Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-06-15


We are indebted to Hon. H. l.. DAWES,
of the House of Representatives, for a
copy Of his speech in answer to Mr..
VooRHIEs, of Indiana, who, catching the
spirit Of the pseudo Democratic Address
Of VALLANDIGHAM, asserted that our
war debt must be near the enormous sum
S1,095, 100000 In answer to this reck-
less falsehood, the coinage of BUCHANAN
Democrats" Mr.. DAWES shows from the
record, that the actual debt is far less
than half that sum, while the l0ar debt is
but little over one third of that sum
BUCHANAN left public debt behind him
Of S70000,000 If we add to this the
value of the forts, arms, munitions of
war, and other United States property,
which BUCHANAN and his Cabinet suffered
tobe stolen from the United States by their
imbecility and treachery, the debt be-
queathed by this administration which
Mr.. VALLANDIGHAM and Mr.. VOORHEES,
sustained, will amount, we suppose, to
upwards of $50OOO0OOO We say moth
ing of the value of the territory occu-
pied by the rebels in consequence of
BUoHANAN's treachery, which was abet-
ted and aided by this Immaculate Mr..
VOORHEES,. The l0ar debt actually incur
red by Mr.. LINCOLN up to the present
time is 1851, ITO, 900 or S7O4, $4,000 less
han is estimated by Mr.. VOORHEES,, the
friend and supporter of JAMES BUCHANAN!
Mr., DAWES further proves from the re-
cord that taking the civil expenditures of
the two Administrations, Mr.. BUCHANAN,
in his first year, spent S1O,O00OOO more
than Mr. LINCOLN; in his second year,
81, 900, 900 more; in his third year, $10,-
$2,000000 more; and in his fourth year
s773,00O more. Mr.. DAWES then fires
this center shot:
No statement of the administration of
the Treasury Department, under its pres
ent distinguished head, would do full
Justice to ii which did not call to mind
the circumstances under which he took
upon himself the seals of the Treasury.
He received them from the administra-
| ton of James Buchanan, which COM
menced with surplus Of $17 100000 in
| the Treasury, aud ended with an indebt-
edness of S70000,000 in time of peace
| He took them from an administration
which commenced its career in financial
matters by buying up the public seeAri-
| ties at sixteen per cent premium, and
closed that career by going into the mar
ket with its securities and hawking them
about among the "bulls and bears" at
any price to raise its current expenses
| He took upon himself the adminstra-
| ton of that Department. from those who
had crippled the Treasury and destroyed
! the credit of the Government at home and
abroad, till its securities in the markets
of the world had been brought below par
It's credit at the time he assumed the adj
ministration of the Treasury Depart
ment was trembling at home and abroad
like an aspen leaf. The country was be-
ing cOnvulsed with civil war Trade was
disarranged. Confidence in men and in
business was shaken to the very fOunda-
ton, and faith in the continuance of the
Government, even, was in many minds
weak. Yet, envirOned with all these
difficulties, and in the midst of an I'M
tried civil war; of gigantic proportions,
the distinguished head of the Treasury
Department has so managed his finances
within his special sphere that not
dollar has been lost TO the Treasury by
default; not dollar has been wasted or
misspent in prohigacy or Improbable ex-
penditures. The result is to- day the
credit of the Government is firm at home
and abroad, its securities above par, its
every function discharged, its every LA
bility in the midst of the stupendOus call
upon the Treasury promptly met. Sir
no other Secretary, not even Hamilton
himself, had such difficulties TO overcome
No other can point with more pride to
the mastery manner in which they have
been surmOunted.
We wonder that Mr.. DAVIS did not
remind Mr.. BUcHANAN's friend of the
Utah War. The cost of that famous war,
consisting of one expedition, we believe,
under Gen. ALBERT SYDNEY JOHNSON,
was something over S6,0O0OOO Now
if one expedition OF, say 10000 men, cost
Mr. BUCHANAN $6,OO0OOO, a very sim
pie calculation will show that more
than dozen expeditions of upwards
100000, men in the aggregate
would have cost the Sage Of Wheat
land, the particular idol of the eco
nomical VooRmEs, and the virtuous VAL
LANDIaHAM the handsome sum of
! S2s8Q000000! or too billions eight hwp-
drea and eigbty-eiga millions Of dollars We
leave Mr. YooRmEs to show how Mr.
! BgeHAsss would nave paid this debt