Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-03-22
The Kentucky Address


We continue. to-day some further extracts from
this admirable Address. The next point made
aganss the Democratic party is that
lisa Corrrt PARTY.
It Is no, only corrupt itself, but has caused
much corruption in most other naTtcs 1t nitro
duced into the National Government the spolls
principle for distributing the patronage; and the
infectious example has ditfused that system
throughout the nation 1t Is una'o'daby cor
ruptinr system. Party allegiance il the test Tor
all Offices from the highest to the l"wcst. All Of
fees and empleyments, National State, county.
town or corporation, a:e the immense spnil Tor
which parties contend through the fniiotbpx.-
The necessary natural consequence enSnes. The
ballot-box has become thoroughly corrupt Bri-
bery, box-stufhng, illegal vo'ingioree certificates
Of naturalization false returns, ani ali manner OF
frauds have become the regular Accomplishments
# every national election. For this eoirurti'n
thu Democracy is more responsible than any other
party or all other parties II has sNstematlhed
and extended this corruption 81 lar that 1t Is
som wha, doubtful whether the inecnSed nation
eau wage u successful resistance thrao ii the bal
lot-box against It's corrupt otheehollrr'. Accord
ing to Democrats discipline all holders Of evil
ofhce and all contractors have to ray heavy tax
on their salaries and earnings towprds raising an
enormous corruption fund for carrying c.cenons
This fund, welded by more than hnndr"d than-
sand well-drlled ofhceholders, renders tae party
rula truly formidable.
Useless Offices are multiplied and cAtravarant
compensation allowed to increase til" po"er Of
the Marty Witness the many custom-honscs
where the duties collected not .iith. aud, IN
some instances not tenth Of the expense OF col
lection. The grossest frauds and specuatons
are winkcd at from supposed party necessity
There is no yigilant, honest eye any whore
experimenting the expenditure Of the peoples
money.
The details Of all this corruption cannot n"w
be gone into; but, by way Of summary proof, take
the indignant ayowas OF twa distinguished Dem
6cratic leaders, made in the Senate, without con.
tradicton or rebuke from any quarter. one "t
them, Senator Toombs, said that, in hls opinion.
"ours is the most corrupt Government in the
w.rld" The other. Senator Johnscn,"t Tennessee
said that if the people only knew the extent OF the
corruption they would come 10 Washington and
pitch the whole concern into the Potomac Such
was not the character of the Government when 1T
came into the hands OF this party. All tins cor
ruption has grown up since then.
In q published letter, written by President
Buchanan in 1852, in order to explain what he
deemed the then exorbitant expenditure ii the
Government, he said money from the National
Treasury is continually demanded to enrich CON
tractors, spectators, and agents and the pro ects
are gildcd over with every allurement which can
be impaired BY ingenuity or talent Let 1t be
remembered that these contractors culators,
and agents are Democrats, and that the gliding is
done bv talented leaders OF the party, and his ex
plauaron becomes perfectly satisfactory why the
expenditures have 50 enormously increased under
Democratic rule, and especially during the last
six years. under the Administration of himself
and President Pierce. No men have done more
than these two Presidents and their Cabinets to
fulfll Mr.. Buchanan's prophecy, viz: The cor
rnpting power will be felt throughout the length
and breadth of the land, and the public money
by arttul and ambitious demagogues for their own
ACCOMPLISHMENT" The corrupting power is al
ready SO felt and the public money so employed.
Every one must concur with him that genuine
liberty AUST soon expire under such condition
OF our national affairs.
Some twenty years ago the Democracy found
national and State banks II great power in the
land not under the direct influence control Of
the party. To remove this Inconvenience it broke
down the national bank and instituted the notp-
rious pet bank system with Democratic promise
to give the nation "better currency" In few
years the banks all exploded and the system with
them, giving as the result of that Democratic ex-
pertinent the worst currency ever known, and the
most widespread commercial disaster and ruin
ever witnessed. The national loss to traders,
manufacturers and business men of all classes
was moderately computed by the Hundreds of mil
lions.
The Democracy then told the nation that it must
take Of itself in the matter of its currency
that the Democracy would render it no aid but
that Of good example. 1t proclaimed it's intcn-
ton to cut the Government entirely loose from all
connexion with the nations business CURRENCY
make it purely hard money Government which
was effectively TO restrain undue expansions and
in every event enable the Government to transact
its own great business in hard money and in that
alone.
Uninhuenced by the example, no State adopted
the experiment, but all made more banks which
uninfiuenced by the panacea, expanded more than
they had ever done, and there occurred one Of
those suspensions which seem to be part of tn,
law OF the existence of State banks. After III,
lapse of . few months the banks resumed speci,
payments, and the nation and the State govern
mants have ever since enjoyed rodeemabe cur
rency equal to specie. whilst the Federal Govern
ment has besn compelled to resort to paper cir
culation Of inoonvertible Treasury notes, whicl
the Secretary Of the Treasury tells US must b
keft up for two years longer.
This experiment having utterly failed in all it
promised advantages, the Democracy promptly
steps forward and offers the nation the benefit o
still another experiment. 1t says through it's or
gan, the President. that the States are too lenien
towards their banks, and hence their undue ex
pansion; only place them under DEM cratic con
troll, let them 1--we in sautary fear the inexorable
Federal rigor. and there will be no more suspen
sions Only gisens bankrupt law against bank,
and railroads and you have our assurance that al
shall be wet; The banks shall cease undue expan
sons. and railroads forbear improvidentiy to incu
debts. Bat should these just expectations fail
should the bankt and railroads fail 90 10 act ther
they ars 70 have memorable law their properly an,
that Of tbeif debtors, including the whole trading
community. ShGif " brought under the sacriRcin
hammer ~ 1soDrsl c6cials, and thus, ''ths equ