Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-01-12
Cord,,,on of tho Democratic Party

EUnder the bead Of Government Expendi-
lures" truly extraordinary article appeared
in the Union and American of the End inst.
The organ says:
@The chief argument of the KnowNothing
and Black Republican press against tn" pre-
sen: administration IL based upon the alleged
extravaganza OF government expenditures.
They point to the exhausted con-
rdition Of the treasury. and say tn the people.
shehold the consequences Of Democratic rule!
The country is Fastening into bankruptcy
and ruin, 10
--- Well the Hon. ANDREW JOHNSON, of Ten
nessee, good Democratic authority, we take
it. stated in the Senate on the 4th inst. that
If the country went on as il has been going.
it would, before long, become "bankrupt.'
That is true, beyond peradventure. The
expenditures of the Government far exceed
the revenue, and millions upon millions are
being borrowed TO supply the deficit To
avert the threatened evil, Mr.. JOHNSON has
introduced a resolution, as we said yesterday
into the Senate. the object of which, stated
in the resolution,is to bring about reduction
OF the Government expenditures to an
shonest, rigid, economical administration. !"
thereby plainly implying that the expend-
lures have not heretofore been administered
In an honest. rigid, economical manner.
Now, the Democratic party have had rule.
That is an undeniable fact.
II is equally undeniable, that the treasury
is exhausted, and that there has been extra
vagance in the public expenditures during
The prevalence of Democratic rule.
Is it strange, therefore. is it unchartable, is
it illogical in the opposition press to charge
that this exhaustion of tie treasury and this
admitted extravaganza are the consequences Of
thi Democratic rule? Yes, it is, argues the
Union ana american, because the Opposition
have produced the condition OF things which
they deplore" All, indeed! That was a
tremendous feat for a minority opposition to
accomplish. How in the world Gid they man
age 10 outwit and '.come over" the honest,
unsophis ticated Democrats, whom the peo-
pie had entrusted with the management of
their affairs? Hear the Union and American on
this highly curious and deeply interesting
point:
Look over the appropriations" its says,
"ofthe last and present Congress and point to
those items which you regard as unnecessary
and extravagant. Then turn to the Journals
Of Congress and observe how the vote stands
on these appropriations. It will be found
that IL majority of the Opposition members
voted for every measure which was proposed
to defraud the government and deplete the
treasury On the other hand
large majority of the Democracy opposed
all of these extraordinary ana extravagant
appropriations. In every case where the es-
Inmates presented by the Executive Depart
ments have been exceeded by Congress the
great body of the Opposition was found sup
porting the appropriation and the great body
of the Democracy was found opposing it."
This plea of the Union and American in behalf
of its party amounts, in substance, simply to
this: That the party in power, the Demo-
cratic party, has not presented united front
against the extravagant appropriations which
have depleted the treasury-that "the great
body" or "a large majority" of them only
have proved themselves faithful custodians Of
the peoples money--that in every case where
extraordinary, extravagant, and improper
appropriations have been made, "the great
body of the Opposition" got enough help
rom the Democratic members to enable them
to get the appropriation through
This defence of the Democratic party, by
one of its ablest organs. furnishes most sa-
tisfactory and unanswerable reason why the
people should eject that party from power.
The people put it in power, upon the solemn
and oft repeated assurances of its leaders and
organs that it was the only party in the coun-
try which was true to their best aud highest
interests.
The people confided in them party. As
q party they have confessedly proved incom-
petent to guard the public interests. The
public money has been wasted, the grossest
extravagances in the public expenditures have
been committod the treasury has been exhaust
ed the Government has been run in debt some
forty millions of dollars, with a probability
that more borrowing will have to be done,
and the best defence which, it seems, the De-
mocratc leaders can make for their short
comings is in substance, that "a large MAORI
ty' of them were always faithful to the high
trust committed to their charge, but that "a
large majority of the Opposition" were a set
of extrav, giant, unprincipled fellows, who al
gays found a sufficient number OF extrava-
CANT, unprincipled fellows among them, the De
rnocrdtie leaders to unite with them, the OPP
position scamps, in successfully 'defrauding
and depicting the treasury" although they,
the said nrajority of the Democratic leaders,
made the best fight they could, under the cir
Guns lance, in defence Of the treasury Upon
their own showing, therefore, they ought to
be turned out of power! What possible in-
terest have the people in continuing then IN
power! If the Opposition have full swing at
the treasury while they are out Of power and
the Democratic party IN power what worse
could happen to the treasury. if the Opposition
were in power, and the Democratic party
cut.
The Union and americans remarks il will
be seen, by reference to the first sentence in
the extract above, are limited to the ''appro-
priations of the last and present Congress"
Why this limitation! Was there no increase
Of expenditures during the preceding years
of President Pierce's administration: If the |
Limitation was introduced because of the |
state of parties in the House of Representa-
tives of the last and the present Congress. il |
may be observed, that although the Demo- |
cratic party in the former had not q majority, /
and were unable to elect their Speaker, il re-
mains to be shown that they were not strong |
enough, if they had all united, with the aid |
which they might have received from other |
quarters, to vote down all improper, unneces-
cary and extrayagant appropriations.
In the present Congress parties stand in
the House: Administration Democrats, li6; |
Anti-Lecompton Democrats, IL; Republicans. |