Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-10-02
WILMINGTON, n. g., FRIDAY MORNING. OCTOBER 2 1865

OVer-reacueQ ny CnOSc around him.
Having C.bine5 hostile to his views
and containing among lis members somo
very able, artful and far, e.ing men, it was
perhaps morally impossible that his ad-
ministration should be d success
The result Of these controversies has
been to keep our State in an unsettled con-
d1t1on. We are at present undcr the con
troll OF governments set ~ 10y military force
i'll accordance with certain acts of Congress.
These acts are admitted by their authors
to be "outsde of the Constitution" bat
every Intelligent man knows that such acts
are unconstitutional and void. 1t is only
the Constitution Of tho United States that
| gives more validity to the opinion of the
three hundred gentlemen composing the
Congress OF the United States than would
be possessed by any like number of per
SONS IN d public meeting. In fact it was
but recently that the Supreme Court,
through its Chief Justice Chase, decided
that all pretended legislation outside the
Constitution WAS nullity.
Tne great question then, fellow citizens,
presented formally for the first time in Il
presidential contest is, shall aC3 hare q Con-
stitutiOnm Gore17ame7at, or are aUe TO be g0U-
eT1aed by despOtic authority IN Tie hands of q
| feaU or One?
The ticket of Grant and Colfax is sus-
tanned by the Radical despotic party. Sey-
mour and Blair are the candidates present.
ed by the party in favor of Constitutional
Government. Shall we plunge into the
dark abyss Of civil or military despotisln or
shall we return to the constitutional sys-
tenn under which we prospered SO wonder
fully for the greater part of a century
Even if this great issue were not pend
ing there are other considerations which
ought to determine you to support the
Democratic nominees
Within the last three years the Govern
ment has collected from the people more
than fifteen hundred million dollars, sum
more than half as large as the gigantic Ma
tional debt. But though the debt was re-
duced somewhat after the war closed, yet,
since the Radical party has usurped the
entire control of the Government, that debt
has been steadily and rapidly increasing
You may the better judge Of the present
! enormous eXnendltnres when [ remind you
that the average expenditures of the Uni
| ted States for the ten years Immediately
preceding the war was fifty seven million
dollars annually.
It thus appears that the expenses for
each of the last three years are more than
eight times as much.
It cannot be pretended that this vast in
crease is due solely or even mainly to the
national debt. The expenditure in one
year for the army alone was one hundred
and twenty eight million dollars. But dur
ing the four years of Mr.. Folks entire ad
ministration, including nearly two years Ct
g foreign war carried on in Mexico, the
whole expenditure for the army was only
ninety million dollars. In other words, the
poI1 a1C Of 1o1,
money IN one year as four years with war
cost under Mr.. Polk, and thirty eight mil
lions besides.
No valid defence can be made for this
waste of money. Tire never was a time
when our foreign relations seemed less
threatening. The great power shown by
the United States during the recent war
was in itself calculated to deter foreign ma
tions from attacking us. The italian and
German wars between the great European
powers only lasted for couple OF months,
while our contest Was carried on upon a
vast scale for four years. Is there any
doubt, that either party that fought in
America would have been match for one
of the great powers of Europe? What,
then. have we to fear, with both united,
and broad ocean between us and Europe?
It may be pretended that an army is need
ed to keep order in the South. You, fell
low citizens, know how little foundation
there is for such q statement. The people
OF North Carolina left to themselves do not
need single soldier now more than they
did ten years ago.
The expenses for the navy for the last
three years are proportionally eXhOrbi-
tant.
THE FREEDMEN's BUREAU.
The Freedmen's Bureau causes another
wasteful outlay. Three years ago the ne
grOes were set free. They had all been
trained to work, and could easily have sup
ported themselves. Yet the government
is still approprating about twelve millions
annually, ostensibly for their support, but
really for the benefit of the Bureau Agents
and to influence the votes of the negroes
i'll favor of the Radical party.
The white men Of the North, however
oppressed with taxation as they are, seem
unwilling much longer to be burdened to
support Idle negroes.
I might point you to many Instances OF
improper expenditure, but would thereby
extend this communication too much. The
expenditure for writing materials for tile
| House of Representatives for this year are
moro than five times as great as they were
in the year 1860, while the entire contin-
gent expenses Of the House, which in 1864
were $5353, $50, are for the present year
$752, ,555, Or more than doubled in four
years. This does not include the increase
of pay of the members from three to five
thousand dollars.
Ii money is thus wasted on the members
themselves is it strange that extravaganza
should be found everywhere.
DISHONEST oFFICERs-BRIBERY.
But this vast sum of five hundred mil
lions annually is by no means all that is
drawn from the people. Mr.. Wells, the
Radical Revenue Commissioner, states,
that of the amount assessed on the people,
not moro than fifty per cent (one-half)
reaches the treasury. This statement is
confirmed by Mr.. Freeman Clarke, Comp
troller of the Treasury, another Radical
official, who says The result is, that the
lowest taxpayers are now paying, upon the
basis of revenue, 5000, 100000 per annum,
while not more than half that sum finds
| its way into tho Treasury. From these
statements what are we to understand p
Why, that the wealthy, who are able tc
bribe the Revenue officers, escape large
proportion Of these taxes, but that the
poor. or the people generally, have to beal