Year: 1859

Add to all this, the fact Gas yet unexplain
edD that one Of the largest naval armaments
which ever sailed from our coast is now ope.
rating in South America, ostensibly against
poor little republic far up the Plata River,
to settle some little quarrel between the two
Presidents. If Congress had been polite
enough to grant the Presidents's demand Of
the sword and the purse against Mexico,
Central America and Cuba, this navy, its
duty done at the south, might be made on its
way home, to arrive in the Gulf very oppor.
t,nely, to aid the "Commander-in-chief" in
the acquisition of some very valuable terrific
ry.


allude to these facts with no malice against
Mr.. Buchanan, but as evidences of the dan
gerous change which is now obviously sought
to be made in the practical working of the
Government-the concentration of power in
the hands of the President, and the danger
Gus policy, now almost established, of look
ing abroad for temporary glory and agrand-
izement, instead of looking at home, for all
the purposes of good government-peace-
able, moderate, economical, protecting all in
terests alike, and by fixed policy, calling
into safe exercise all the talents and industry
of our people, and thus steadily advancing
our country in everything which can make a
nation great happy and permanent.


The rapid increase of the public expendi-
lures (and that, too, under the management
of statesmen protesting to be peculiarly eco
nomicaD is an alarming sign of corruption
and decay.


That increase bears no fair proportion to
the growth and expansion of the country,
but looks rather like wanton waste or crimi-
nal negligence. The ordinary objects of
great expense are not materially augmented
the Army and Navy remain on a low peace
establishment-the military defenses are
little, if at all, enlarged-the improvement of
Harbors, Lakes, and Rivers is abandoned,
and the Pacific Railroad is not only not be-
gun, but its very location is scrambled for
by angry sections, which succeed in nothing
but mutual defeat. In short, the money to
an enormous amount G am told at the rate
of $50 100000 to $lO0,O00,O0O a year, is
gone, and we have little or nothing to show
for it. In profound peace with foreign ma
tons, and surrounded with the proofs of
National growth and individual prosperity,
the Treasury, by less than two years of mis-
management, is made bankrupt and the
Government itself is living from hand to
mouth; on bills of credit and borrowed mon
ey!


This humill alton state of things could har-
lily happen if men in power We're both honest
and wise. The Democratic economists in
Congress, confess that they have recklessly
wasted the Public Revenue; they confess it
by refusing to raise the Tariff to meet the
present exisency, and by insisting that they
ran replenish the exhausted Treausry and
support the Government, in credit and eff
"ency, by the simple striking of their former
extravagances.


An illustrious predecessor ofthe President
is reported to have declared "that those who
live on borrowed money ought to break
do not concur in that harsh saying; yet
am clearly of opinion that the Government,
in common prudence Ito say nothing ofpride
and dignity ought to reserve its credit for
great transactions and unforeseen emergen-
cies. In common time of peace, it ought al
ways to have an established revenue, equal, at
least, to its current expenses. And that rev.
enue ought to be levied so as to foster and
protect the industry of the country employed
nour most necessary and important manu-
factures.


Gentlemen, | cannot touch upon all the
topics alluded to in your letter and resolu-
tion. / ought rather to beg your pardon for
the prolixity of this answer. spake for no
party, because the only party I ever belonged
to has ceased to exist as an organized and
militant body.


And Ispeake for no man but myself.


| am fully aware that my opinions and
views of public policy are ofno importance to
anybody but me, and there is good reason to
fear that some of them are so antiquated and
out of fashion as to make it very improba-
BILE that they will ever again be put to the
test ofactual practice.


Most respectfully,


EDWARD BATES.


ST.. LOUIS, Feb. "a, 1859. :