The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-07-17
RECKLESSNESS.

"Once upon time" as the NURSERY tales all
commence, when certain spendthrlft found
that ne was about to "So under,' or "co up
in fact discovered that be had utterly "played
out'-he determined to expend the remainder
Of his patrimony in feast which, in costiness,
splendor and ntagnifcence, should eclipse every
previous effort. "A numerous corps of favorites
were invited, all attended, the feast was bril-
liant success; but that night the spendthrift
went penuiless to bed, and next morning he
beeear.
gance and prod gality of the present Congress,
how, unlike "tbe busy bee" they fail to sim
prove each shining hour" how madly they are
squandering the treasures and public lands of
. the country, we are torcbly and painfully re-
minded OF the poor spendthritt, and cannot rid
ourselves OF the apprehension that Uncle Sam
will wake up some fine c1orning to find himself
in this,eondition.
Here is the way the public lands are going:
In one day Congress passed the following bills:
Granting public lands in Nevada; grantir g
lands to the Iron Mountain Railroad Company
of Missouri; granting lands in Michigan to aid
in the construction OF ship canal from Portage
Lake-to Lake Superior; granting lands to con-
struct canal from Lake Superior to La Belle
Lake; granting lands to aid in building railroads
in Minnesota
Pretty good for one days work! And we
suppose that if any one had made application
lor LAT ds to aid in erecting a telegraph to the
moon, or 4 balloon express to one of the fixed
stais, the petition would have been granted
Nothing so fully illustrates the utter reckless
'ness Of the present Congress as the number of
these bills and the haste with which they are
rushed through. They seem to be subjected to
no scrutiny or elaboration, are not debated, but
are passed at the Instance Of every one applying,
so he be u Nosthtrn man. 10 the honor and
glory OF the Southern people it will redouud
that they are not parties to, or recipients of,
this Congressional Mrgesse. Nobody at the
South except the negr6es has applied for money
or lands, that We are aware Of and nobody else
has received either. When there shall not be
left two coppers to jingle in the national treas
ury,. the Yankees aud the negroes will alone be
IT responsible Tor the condition OF the exchequer
Par noLte /r"trum,
Not content with expanding upon Cuffee the
millions involved in the maintenance and con-
tiDuance Of the Freedmen's Bureau, Congress
has now made him landholder by the donation
of millions Of the public domain, while not
dollar acre is given, or proposed to be given,
to the starving whites Of the South, reduced to
that condition 10y those armies which Congress
raised and sent down here to develop our love
and "loyalty.'
Do the resources of the nation justify this
libcrality? Can they stand it? Does not this
extravaganza become criminal when We consid-
err the condition of our finances and the suffer
ings of the poor, both North and South? If
donations to be made, let them gladden. the
hearts Of honest poverty, and not go to swell
the power of bloated corporations aud to in-
crease the arrogance and idleness of worthless
negroes, We plead for the poor, honest, suffer-
ing white men of America Times
There are rumors of a rupture between the
President and Secretary Stanton, consequent
on the arbitrary measures of the latter in the
case of Paymaster Pauiding, whom he hurried
off TO Fort McHenry under, guard The Pfesi-
dent directed him to stay proceedings until the
Bureau of Military Justice could review tie
case aud report to him, and issued an order for
Pauldipgs immediate return.