New-York tribune., 1868-10-26
HIST 7ORICAL ESSAY BY THE PRESIDENT
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25.-The President of the
united sntes has the following Ewing

United states has addressed the following to Gen. Ewing
EXECUTIVE MANSION. WASHINGTON, Oct. "a, 1853.
DEAR SIR In recent conversation upon the subject OF
the finances you expressed desire be furnished with
OF the leading facts then mentioned touching the
with your request regrettng however that other aud
pressing matters have prevented me from more
clearly illustrating the absolute necessity for Immediate
reform the financial operations OF the Government.
I'm 1915 national independence was proclaimed,
Of seven years was, in i7s3, acknowledged by the
parent Government In l7sl tue Federal constitution
ton under its PROVISIONS, bnrdensd WIN poie 1e0'
Immediately upon the organization of Congress measures
devised for tho payment OF the naOha OD9aons
war was declared against Great Britain, the
debt had already been reduced 10 sio'VOoOVO.
sfru@gIe that ensued between the two nations.
until In 10 had reached the OF Sl27 100000 Peace
again established provision made for the earliest
practicable liquidation OF this Indebtedness iu order that
1t might not become permanent ncumDranee upon the
people. Under wise aud economical legislation, the en-
tire amount paid IN period Of 20 years and the
extngushment OF the national debt hlled the
great events OF President Jackson administration Even
after its payment large fund remained in the Treasury
which, for safe Keeping was deposited WIN INC severdi
States, condition that IL should be returned wen re-
qured by the public wants In lSi9 te year ater the
termination OF an expensive war win MeAico, We Iounu
ourselves nyOy ed In debt Of s4OOOOO ana TINS was
1850, just prior to the outbreak of the Rebel
lion. In the Spring OF 1861 the war OF the re-
addition TO the debt, ~ that when III tue
spug 1906 the nation successfully emerged from the
reached the vast amount OF $1,000 They had
yet however attained their highest poiDt for when the
banded aud the navy largely reduced IT was found, IN
February. 1906 that Indebtedness exceeded
acbtcdncss OF the Government at various
periods of It's existence, It may be Wen TO cal
Intention OF facts connected with lt-
expenditures. From the Atm day OF March, 1882 To the
3Oth of Iune 1901. the entire public expenditures were
although covering period OF ~ years THIS
amount small when compared Win the expenses
OF the government during he recent war "i Tour years
lDlu %
1863 they reached the enormous aggregate OF j5oOoOO
An investigation the disbursements since the lst OF
July lso5 further shows that by adding to the expend
of the last three years the estimate cost or ad
iusterDg tue government for the ending the SOh
June, 1869, obtain the sum OF N,6oOOOOJO as the
required for the four years immediately follow
much as was expended during the u years that
preceded the war. lt Will Do seen that from 1871
To 1861. Our public debt was at no time more
than Sl27OO000 while subsequently four years OF civil
war xpandc ssOOOdOO lt viii also be perceived
that wAo pner to 1901 the largest annual disbursement
was not quIte s4O0OOuOfor the year ls55-the eXpendi-
lures dutng e ast three yeso oI eaee nave
~ been s520OJV0o anu -SS,sOOouco
being amount which II is estimated viii be necessary
for tue year ending the 5oth Of June next In making
this COMPARISON We should remember that usg Tue ohS
Interval and 1861 the GOyerment was IRE
qucutly required 10 make expenditures OF an eN-
taotdinary character I,iso sums were paiu 70 LII,
ditus Rnnulues and FOR the purchase oi
their land and expensive wars were waged against
uOwrrfn tribes Louisiana acquired IRON france
AT cost uf sljO0O0O Florida In consideration ot slo-
10000 ccded to us 10y spain California became part
of our possessions payment to Mexico OF sl6OOOOo
while Tor $OOOOuOO GOyernment secured from Texas
history also engaged III wars with Great bflth
and MeXcotho first waged against one o the most pow
erfu nations world; the other made additionally
expensive by the prosecution OF mlthy operations III
the euemys territory The startling iacts hs eohciseI
stated suggested inquiry To the expenditures ana
indebtedness OF enc country During the eNh War .e
maintenance OF the Federal Gossrhmene was no mI U
great purpose tint animated our people, anu
that economy which should always ohaiacNrlle
onr lnnncaI operatons was overlooked in the great
effort of tno nation To preserve ito existence Many
ablSes which had their IN the war continued 10
sxr ong after il had been brought to triumphant con.
cIu. md he
lavish expenditure Of tine pubic money OI al 80
dear 10 them a. the preservation OF the Integrity OF ther
free institutions have patiently tolerated taxation OF the
most oppressive character Large sums vi mohe! III III
tnue to be eXtored from them anu siuauuueicu uor
in useless aud eXtrayagant hppr9pIlauo,s. Inv nv
nous expenditures arc den'ahdtso ioa ,,ira a
poses tho accomplishment OF with .i nfi,,n,,on
large standing army the perverilon OF the
aud the sujugation OF tho STATES TO nes & f peace
not less than sOOOOOOOO annually and debt te Interest
upon which draws from the Treasury eacn year nemy
s6OOOoOOo. making total OF s4oovoov a. Hecome
items expenditure alone kttiehchmhn. naS n,aLo
us, aud involve the country in It's paraiYalng
aud disastrous results H. however. mater,ai1v
reduced merely FOR the benent OF aieW Dut III tne
interest of all revenue would yet REMAIN az s a or
such reduction Of the public deDt as Wouu III alo"
years relieve the people from b III idea hot he
debt is TO become permanent should Do at az h illness IS u e
borne, and payment OF amount IN inter:
every sixteen years equal to the Original gh
lie debt would by degrees release the large capital IN
vested n the securities OF the Government which, seek
ING remuneration In other sources OF income, would add
IN ihe wealth OF the upon which t Is now so great
n drain. This immense debt. II permitted to become
permanent aud increasing must eventually Dc gathered
into he hands OF tho few, aud ennbe them TO exert
and controlling In the affairs OF the Gov
The debtors would become the OF the
enders the creditors the masters OF the people IL
boast that given freedom 10 3OOO00O slaves, it
W m then he our shame that by their liberation OF
usurpaton and progacy OOoOooo people have ensaved
Themselves, and exchanged shareholders for task
masters in the shape OF bOndhOders and taxgatherers
Hence the vital issue whether Congress and its arbitrary
assumptions OF authority shall supersedo the supreme
law OF tho land whether In time OF peace the country
shall DO controlled by multitude OF tax coll |
lectOrs aud standing army-the almost
as numerous the other, and making the debt per-
burden upon the productive industry or the peo
pie; whether the Constitution with each ana All OF It's
In 1882 and 1876 provision shall be made for the pay nent
OF obligations at early period ns pletlcaOle
that the fruits Of their labor be enjoyed by our c
zens rather than used TO build up and sustain mOned
monopoly at home and abroad The contest Is not merely
VINO snail occupy the principal Offices IN the peoples gf
hut whether the high bchcsts Of the Federal Consttu
tiou shall be Obser ed and maintained In order that
liberties may be preserved. The Union 9r the SpeSr re-
stored that our federal system may be unimpalrcd
may be renewed the expenditures diminished that taxa
tion may be- gAtcued, aud the public debt ex
tin sui.hed that IT may not iuuunaly affect the life and
energy. the prosperity and morals Of the nation. Betv
ing that tho redress of the great wrongs aud the
rcctiuu ul these many abuses under which the country
now abOriug must look tO the American people, and
that In them Is our hope. am very truly, your friend
ANDREW JOHNSON. 4