American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-07-13
The Grant Mongrel Platform.

Among many reasons claimed by
the late Philadelphia Convention
for the denomination of Gen. Grant,
and the continuance of their party
i'm power, one of the most prominent
lied upon is, that the present adj
ministration had paid nearly thr Q
hundred millions of dollars of the
public debt within the first three
years of it's term of Office.
This, it is confidently, and we may
say defiantly affirmed, is far more
than was or could have been anti
cipated, and is much better than any
other party has or would have ac-
cOmplished.
We have heard this boast so oft
EN- made and the claim is so gener-
ally looked upon as a peculiarly ia
vorable and truthful feature in the
present Administration that we al
most fear at this late day to deny
the correctness of the facts upon
which the extraordinary merit of
Gen. Grant and his party are predi-
Gated.
We are prepared to demonstrate
from official records made out by
the present Treasurer of the United
States, that Andrew johnson paid
larger sum of money, with less re-
sources, and having heavier bur-
thens upon the national finances to
sustain, than has been paid by the
present occupant of the executive
chair.
When Andrew johnson assumed
the responsibilities of the high Office
of President of the United States,
the war was still progressing and
consequently the expenditures of
the country far exceeded the re-
ceipt from ordinary sources of reve
nue.. 1t was not until nearly one
year and a quarter of the four years
that he held the Of1ice-including
some six weeks which Mr.. Lincoln
served of his second term-that any
thing could be done towards the
payment of the enormous public
debt which the madness and folly
of the mis-called Republicans bad
imposed upon the country. This
left but two years and nine months
to Mr.. johnson, and within this
time he paid two hundred and sixty
four millions of dollars upon the
principal of the national debt, or
within a fraction of one hundred
millions per amman. For these fig
ures we rely upon the officer at the
head of the Treasury under the pre-
sent government, which he has re-
peatedly published in official re-
ports to his superiOrs. This sum
then is almost identical with that |
which Gen. Grant has paid, and for
which he has received, and is still
receiving such extravaganza and un-
deserved laudatiOns. But this is
not all we have to say in favor of
President johnson. The amount
paid by him upon the public debt
is even greater than his successor
has done as we will proceed to
demonstrate. 1t is stated in the
reports from the Treasurer Of the
United States, that the interest upon
the public debt was reduced dur
ing Mr.. JOhnsOn's term of service
from one hundred and fifty one mil
lions, to one hundred and twenty
four millions of dollars per amman.
This would have made in the thir-
ty-three months Mr.. johnson was
engaged in the paying Of the large
sums he has been credited with |
upon the public debt, nearly seven
ty-twO million dollars of interest in |
ercess of that which Gen. Grant was
required to pay. Could President
johnson have been able to place
this latter sum to that which had
been paid under him upon the
principal of the debt, his aggregate
would have been three hundred and
thirty-six millions of dollars applied
to relieving the country from its
heavy burthen, within two years
and nine months, which is one hun
dred and twenty two millions per
or twenty-five millions mole
each year than the present admin
tratiOn has paid, according to its
own showing.
The tables from which these facts
have been taken are accessible to
most persons, and all easily com
pretended by any one familiar with
the rudiments of arithmetic. We ;
have had a half dozen official re-
ports wherein the facts presented
,bove have been clearly and con