiUg some 100000 Of interests)