The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-11-04

r the most powerful nations Of the world,
the other made additionally expensive by
I the prosecution of military operations in
!, the enemy's territory.
q Tho startling facts, thus conclsely
stated, suggest an inquiry as to tho cause
of this immense increase IN the expendl-
4 lures and Indebtedness of the country.
During the civil war tho maintenance. .ot
4 the Federal Government was the one
great purpose that animated our people,
aDd that economy which should always
Eeharact eriEe our fnanc ciaf operations WAS
verlooked in the great effort of the ma
& stion TO preserve its existence. Many
abuses, which had their origin in the war,
l.continued9 to exist, long after it had boon
. brought to a triumphant conclusion, and
the people, having become accustomed to
a lavish expenditure Of the public money
for an object so dear to them as the pre-
serVation of the integrity OF their freeln-
istitutions, have patiently tolerated taxa
tion Of the most oppressive character
Largs sums of. money continue TO be ex-
torted from them, and squandered in
useless and extraragants appropriations.
Enormous expenditures demanded for
|Tpnrposes, tho accomplishnientsof which
requires u large standing army, peryer-
sion OF, the Constitution, and suhjugation
;of States to negro domination. With a.
military establishment costlngin time OF
peace not less than one hundred millions;
annually, and . debt, the interest, upon
which draws.fr,om the Treasury each year,
nearly one hundred and fifty millions
making o total Of. two hundred and fifty
millions Of dollars for these two items OF
expenditure alone ne-retreIchment has be-
come an absolute necessity, or bankruptcy
must soon overtake us, and involve the
county limits paralyzing and disastrous
results. III, howerer, 8 wise economy DO
adopted, the taxes may n'be materially
reduced, ,,not merely for the benefit Of a
few, but in the interest of alia A revenue
would vet remain sufficient for the admin
istration OF tho Government, as we'll as
for such.a reduction of the public dcbt1as
would in a few years relieve the people
from millions Of: interest now annually
drawn from their resources. ss4lss.4
i. :Ihe3idea that the debt. is to- become
permanent should be at al, times discoun,
tsnancsd, US involving taxation too heavy
to be borue, and payment of an amountin
interest every. sixteen sears equal to the
original sum. The gradual liquidation of
the public debt would by degrees release
Fine: :iarSe capital Invested in. the securl
ties Of the Government, Which, seeking
remuneration in oIl,e,+sources Of income:
would add to the. wealth of the naticn
upon swliicbit is now 80 great a drain
This stsiinme,ise debt, if permitted to Ge.
come permanent and. increasing, mast
eventually be: gathercdi'iito the hands OF
the fow, and enable thcnsto exert u dan.
gerous and controlling poworin:tte affairs
Of.the Government. Iiie deotors would.
become the .servantsi,of The. le,!ders-tltr'
creditors the,.n,asses oil; the people. 1t is
now 4our;b boast that wellave given Freedom
to three millions Of slaves; ) twill then
be our shame that by tlleirpSi to!eralirll
of usurpation and prohisgsacy, forty. nil,
| lions of people have cIslavcd themselves.
and exchanged shareholders for new task
masters in stheisllape of ..,ondholders and
|taxgatherers: Hence the vital issue
whether: Congress aud it's arbitrary as
sumptions- of authority shall supersede
the supreme law!ofthe land-whethcr III
time Of peace the country shall be con-
trolled by II multitude of tax collectors
and standing army, the one almost as
numerous as the other, and making the
debt,a permanent burden upon the pro.
dnctive industry OF thcpeople ;or whether
the Constitution, with each and all ofaits
guaranties, shall be. sacredly preserved );
wIetherinow, as in 1789, and 1916, pro-
vision shall be made for the payment OF
our. obligations at as carly u period AZ
practicable, that the fruits Of their labors
may. be enjoyed by our citizcns, rather
thar. used to build up and sustain mon
eyed monopoly at home and abroad. The
contest is. net merely who shall occupy
! the principal Offices in the peoples gilt,
but, whether the high bohests of tho Fed,
eral Constitution shall bo observed, and
maintained, in order that our liberties
may be preserved the Union of the States
restored, that our Federal system may be
unfmpaiirssdi fraternal feeling re-establish-
ed, that our national strength may .be
renewed the expenditures diminished,
that taxation may be ightencd; and tho
public debt once more eXtinguished, that
Fit may not injnriously affect the life and
energy, the prosperity and morals Of the
nation.
Believing that for the redress of the
great wrongs, and the correction of the
many abuses under which the country is
| now laborng, we must look to the Ameri-
ean people, and that in them is our hope,
I am. very truly, your friend,
80 ;. ANDREW JOHNSON.
| old Tom Corwin never said more
4 truthful thing than the following in re-
/ card, to- the way to. make character as u
1ublin man. Tho solemn fool frequently