Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-05-11

Address Of Democratic
congressman. Es
An Earnest Appeal to the
People Of the United
States.

| 0k6GSSs
WASHINGTON, April 21.-Th'
Democrats in Congress have jus
issued the following address to tn,
people of the United States:
Our presence and official duty
at Washington have enabled u,
to become fully acquainted with
the actions and designs of those
who control the Radical party
and we feel called upon to utter 6
few words of warning against the
alarming strides they have made
towards Capitalization of power
in the hands of Congress and the
Executive. The time and at.
tention of the Radical leaders
have been almost wholly directed
to devising such legislation as
will in their view, best preserve
their ascendancy, and no regard
for the restraints imposed by the
Constitution have checked their
reckless and desperate career.
The President of the United
States has been formally an.
nounced as a candidate for re-elec.
ton. The declarations, and his
selfish supporters, have reissued
by a subsidized press, and the dis
cipline of the party has already
made adhesion to his personal for
tunes, the supreme tests of politi.
cal fealty. The partizan legisla-
ton to which we refer, was de-
creed and shaped in secret caucus,
where extremist counsels always
dominated, and were adopted by
subservient majority, if not
with intent, certainly with effect
to place in the hands of the Pres
dent, power to command his own
denomination, and to employ the
army, navy and militia at his
sole discretion, and as a means
of subscribing his personal ambi-
ton.
When the sad experience of
the last two years, SO disappoint-
ing to the hopes and generous
confidence of the country, is con-
sidered in connection with the vi,
olent utterances and rash purposes
of those who control the Presi.
dental policy, it is not surprising
that the gravest apprehensions for
the future peace of the nation
should be entertained. AT a time
when labor is depressed, and eve
ry material interest is palsied by
oppressive taxation, public Offices
have multiplied beyond all preee'
dent, to serve as instruments in
the perpetuation of power. Part.
nership is the only test applied
to the distribution of this vast
patronage. Honesty, fitness, and
moral worth are openly discarded
in favor of trucking submission
and dishonorable compliance
Hence enormous defaIcations and
wide spread corruption have fol-
lowed as the natural consequences
of this pernicious system. By
the official report Of the Secretary
of the Treasury, it appears that
after the deduction of all proper
credits, many millions of dollars
remain due from ex-C COLLECTORS Of
Internal Revenue, and no proper
diligence has ever been ured to
collect them. ,..s
Reforms in the revenue and fis.
cal systems which all experience
demonstrates to be necessary to
the frugal administration of the
Government, as well as a measure
of relief to an overburdened peo-
pie, have been persistently post
poned or wilfully neglected. Con-
gress now adjourns without hav-
ing even attempted to reduce tax,
alton or to repeal the glariDg i'm
positions by which industry il
crushed and impoverished. The
treasury is overAowing and an ex-
cess of eighty millions of reve-
nue. is admitted, and yet, instead
of some measure to present re.
lief, barren and delusive resolu.
ton is passed by the Senate to
consider the tariff and excise sys.
TENS hereafter, as if the history
of broken pledges and unapplied
remedies furnished any better as.
surance for future legislation, than
experience has done in the past,
Ship.buildiDg and the carrying
trade, once sources of national
pride and prosperity, now languish
under the crushing load of taxa
ton, and nearly every other bu.
siness is struggling without profit
to maintain itself. Our agricultu.
rists while paying heavy taxes on
| all they consume, either to the
| Government or to monopolisss,