Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-01-11
1--WE have Jefferson for our Fathers


by their scorEs, show that they have sincerely
and understandingly received his political
faith, and are thoroughly imbued with H..
Tried by this infallible and only true test. it
will be found that the claim TO JEFFERSON. as
their political Father, so persstently and os-
tentatiously asserted by the leaders and or
gans of Modern Democracy. is one of the
most unfounded, impudent, shameless preten-
sions ever called into requisition for the pur-
pose of deceiving and misleading the popu-
lar mind.
"The sum total of JEFFERsoS's political
philosophy" it has been truly said. seems to
have BEEN "the reduction ofthe exercise of an
thority within the narrOwest possible limits"
This is strikingly illustrated by the following
passage from letter written by him to Kos
ciusko, in April 1902, when he had been Pre-
sident little more than year, and in which
he gives bis view of the state of public af-
fairs.
oTbe session Of the first Congress-" says he,
"convened since Republicanism has recovered
its ascendency, will pretty completely fulhll
all the desires of the people. They have re-
necessary. They keep in service no more
than men enough to garrison the small posts,
dispersed at great distances on our frontiers,
which garrisons will generally consist OF a
captains company only. in no case OF more
than two or three, and in not one OF sniff
cient number to require field officer; and no
circumstances whatever can bring these gar
risons together, because it would be an aban-
donment of their posts. They are disarming
trnn nrpnODdpraQcn
putting down one half the offices of the Unit
ed States which are no longer necessary.
These economies have enabled them to sup
press all the internal taxes. and still to make
sach provision for the payment of the public
debt as to discharge it in eighteen years"
These economical Jefferson did not
merely preach economy-he pracised it. He
did not merely express desire to save the
people from taxation as far as it was practi-
cable, but he did the thing. He pushed re-
trenchment to its extreme. limit in every de-
partment of the public business. He even
recalled the United States Ministers from
Holland Portugal, and Prussia. without max
ing other appointments to fill the vacancies.
The average expenditure of the Government,
exclusive of payments for interest and re-
Endorsement of the public debt. for each Of
the eight years of his administration, was
only S., 362 .GS7. For the last OF these years
QS0S) the expenditure was S9.5O4.33S, which
was about one dollar per head for the entire
population of the United States-the census
taken in 1910 exhibiting total population
in that year of 1888 963. And he left in
the Treasury, on his retirement from office,
aJout SIC, 900, 900 in money and bonds.
So far from wishing to increase executive
patronage. he .'disarmed" it by putting down
one half the Offices in the United States
which he deemed no longer necessary.
For answer to complaints of the FEEDER
alists on account of the removal by him OF
certain Office holders. his friends stated, and
no doubt truly, that. out OF 22S attorneys
marshals, supervisors, collectors,naval officers
and surveyors, only thirty had been removed!
In the subordinate stations in the executive
departments few changes were made, while
very few out of about one thousand deputy
postmasters were removed.
His opinions in regard to the interference
of Federal officers in elections are well known.
In his celebrated letter to Judge McREAN,
written while his first election was in doubt.
he declared that interference with elections,
whether of the State or General Govern
ments, by the officers of the latter, should
be deemed cause of removal; Ibecause the
constitutional remedy by the elective prin-
c;ple becomes nothing, if it may be smooth
cred by the enormous patronage of the Cen
eral Government"
After his accession, he caused a circular to
b. issued, stating that the President OF the
United States (Jefierson) had seen with dis
satisfaction, officers Of the General Govern
m mt taking, on various occasions, active
parts in elections, whether of the General or
State Governments" and that he deemed II
Improper for officers depending on the Exc
cutive of the Union to attempt to control or
influence the free exercise of the eIectiUe right"
There is another passage in this celebrated
circular of extreme significance, and rem
dered worthy of special notice by recent
events in Illinois. The circular, or Jefferson,
through the circular, says:
at elections IA n qualified citizen is not meant
to be restrained, nor. h0ioeuer giuen. shall hare
ann effect 10 has prejudice; but it Is expected
that he will not attempt to influence the
votes of Others nor take any part III the busl-
ness of electioneering, that being inconsis-
tent with the spirit of the Constitution, and
his duties to it."
How, then, stands tthe account between
modern Democracy and him whom they so
impudently and ostentatiously claim as their
political Father!
The sum total OF JEFFERsoS's political
philosophy, as we have heretofore remarked
was ''the reduction of the exercise of authori-
ty 20 the narrowest possible limits
Ry its ,oork,, modern Democracy has utter
ly repndiated this principle. Since 1t has had
sway. how vast the extension of the exercise
of authority by the Federal Executive
JErFsRsoS's entire administration was
marked by a systematic, rigid inh 'xi6le
economy.
Modern Democracy is characterizsd by an
extravagant, wastetul expenditure. Under
its auspices and management the annual ex-
penditures OF the Government have gone mp to
between seventy aud eighty millions OF dol
lors.
In connection with this subject, and in Illus
tration Of the extravagance OF Modern De
mocracy. we may state that on the 4th fnst'
the Hon. ANDREW JOHNSON. Of Tennessee, in
PRODUCED q resolution into the Senate OF the
United States the object of which is to bring
about reduction of the expenditures, " to an
honest, rigid. economical administration 81
the government" On introducing the reso-
luton, Mr.. JOHNSON. among other things said,
=. rsnorted in the Washington Uiioa of the