The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-03-21
arr NATIONAL FINANCES.
SPEECH OF
HON. ALBERT 6. BURR
OF ILLINOIS,
In the House Of Rsprssentasivss, Fsbsuas
"a, 1858.

whole ON the state OF the Union, Mr.. DUR
spoke as follows: ..ac1s
NJ sraoLar. in this moment OF intense
axo;,.n,ant Il is my privilege to occupy Tor
1871 ,hs attention of the house; and not
- , Ane1 - add IN any degree to the wild
a aesa If he hour BY any irregular discussion
nsra.ent events or action contemplated,
o - by the president or the congress, l
~;u devote my brief hour to the eonsidera-
t;ou of matters that will be Of great and con-
tinuing interest to the people long after the
excitement of to-day shall have subsidized
and the action of to-day passed into history.
Before, however, entering into discussion
of the financial affairs Of the government, on
which / have decided to speak, l must notice
briefly the speech to which we have just lis
tened from the eloquent representative from
Ohio, Mr.. Lawrehce.) Assuming, as he
does, to be one of the leaders of the MAORI
ty on this floor, he has chosen On this oc-
casion to arrsign the present administration
for its deeds and misdeeds, and, in tones of
most impudent GOODNESS, tells this house that
the present is democratic administration.
Yes, sir he asserts, truthfully, that great
corruption exists to-day in the administra-
ton of public affairs that extravagance
marks our expenditures; and adds that, so
far as congressional action is responsible, 1t
has all been in answer to the demands OF
"this democratic administration
Now, sir, It is news TO me, and the coun-
try will be astonished to learn that any act
of this congress has been in answer to the
existing administration. On the contrary,
every act, every rule, every resolution, every
bill, has been intended to be, and in fact has
been, in defiance of the administration
Public expenditures have been diminished
in such directions as congress could diminish
them unjustly and to the det-iment of the
president and most of his cabinet officers :;
but then not for the purpose of economy,
but from the motives of malice and resent
ment And, sir, in dismissing few execu-
tive clerks heretofore aiding the president,
congress claims great credit for economy,
expanding, In the meantime, untold millions
in furtherance of unconstitutional plans and
projects, not only without executive demand,
but against executive remonstrance and
protest.
But, sir am curious to know when this
became, in the language of the gentleman
from Ohio, Mr.. Lawrence, democratic
administration" Was the present occupant
| of the White House elected By democrats
| Be he right in policy or wiring in principle /;
| be his intentions good or his purpose bad;
did not vote for him. Did my friend from
Ohio? And looking beyond the chief mag
istrste to his cabinet, what one of them owes
his position to his democracy? What one
| went into his cabinet because of past services
| to the party-or even because of present ac.
ceptability 10 it? None. When the grea,
| state of New York sent her illustrious sena
| tor Mr.. Seward) into the cabinet of Mr..
| Lincoln, was he sent as a democrat? When
| Mr.. Lincoln called to his councils, as the
| successor of his former secretary of the
| treasury (Mr. Chase1 a prominent citizen OF
Ohio, of spotless reputation and known
integrity, did he call him as democra; P
When New England sent here as her con-
tribution to the navy department her cold
man of the sea-" with flowing beard md
lofty bearing, did she send him as q demo.
crat? When the death of Senator Douglas
was announced to the country in 1861, and
it became necessary for a republican govern
or to appoint, during the vacation of the
| legislature of the state, a man to fill the
| place of Douglas, that republican governor
| Yates) commissioned as the successor Of
| Douglas a man whose whole history was one
of lifelong antagonism to democracy land the
| republicans of Illinois gladly Endorsed his &C.
| ton in sending Orville Fl. Browning to the
| senate. When called by Mr.. johnson from
the senate to the department of the interior
was the transfer made because Mr.. Brown
ing was a democrat? Further, when Presi-
dent Lincoln made Edwin NJ. Stanton Sec
rotary of war was it the appointment of a
democrat? And when Mr.. johnson ap
pointed Mr.. Stanberry attorney general, did
he appoint him as a democrat?
Let gentlemen, when they call this q
III Il Al
ridiculous position they assume before the
| people. We confidently expect, sir, to have
democratic administration after the next
presidential election; until then we decline
| both the honor and the responsibility.
Why, Mr.. Speaker, it would be very con
venient for these radical legislators, after
| bringing the country to the verge of bank
ruptcy and disrupting the Union by the ex
pusion of ten states from the great family
| represented by the flashing constellation Of
| stars on our national banner, to answer pub
! lie Indignation and avoid public condemna
ton by pointing their unholy and polluted
fingers at the president and his cabinet and
say, "They are responsible; we only did it
| in answer to democratic administration.
| If this administration be as odious as they
! assume, how can they expect the people to
trust them in selecting another? What as
surance do they give that they will not re
peat the sad mistake they made in selecting
the present officers? If they have made, as
they claim, an almost fatal mistake in Sc
lecting those whose lives and principles
were known and read of all men, do they
think the people viii acquiesce in their Sc
lection ofone whose principles are unknownf
| Do they know the true full sentiment Of
him they now purpose to trust? If so, how!
Should some radical tell us how he knows
the political sentiments of Gen. Grant, his
answer would be poetic
IT know by the smoke that so gracefully curls,
Iis statesman see firm and true
Eor the circle of smoke which so rapidly whirls
FROM his lips has the color of blue"
But, sir, to the subjects embraced in the
speech OF my friend from Ohio, (Mr. Law.
,ehee,l VIII ask the brief attention of the
mousse, ana will try to show that under rad;.
cal RUE there is no hope of financial relief
to the people, while under the control of tho
democracy our burdens can be lessened ou-
1 debts honestly paid, and our country saved
from financial and political ruin.
/ ask attention, first, sir, to some tbopubts
bearing upon the subject of our national
debt. On the first day of this month The
amount of that national blessing was
over and above cash on hand, S., ,3l5.
373 10. But why array figures or refer &c
numerals when from their very magnitude
they are incomprehensible? That deb
amounts to about eighty dollars for every
man, woman and child in the United States
OF this aggregate sum, 1900, 600, 900, in