Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-04-23

cuss or agitate the Negro question, but rather
to turn the attention of the people to other |
topics" topics of general Importance, such |
as orr Foreign Relations, including the ex-
tension of Territory; the building of Rail-
roads for national purposes; the improve
ment of our Harbors, the navigation of our
rivers to- facilitate internal commerce; the
snbect Of currency, and a tariff of duties,
and other means of developing our own in
ternal resources, our home wealth and bind
ing together by ties of national and fraternal
feelings the various parts and sections of our
widely extended Republic
The letter IL a long one and is written with
the authors characteristic moderation and
ability. 1t touches briefly on the questions
suggested. We have not space but for the
concluding portion which is as follows:
1T seems to me that an efficient, home
loving Government, moderate and economical
in its administration, peaceful in its objects
and just TO all nations, need have no fear of
invasion at home, or serious aggression
abroad The nations Of Europe have to stand
continually in defence of their existence. but
the conquest OF our country by foreign
Power is simply impossible, and no nation is
so absurd az to entertain the thought We
may conquer ourselves by local strife and
sectional animOsities; and when, by our folly
and wickedness, We have ACCOMPLISHED that
great calamity, there will be none to pity us
for the consequences of so great a crime
If our government would devote all its
energies to the promotion of peace and
friendship with all foreign countries, the ad-
vaucement OF commerce, the increase of
agriculture, the growth and stability of
manufactures, and the cheapening, quicken
ing and securing the internal trade and travel
Of our country. in short, if i: whould devote
itself in earnest to the establishment of
wise and steady policy of internal government,
| think we should witness a growth and con-
solidation of wealth and comfort and power
for good, which cannot be reasonably hoped
for from tiuctuating policy, always watch
ing for the turns of good fortune, or from a
grasping ambition to seize new territories,
which are hard TO get and harder to govern
The present position of the Administration
is sorrowful commentary upon the broad
democracy Of its professions. In theory, the
people have the right and ability to do any
thing; in practice, we are Verging rapidly to
the One Man power.
The President, the ostensible head of the
National Democrats, is eagerly striving to
concentrate power in his own hands, and
thus to set aside both the People and their
Representatives in the actual affairs of
government. Having emptied the Treasury,
which he found full and living precariously
upon borrowed money, he now demands Con-
gress to ntrust to his unchecked discretion
the War power. the Purse and the sword
First, he asks Congress to authorize him, by
statute, to use the Army to take military
possession of the Northern Mexico, and hold
it under his protectorate, and as a security
for debts due TO our ctizens-ciuH possession
would not answer. for that might expose
him, as in the case of Kansas, to be annoyed
by factiOus Congress and a rebellious Ter
ritorial Legislature.
SecOndl y--not content with this, he de-
mands the discretionary power to use the
army and navy in the South; also in blOcka-
ding the coast end marching his troops into
the interior of Mexico and New Granada to
protect our citizens against all evil~doers
along the transit routes of Tehuantepec and
Panama. And he and his supporters in Con.
gress claim this enormous power upon the
ground that, in this particular at least, he
ought to be the equal of the greatest monarch
of Europe. They forget that our fathers
limited the power of the President by design,
and for the reason that they had found out by
sad experience that the mOnarchs of Europe
were too strong for freedom.
Thlrd-ln strict pursuance of this doctrine,
first publicly announced from Ostend, he
$50 600 900 to be used at his discretion to
facilitate the acquisition of Cuba Facilitate
how? Perhaps it might be imprudent to tell
Add to all this the fact (yet uneXplained)
that one of the largest naval ornaments that
ever sailed from our coast is now operating
in South America ostensibly against a poor
little republic far up the Platte river TO set
tie some little quarrel between the two Pres
idents.-It Congress had been polite enough
to- sla -. Al
and the purse against Mexico. Central Amer
lea AID Cuba, this navy. it's duty done at the
South. might he made, on its way home, to
arrive i'll the Gulf very OPPORTUNITY to aid the
Ommandcr-in-C Chief in the acquisition of
some very valuable territory.
/ allude To these facts with no malice a
gainst Mr. Buchanan, but as evidence of the
dangerous change which is now obviously
sough! to be made in the practical workings
! OF the Government-the concentration of
| power in the hands of the President and the
dangerous policy, now almost established, of
looking abroad Tor temporary glory and ag
! grandlZement instead of looking at home,
| for all the purposes of good government
peaceahle, moderate, economical, protecting
all interests alike, and by fixed policy. call
ing into safe exercise all the talents and in
| dustry of our people. and thus steadily adj
vancing our country in everything which can
make nation great happy and permanent.
The rapid Increase of the public expendi-
ture (and that, too. under the management
OF statesmen protesting to be peculiarly eco
nomcal) is an alarming sign OF corruption
and decay.
That Increase bears no fair proportion to
the growth and expansion of the country, but
looks rather like wanton waste or criminal
| negligence. The ordinary objects of great
expense are not materially augmented-ihe
military defences are little, il at all enlarged
the improvement of harbOrs. lakes and riv-
ers is abandoned, and the Pacific Railroad is
not only not begun, but the very location is
scrambled for by angry sections, which sue
coed in nothing but mutual defeat. In short,
the money To an enormous amount q am told
at the rate Of $4,000, 900 to 500, 900. 900 a
year, is gone, and we have little or nothing
to show for it. In profound peace with for
eign nations. and surrounded with the proofs
of national growth and individual prosperity
the Treasury, by less than two years Of man
agement, is made bankrupt, and the Govern
ment itself is living from hand to mouth, on
bills of credit and borrowed money.
This humiliating state OF things could
hardly happen if men in power were both
honest and wise. The Democratic econo-
mists in Congress confess that they have reck-
lessly wasted the public revenue; they con-
tess II by refusing to raise the tariff 10 meet
tue present t1lgency, ana by INSISTING that
they can replenish the exhausted Treasury
aud support the Government, in credit and
efficiency, by simply striking OF their former
eXtrnvagances.
An illusIrious predecessor of the President
is reported to have declared that those who
live on borrowed money ought to break" |
do not concur in that harsh saying; yet am
clearly of opinion that the Government. in
common prudence, Ito say nothing of pride
a Iii 4 - -. 4
great transactions aud unforeseen emergencies
In common times of peace, IL ought always
to have an established revenue, equal at
least, to IFS current expense. And that re-
venue ought 10 be so levied a. To foster and
protect the industry Of the country employed