Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1868-10-30
4ur' Qatiullal affairs,
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT JOHN
SON TO GENERAL, EWING.
The National expenditures and the Pub
lic Debt. e4s

Sun III dEN EhA4 - w 4Nd.
The National expenditures and the Pub
lic Debt. ses'
5ss48isfk
sWAsHINaroN. D. c.. Oct. 25s-The
President Of the United States has ad-
dressed+ the following letter to General
Ewing.
ExEcUT1vE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, D. G.,
81 October "a, 1858.
!. Bear S;r:-In recent conversation
upon the subject Of the finances, you. .ex-
pressed desire to be furnished with some
Of the leading facts then mentioned, touch
ing the national expenditures and the pub
osdsbt' now comply with your re-
qpestl yegretting however, that other and
more pressing matters have prevented me
from more clearly illustrating the absolute
necessity Mr1 Immediate reform ID the f.
nancial operations Of the government,
IN 1776 our national independence was
peoelaimed and afteran exhaustive, bloody
strnGgleiof seven years was, in 1783., ac-
knowledged by the parent government.
In. I58F the Federal Constitution was
framed. and in 1889 the government went
into operation under its provisions. bur.
dened with debt Of seventy five millions
of dollars created during the war of the
revolution. Immediately upon the organ
Nation Of Congress. measures were devils
editor the payment Of the national obliga-
tioust and the restoration Of the public
credit, and when. in 1872. war was de-
dated against Great Britain, the debt had
sleeady, been reduced to forty Eve millions
dsllsrsla It was then largely increased by
the three years struggle that ensued be-
tween ,tbe two nations until, in 1916, it
hadkeached the sum of one hundred and
twe4by! !sesen millions. s#' iaa9' j,
ssPssce again established. provision. was
made for the earliest practicable liquida-
ti6f 6f this Indebtedness. in order that it
might not become a permanent incum-
bfance upon the people. Under wise and
economical Legislation the entire amount
waspaid in period Of twenty years. and
ths tRe aSa Ra q A
of tKa 8fsaat events Of President Jackson,s
adm;nistration Even after its pavment
a large fund remained in the treasury,
which. for safe keeping. was deposited
with the several States, on condition that
Il shoinld be returned when required by
tI,;s 3n;,bl;c rants 8 -,
sJrslS4qs tho vear . fer the termination
Of of4sn9expcusiye war with MEXICO. we
fnund ourselves involved in a debt of six
tv.four. Or millions of dollars and this was the
amouut owed by the government in 1860,
lust prior to the outbreak Of the rebellion.
Inathe spring of 1861 the war of the re-
hel];on commenced Each wear Of its con-
t;nuanca made an enormous addition to
the debt. 80 fbat,when. in the spring of
1865. the nation successfully emerged
ofthse5 government had, reached the vast
amonnt.of twenty-six hundred millions.
They bad not yet, however. attained their
highest point for when the army and navy
had been paid. the volunteer forces dis
banded1and the navy largely reduced. it
was found in February. 1866. that our
indebtedness, exceeded twenty-eight hun
dfed millions of dollars. e -
Having thus referred to the indebted
ness Of the government at yarious periods
Of its existence, J, it may be we'll to call at
tehtion to q brief statement of facts con-
nected with its expenditures. From the
fourth sdeys Of March, ,l789 to the. thir-
tieth of June, 1861, the entire public ex-