Columbia telescope. (Columbia, S.C.) 1828-1839, May 26, 1838, Image 2
f not only voted against laying it on the
la?)le, hot am" pr?*pired with my present im
g^Kessious, ro vote for its passage. 1 he geu- j
fWiy", however. who gave notice that he j
wouKf move a reconsitier.if.ion, tailed to do so ,
within the tiiue prescribed by the rule ot the j
^jhouse, and it cannot now be called up with
^o.utavtmyority of two thirds.
fe0'$fy opinion remains unchanged, that it
..i^jrould be unwise in Congress to enact laws
l^tfe ^burd probably render it more difficult
sjraVthe Banks, to resume specie payments,
rftumrfe- the circulation to a sound aud
healthy condition. opinion also remains
^^ehanged, that the requirement of gold and
' '? silver - exclifsivei^in .payment of the public
Vtfees, would" have the Tendency to keep gold
and ?)ref permanently at a premium, and
prevent the Banks paying' specie, except when
their circulation" and deposites are red u c e d
nearly. tOj&e" amount of their specie.
Let ^ contemplate the consequence of
suefiaredncnou of circulation on the nomi
nal prices of property and labour. ? .
It ts well established that the prices of pro
perty 3u^labour,foe*T&less there is a disturb
ing cause, 'invariably regulated by the abund
ance or scarcity of the medium for^ which
they are est&inged ; that they' rise with the
increase .an^wJUne with the decrease of that
medium. A&mit this proposition to be cor
rect, and it foOows as a necessary corollary
(in the absence of disturbing causes) that in
proportion as the medium of exchange is di
? minished, rhe j:rice of property and of labour
- -will be reduced, and in the same proportion
will it be more difficult for the great debtor
interests, to pay those debts contracted .at a
- time of redundant circulation and liigh pri
^ ees.
" . The indebtednessofthepeopleto the Banks
alone in the United States is estimated at
more than $400,000,000. Four hundred mil
lions of dollars ? admit the specie in the Uni
ted States to be $100,000,000. One hundred
-jmlUoafc (which it is not) drive paper from
eireuiation, and is it not evident that the pri
joes of labour and property will be reduced to
>_;au extent that will spread rnin through the
^country 7 A. golden age indeed would this
v-beto t^e capitalist and salaried officer who
\ -receives a stated sum, while every thing that
?v; lie purchases and all. the labour that he em
^ jrfOys, would be reduced in pricey An age
< riot c&kard jnoneif only but of hard limes also,
;-V' to the unfortunate debtor, driven as he would
*T"be by a remorseless creditor, from the farm
that: supported t and the home that sheltered
and Tamily.
not mad enough to believe that the
^requirement of gold and silver exclusively in
-Jjjay n^ent of the public dues, would drive pa
il per entirely from circulation; but one of two
consequences it would inevitably produce ?
r? either a great contraction of the circulation
r jpr a hopeless corruption of the currency.
Xt is however thought by some, that as pa
per disappears, gold and silver will take its
i .place* Where fs this additional gold and
>stfver to come from ? The mines wont pro
/ duce them^ and if we receive them at all, it
v Bntusibe in exchange for our commodities
w'^rlth foBeigR countries. The great staple of
~ the South. depends principally upon foreign
g?inar?et?>foF demand, and it is as important to*'
rOur interests that money should be abundant
in those countries that we trade with, as at
v home. Have we already forgotten that the
^?operattons.ofthe B*nk of England, intended
prmcipally to restrain the exportation of gold,
and to_ recover her lost treasure, was one of
he principal causes in producing that terri
commercial . revulsion, which recently
prostrated every branch of industry ,and spread
dismay through the country? Nothing can
he more fataljq ottr is?wests than to abstract
th? njmntts metals from those con ntiie# with,
"^which we trade, for by doing so, we Jessei*
their ability to buy from us, and thas reduce
the prices of those great stales ol foreign
expert, upon which not the industry of the
south only, but the prosperity of the whole
union depends. 'Fhe great staples of the
south form the principal link in that golden
chain of prosperity which until recently en
circled the land, the principal round in that
great ladder by .which the nation has risen to
commercial eminence. Whenever there is a j
considerable fluctuation in the prices of these j
staples, the vibration is felt through every j
branch of industry.
Constitution prescribes that "all du
k, ties, imports and excises shall be uniform
^ throughout the United States," and hence
_ some contend that they should be collected
^"j^-Gold and Silver. But the price of gold
silver is not uniform: Like all other
"'articles, their price is regulated by demand and
iuppiv, and is even liable to fluctuations from
* causes that do not affect the price of bank ;
bills, as for instance an increase or diminu
. tion in the foreign demand. Let me illustrate
an example, takeu from an article on the
tjbeory and practice of *4 joint stock banking
? ' speaking of England. 44 Between themottffis
^ of Febrttary a ud A u g nst , 1 SI 4 , the. getfirai ,
? peace of Europe intervened and huH&hii^ho
, less than 20 per cent; between the^on&s of
. . January and April 1815, the retuft-of Napo
ieon from Elba took place and gotd-bullion in
, "this short period rose upward of29per<. ent !
^. Between the moQthsof June aDdDeceniber
the same year, the career of Xapolsatt. w&s
permanently sto pped. And gold huUiet* fell
upwards of 20 per cent.1* B ut we oee(inot
cross the Atlantic for illastrsttioo^ J&e history
of our own country within tbelastfew |nouths,;
aiFords conclusive j?roof that thetppce-of?^S^:
% and silver is not only liable to.great fttictoa-;
^ tions, but that it diilers at different"|>laces in
the United States, on the same (Jay. i
It is true rhe<^onstitufiougivei^to^Congress
the power to '* com .money -^ regulate the
value thereof aod /of-6>reign coin^'Vbuf the
words '4 regui^te ciJfe Value Wereoir^ mustl^je^
taken here in amost limited. sense,~aod m^ans j
but this* that Co u gress mjyrim the denomina
tion of eoifi and prescribkhow aruch pure me-;
?tal and %va;. niuch alloy shaiI com pose each
?f>ieee,^ init carvjiO. more, withiu the limits ot
its eoastitutidnajF powers, regulate that ^reat
1 3aw ^fdesiand aad .supj?iy by wljich its price
Is governed, than it eao regulate the laws of
j?amre that govern the seasons,;. ; , ? -v
4t wou!3f be impracticable fui^xue, gen tle-^
tnen, without impftsi^g a seveietaxup<^
jnitience, to extend the linjits of this xet^asj^Wj
us to embrace idi the SetionS.-iff^je^i
I iiiwe to the requirement spec? le 4Jxlut*;
sivtlifi n payment of the public dues;
therefore content myself with merely stating ;
si-'few of the most obvious, to which I hare
stot already alluded.
* "Among these ohje+Uions, :1 will mention its ,
teadem^v t u concentrate the gold. and silver^
of the fcou ot ry ai th?se -p?)ints where the
XiovernmeBt dues are principally collected ?
-witness the celebrated 44 Treasury Circular"
of 13:36, requiring specie exclusively in pay
, <uent at tile public lands.
That u would unnecessarily restrict Com
; uterce, increase in effect the duties upon
^importations, not. it is true, to he paid into
?$b? Treasury, but into^the hands ol money
" '^^n^er*, ^Cisers and sharpers. j
/ Xiwi i'*> operation upon the South would j
[ ho more injurious than a direct increase of
die Taritf, for a Government tariff would to a
limited extent build up a home market for
[ our productions, while this indirect blow
would cripple our foreign commerce without
I even the pretext of a partial inadequate return
I for the injury.
In conclusion upon this subject, I will only
| remark, that taxes are at best but a necessary
[ evil, and I lay it down as a principle incontro
? vertible in a tree Government: That it is
| as much the duty of the Government, in the
I collection ot its taxes, to avoid unnecessary
i oppression upou the citizen, as it is the duty
i ot the citiz -u to pay those taxes that are le
i Ultimately imposed for the support of the
| Government, that protects him in the enjoy
! ment ot his rights.
i My present impression is that specie or the
! notes of Specie 1'ivjing Banks convertible on \
demand should be received in payment of the j
public dues, and that the Secretary ot' the ,
Treasury should be required to have frequent ;
periodical settlements with the Hanks tor I
all balances on hand. This regulation would j
secure the government from the risk ol loss, i
would operate to produce a resumption and j
to prevent the suspension ofspecie payments,
and would without establishing ini|>rop*-rcon- ;
nexions with the banks avoid the oiijrc-i
tious of sp cie receipts turliwiv* '}/ for the pub- j
lie dues. i
I would bv no means allow the use ot the |
Government money for banking or other pur
poses, but if the deposites are made with them i
at all, let theui btSjpcciaL ui in other words let j
j the deposites remain untouched until called
f for by properly authorized agents o! the Gov- I
eVnment. |
The objection that the receivability of bank I
Dotes in payment of the public dues, will al
low the collectors of the revenue to exercise
[improper preferences, is in my opinion more j
spacious than real, for to receive the notes of
one bank and reject those of another in all re
spects of equal standing and credit, would be
such gross and manifest partiality, that no
man, no administration could withstand the
indignation it would excite.
The separation of the Government depo
sites from banking operations, is in my opin
ion, correct in principle, and if carried out,
will prove beneficial in practice. The arm of
the Government should be used neither to
stimulate nor to restrain speculation, the en
terprize of the Country should be left unfet
| tered, its industry should be protected, not reg
1 ulated.
| In advocating an independent Treasury,
separation ofdeposites from commercial pur
poses, I would most carefully avoid a conside
rable surplus, and thus preventa large amount
of money being kept locked up like the mi
ser's wealth from the uses of trade.
In voting for the Bill as it came from the
Senate, I voted not " against my . own judge
ment," but in accordance to its best dictates,
and am now prepared to carry out its princi
ples* ^V:.
In thus imperfectly expressing my opin
ions either upon the receipts or the deposites,
I wish not to be considered ^ committed.
Upon these subjects as upoirall others, I am
open to conviction, and ad pride of precon
ceived opiuions shall prevent aie, from dis
charging my duty conscientiously and to the
best of my ability to my constituents. ?
Conscious that the energies off wis great
Country are unbroken* and with tfie sincere
hope that a returning tide, of prosperity will
soon spread fertility over the land*
I am very respectfuHy ^^'->"
Your obedient servant,
JOHN CAMPBELL. *
FACTS FOR TH E PEOPLE.
Mr. Bon4'* &pecch.
J'he late eminent and virtuous Attorney
General, William Wirt, did not escape the
censure of these indefatigable reformers.;
had rendered some professional services, itii :
which the U. States were interested v>but 5
which were not such as his official station ' .
charged upon him. For this service an' in
considerable sum was paid to. him, butVits
propriety was questioned. The salary of the \
Attorney-General was then ?3,500, and he j
was allowed $300 for a. clerk..* How stands ;
the case now ? The~ salary of Mr. Benjamin *
F. Butler, the present Attorney-General^ isj
$4,000, 1834 he was paW^$M-50_19'
for compensation, besides'being allbwed $1,~ ;
300 fair a clerk and, messenger, and SoOOfor
the contingent expenses-ofrhis office^ - The '
gjN&te -addiitional. allowance, an^ charge, ^ \
;_mduntiugtogether <9 $1^800^ is made in 1.^35.
^depen^ent pfihe;in.prea8ed salary ^iidihe
"barged - provision i(^a:messeng^r^Jience
eagies'Mr. Butler's, right to charge aVesTcess
of $450. 19 for cqn^nsation,^ beside^' $500 -
forv contingent expenses? Iirthe year J 836,
We heard of nothing of contingent expenses,
bSut a provision of^Vj4Q7f is mad(? .fpr h'w
clerk and messenger, .-and for .Mr.;, Butler's
compensation that year he receivecL$4,332;
when his salary was only ^4,000. - Why was
' this excess of $332 paid to- him T .He appears
to have been usedas-afcort of Caleb Quolcni:
He has been allowed to enjoy the jsaiary of
his own office and "tHi^of the. Secretary af--'
War at one and the same time, being at the*
rate of $10,000. per year<- pursuing too his
! profession, and receiving its emoluments.?
No wonder we see in him " thecomplyinglaw
officer; of the crown."- When did he ever
give au opinion contrary to the wish of- the
.President, ifhe knew what that was?-- Let j
me give an illustration. As the story is told,
when the Baltimore railroad was about to he
located at its termination in this city, the
company consulted Mr. Butler on some point
.as to this, righrof way? under their charter.,
j After, full deliberation, bis professional opin
; ion" was obtainedjn writing. It happened that
General- Jackson- f^it soma concern about the
location of ofway, aud he express?
ed an opinion? on rliVsatue point, requiring a
termination of theroad; which the company
did not w is h, aud .wb-cii-Mr. Butler hadad
vised them they;-" iu?cd.--ijot adopt. General
^Jackson. was ftrmshedwith the opinion of i
^bW|UtctJ^ instead of yield- j
ing,.he endorsed'orf itjf" Mr. fuller has not
; let this
^aper ^dPeferred 3>ack t<^^?mf wit,h a copy of
the c hartfcjr, cforh is\_ te^&x ami tfa t i o n . " -In,
due time, sin th e A 1 1 oru ey ? ile d e ra ! agrees
conformity, with tha^which Gen.Jaeltson bad
ve*prefe?ed ! After this, >1 r. Speaker, '? **e
need .not -he, surprised it the;absurd opinion
of Mr. Butler, ajfoundatiou or j usti
fication for Geo. Jacksooto po cket,the-. bill
. repealing the Treasury circular, ? arid -which
liad parsed both Houses of Congress almost
-by acclamation. Nor, indeed, -should we be
astonished at any opinion of his, unless he
should have happened to give one different
from what he supposed the President want-'
ed.
I wish now, to make a iew comments on
the professions and practice of Mr. Amos
Kendall, late Fourth Auditor, and now Post
master General. This gentleman, you know,
sir. was an -eleventh-hour Jackson man. H
however, wai among the first who gotoflk*
and immediately after bis ckppointment, a let
ter of his is published, in which, alter holding
himself and a few friends *p as having been
persecuted, he exclaims, *what has Heaven
done ? So disposed of events, as to make
Barry Postmaster General, and mysclfa mere
humble Auditor." As to Mr. Barry, no mat
ter 44 whateveuts" made him Postmaster Gen
eral, we know that under his management
that department was deranged and rendered
insolvent ! .
But now for this 44humble Auditor," or, as
from his own question, he is sometimes call
ed, 44 this Heaven born" Amos. If history
does him justice, it will be found that he de
sired office under Mr. Clay, which it not
being in the power of the latter to provide,
Mr. Kendall espoused the cause ot General
Jackson.
In this letter ol .Mr. Kendall, he says:
44 I feel bound bv my obligations to my
country, and by the pledges so often repeat
ed bv all the principal men ol our party, to
promote, with all my talents and industry, the
reforms which the People demand. 1 will ^
prove that our declarations have not been I
hollow pretences. Besides, I hold the inter- |
fere nee of Federal officers with State politics |
to be improper in principle." ,
For the reform under this last paragiaph, J
I refer vou to Mr. Kendall s letters and j
toasts sent to various political meetings and j
dinners throughout the country, lor a few j
years past, on the eve ol State Flections.
When Mr. Kendall entered upon the duties
of his Auditor's office, he caused to be pub
lished in the United States Telegraph, the
then official organ, a letter, in which he says, ^
"The interest of the country dfnmids that ?
this office shall be filled with mcrioj business,
and not with babbling politicians." Sir, the
whole letter was the work of a babbling poli
tician, expressly designed for political and
demagogue ends, which the writer, in the
same breath, said he had quit and left for
otlvvrs! I will read a few. passages from it.
?? In five days I have returned to the post
office twenty letters and three pamphlets,
enclosed to the Fourth Auditor, aud directed
to other persons !" How long after this let
ter was it before Mr. Kendall, for the purpose
of building up the Globe newspaper, and the
fortune of his friend Francis P. Blair, (ano
| ther eleventh-hour Jacksou man, whom he
had brought from his former residence at
Frankfort, Kentucky,) sent ander his frank to
Kentucky, and perhaps elsiwhere, the pros
pectus of this newspaper ?
In that same letter Mr. Kendall also says:
?4 Upou entering this office, on Monday last,
one of the first objects which struck my eye
was a pile of newspapers ou-hiv tabte. Among
them, I counted sixteen different papers, all
of which I was told were subscribed for by the
Fourth Auditor, and paid for out of the Trea
sury." . v; . .
He sent them back, as ke then stated, with
a note to each; of ,whieh the following is a
.copy : *
. Department.
Fourth Auditoh's-O^th?*^ March24j 1829.
Sir: Not believing that I ai^whorized to
charge the Government with subscriptions to
newspapers and gt her pubHc&iio n fe which are.
not useful to me 19. the discharge of . my offi
cial duties, and noi perceivw^that I can de
rive anv assistance f?Hn%pUr jourriftjujo
ling the accounts of the tl ? Sv
to request that fou wilt discontinue sending
it to this office. Very respectfully, your.obe
dient servant, VAMOS^KENDALL^
- Here, Mr. Speaker, is a fine displayof-the
" pride, pomp, and circumstance" of office, 11
not of official insolence.* jBut yesterday he
was himself the editor and publisher of a news
paper; he next appears, in bis own language,
an "humbU Auditor." But,*'*, does not
the letter just read show that be*h**s forgotten
ahis humility and become puffed up
official consequence ! ? \ ? .?
Why did he not simply tell his bi other edi-,
tors, in brief and respectful language, that he
had discontinued the 'subscription for-their
paper? ' ' ,:y ^ ? '*
"But a further thought is suggested by thifif
letter of Mr.- AmOS Kendall, and his reason^
for discontinuing newspaper subscriptions.-?
He is now, sir, jPastmasier General. Suppose
w^look ar.the Statement of the contingent
;expenses of hiis office for the last year.-. Do
you- think we shall find any subscriptions for.
newspapers there 44 paid forout of the Trea^
surytf^ listen to^afew items:
^-Southern Literary Messenger, -JJU
fg N. Y, Journal of Commerce . 10,00
^ Alle'gHarijr Democrat ~ ^ .jjfe
f; Penosylvanian . f- } : ; ;? ;. ^
.^Indian BipgrapHy ? ;? ? ^
\ Metropolitan M^aztoe ?
t Th r?e>CQj?es of the Dai ly Globe 30 op
? Richmond Eugtmer -,c > - J/ -
Sundry- others which I will *?ot stop to
name:- the whole - number being twenty .or
upwards and the totatof.su bscription withiir
i small fractiouof $200! He. was frightened at
a^pile of J 6 ne wspapers, but be^an now take
20 at a dose 1 Can- itr.be possible that a^nan,
who came iuto office declaring, like the I bar
isee ofold, that 4the .wasilot like other men,.* ?
aii<f would even 44 tithe: mini, and cuminm, .
?.begius already to "neglectthe weightier mat
ters of tli e law?" .. What hecomes ol his in-,
flated promise-14 to prove" that his declar^
Itiotis bad not been hollow pretences '
what" value was his declaration, made in his
letter before referred to, and in. which he
says, 44 Vain I may be, proud I am, that the:
President has given me an opportunity toaia
him in proving that reform is not an emjfflr
sound, and is not to apply merely to a change.^
of men?" Why, sir, I quote as a reply to
'these questious his own words, in another
passage of his own letter: "The world will
know him at last, and assign hinTfrs true
rank." 44 Truth is omnipotent, ana public
justice certain*?'
Araon'Mr. Kendall's reforms may be men
tioned-hfs leading agency in the removal' .of
'the public depositee Irom the Bank ot tbe, U.
States: To effect this, he carried on a system
of 44 filling. and cooing" with the State banks,
-and in the language of a certain Senator,,
( Mr. Benton, )tlebauched them. J es, su ,
debauch is the. word.,r'I apply it to the Gov
ernment and . banks, ^.though the Senator
thought the People had been debauched,and
applied it to them ' For this work of 4 de
bauch," which proved so serious a curse to
-the country, this agent was employed thirty
-two days, afid was paid for this service the
?sum of S316 11,. being- about ten dollars a day
fora job which has occasioned much ol tne
-embarrassment under which the country now
labors;. He got ^10 a day for doing ? tjns in
jury to the Public ? a hard-working laborer
finds it difficult to get his dollar a day* But
still, Mr, Kendall belongs to the r ^m<KMatic
party and whilst he received his.$10 a day
for that work, he also received the regular
salary of his office. This appears to be an
established usage of .this Administration.
The case, of the Attorney General is already
mentioned. The reports from the Depart
ments shovrjeveral other cases, though ^will
now only add thatof tjje Commissioner o In
dian A^ah?i;^to:^as for * while acting Se
' ' -"v*^ '* ?*???"?? ?
crctary of War, am] during this period diew
(he salaries of each office, being at the rate
of S9,000 a year.
But, Mr Speaker, no man better knows all
the uses of office than Mr Kendall. I have ?
read a political tract, written, I think, by !
Dean Swift, entitled somewhat in this way : j
44 The convenience of a place at Court, or a j
sure mode of providing garments for a whole ?
family.*' Mr Kendall appears to understand :
the 44 modus operandi" of this matter. The i
printed list of clerks in his Department ex
hibits his father-in-law and two nephews,
with salaries of ?1,000, Si, 200, and 81,400;
and thus we see a family provision of nearly
610,000 a year, including his own salary.
But Mr Kendall is not the only officer who
thus takes care of his own household. If
provision of this kind be evidence of 44 faith."
few of them will be found 44 infidels." The
President's son has an office, which I have
already mentioned, of Si, 500 a year. The
Secretary of State's son until very lately, held
the place o( District Attorney in Alabama.
A near relation by marriage of the Secretary
of the 1 reasury has a comfortable annuity
of Si, 100 in the .Navy Department; another
holds the appointment of naval officer in
Boston, with a salary of $3,000 per year, be
sides bring President of ihe Lafayette Bank
of that city : and a third is the Cashier of the
Franklin Bank of that city, which became a
special pet under the pet bank system. These
gentlemen would all make excellent Sub
Treasurers ! ?;
Mr Bond said, when the proposition for re
trenchment was under consideration here in
1828, the friends of Mr Adams, by way of
proving that he and they desiied every ju'st I
economy and reform, pointed to his Message
recommending it. How were they answered ?
Why, sir, Mr Ingham, who soon afterwards
was made Secretary of the Treasury, said if
was indeed true that the Message did recom
mend it, but he wanted to see more practice
and less profession in this matter. There I
were no specified reforms fouud in the Mes
sage ; he could only find there one of those
formal recommendations, which were as un- ]
meaning, he said, as the words "your humble
servant" at the foot of a letter. Mr Randolph,
in the same debate, used this language, On
the subject of retrenchment and reform
"The President did recommend them, in
one of those lofty generalities with which all
sermoiisrpolitical or religious, abound ; which
might be printed in blank, like law process,
and filled as occasions might require. ? But*
sir, (said'he^ Lara for looking at the prac
tices, and not at the precepts of the parson;
political or religious." -C , f & r
Mr Bobd said this rule of: Mr Randolph
was perfectly just; it was thus shown, too, to
be avowed by; this -Administration, and he
was williug to judge them by their own rule
and thought tothisthey ought not to object.
He would leave to the House and to the Peo-j
pter:t0 whether -the "-practices" . of this
Administration "had conformed to their pre
cepts.'" ; ;|
Was the recommendation in General Jack
son's inaugural address one of those ; " lofty
generalities" just spoken of, and defined by
Mr Randolph? The 44 Unit Cabinet" must I
bave lost the art of reading, otherwise." re
form" was not quite so 4?legibly inscribed"
as the General imagined... That patronage of
the Federal Government which was said to J
be brought into conflict with the freedom of
State elections has greatly increased, and is
stjIL unrestrained, in the same conflict.'.' * , 1
The geutjemanjrom Tennessee (Mr. Bell)
has for years labored to bring this House to
theconsideration of a bill to secure the free
dom of (elections, and thus carr< into effect
the recommendation of General Jackson's in
augural address. Able as that gentleman is,
and^untjnng as he has been in his efToilS, the
measure proposed by him has received the
fro.wrns instead of the favorofthis administra
tions^He and the -venerable Senator from the
same State (Mr. White) were the. early -and
devoted friends of General Jackson, and.they
stilj [-desire ten carry into, practical elfeckj.-tjie
principl esw h i c hthey,.wi t b^Gcheral Jacks on,
profess "ta be governed by. They Tee! and
know" the imminent ' danger "wiiich threatens
:tbe.country, in the increased strength xjf the,
patronage of office. They see, andwe-all
see, thaTtfheoflice- holders are 'Abroad in the
land.y^/For a description of this growing
phalanx, and its powerful incentive to action,
I will idi&'w'oo high authority. A member
Of the Senate, (Mr. Grundy,) a zealous friend
of Geoeral Jackson, the evidence of which has
Jbeen^already given in his own words, held
this^hguage, when aiming to pull doty'n the s
old Administration : 44 When I see, (saiil he)
an office-hqlder interfering in elections, jt has
occurred to me that he was thinking .or-his
salary* and isf therefore, an unfit. adviser of
>tlie-f eopljp*-1*- ^ J,. : : !
- "?r .->S pe a k e t h a t v&ic h occurred to, Mr.
<Jrtra.dy no doubt often.occurred to you at^
the same period, v ' The proposition is a very
natural one, - and I think that recent everits:
have strengthened rather than,, impaired its
truth*, But I beg^ the further indulgence
of -the House while I read whatimolber-dis
Ying-uistied friend of * Geueral Jackson said
wheHTdebating- the subject'df retrenchment
and-reform on this floor* " I allude to Mr.
Bifchatjan, now. a Senator from Pennsylvania,
and' with his continued and growing devotion
to the party, what he said will certainly be
considered 44 orthodox.1' I find by that de
bate, that he said it was well known,..:.--^ ^ '
-- "That when a man is ouce appointed to
office, all: ihe selfish passions of bis' nature
arevenlisted for the purpose of retaining it.
The' office holders (said he) are the ehlisted
soldiers of that Administration by which they
are sustained. Their comfortable existence,
often depends upon the reelection of their
patron. . Nor does disappointment long ran
kle in the hearts of the disappointed Hope
is still left to them, and bearing disappoint
mejrt: with patience; they know- will present
anew. claim >to office at a future time."
?; v This passage of Mr. Buchanan's speech,
proves him to have been an observer of men'
and things, and familiar wi^h ?he leading prin
ciples -of -'humanr'action. . He dreaded the
consequejiees of the selfish spirit of the office
holder, and/induced the country to believe
that Gen. -Jackson and his friends would pro
vide a suitable restraint upon it. . But I fear,
sir, the People will be left to conclude that
this gentleman is one of those 44 political par
sons" described by Mr. Randolph, whose
44 practices" do not correspond with his
precepts." It is certain that, under the fa
vorite Administration of the gentleman and
his frieuds the office-holders have received
:new life, instead of a check. ? But I must yet
point xout another discrepancy between Mr.
Buchnnan's profession and practice. In the
same debate, he reviewed with censure, seve
ral of the foreign missions, that to Russia in
cluded ; and particularly condemned any prac-,
tice allowing a minister to 44 return after one
year's absence." His language is : 44 Ifsuch
a practice, should prevail, our ministers, in
violation of the spirit of the existing law, will
receive, by adding the outfit to the salary, $18,
000, instead of 59,000. for one year's service."
44 1 am/' said he, 44 against the practice." ?
This, Mr. .Speaker, was his precept. But,
sir, in a brief space of time, after condemn
ing and saving 14 1 am against the practice,"
we see him take the bounty and become one
of the ,4enlisted soldiers" whom he had de
scribed, and go on a foreign mission to Rus
sia, where afterstaying 44 atwelve-inonth and a
day," he pockets the 4* Si 8.000, instead of
S9,000, for a year's service," and comes
home !
This seems to be an appropriate time to
compare the precepts and practice of Mr.
Randolph, who said he too 44 was for looking
at the practices, and not the precepts, of the
parson, political or religious." In that same
debate, Mr. Randolph said lie 44 could not
permit any notion connected with the divis
ion of the spoil, to mingle with" his exer
tions. He would not, he said, give up his
constituents and the pleasure of his home,
44 for a clerkship in the War Office, or a fo
reign mission, or even for a Department of
State." He said 44 there had been an im
provement in the plan of sending ministers
abroad and bringing them back when they
have finished their business; for," said he,
44 they are now sent abroad on sleeveless er
rands, that they may come back re-infecta , to
pocket their emoluments." Mr. Speaker^
the Greeks and Romans both held it to be a
highly useful, but exceedingly- difficult'inat
ter to know one's self. " Modern.rfristOry^$i'
our own times add new force to the truth or
that position. I do not at all question the;
perfect sincerity of Mr. Randolph/when he
uttered the sentiments; but, great as be may
have been, and skilful as he professed to be,;
and no doubt was, in thte- motives of human
action, after events .proved how little he knew
of himself. Sir, we soon found Mr." Ran
dolph giving up his constituents, and leaving
all the boasted endearments of his district^
for a foreign mission to- Russia, where, so: far
as any public advantage res dted from it, he.;
emphatically went on a 44 sleeveless errand*"/
and " came back re-ivfectxf , to pocket -ft is
emoluments .'" Indeed, this mission to.Rus
sia^seems to have been specially dedicated by.'
the party" to short terms of- six and twelve
months, for the advantage of some of the,
^?cOoiisVedf soldiers" describe^ Mr. JBicha^:
nan^Jo th.i^ way the cosr of that mission
ba&%een inordinately increased
higii time thattbis dra n op the public T rea-:
sury for private benefit should beche^ked.^
Mr. Bojld said it "ivas ooiffo b^disguised
that many of ? t h 6 pol i tici a nswhbeug a ged vin
the debate and strife of tlie times to which he
had alluded, had been surprised, jf not 4js
appointed, by events which sou rr^o I Ipw edr|
A singular exchange of" positiob T^^takerv
place between two ,of these geuj^emen?^
When the retrenchment :reso1ution^asCdis~
cussed, a friend "of the then ' Administration^1
Mr. Pearcfe, of ivhode Island,- tpokgrouq??
not in terms, but somewhat ^simUar^o -th?(t'
.. v .i^jC^^^denied
and condemned such a right.*;
pointed a mem6er'ofihe re r r ebob ?^e n t^atid,
reform committee, and, after Ocnerai^J^ck^
sou came into power, Mr. Wi ck liffezenl^ tisV
Jy endeavored to carry out the iprotnra^fe^
"form ; but, not f\ nd i rig the.fco^pehv^on-'he/
vhad expected, he abjured the^ party;'
About this timejt
era. avowed the doctrine 4i that the spoils
ed I Have not the people been d?ce>yed*ai?.cl -
allured by specious and vain promises}^Ba$
not the Federal Executive j)atrapago:?oai^-~
natel v increased, and is it not still uhresU^lfe
ed ? Is not power tx)veryit abused and
perverted 1 ^ Do not the e xBases of out G e- _
n'eral Government far trai^c^^M^ai^H,nt"
all oufpasi fiistorV ? ~ WJiy ace^tfese tnmgs
" J? ? i-V; .. U?_ 44 .i/*Vr fjj?
fer
OfOtie-UI.^UH. . y.JJM .. IVVW*'^. IXRyrjOM
of, the Senatec fo whom J have before relej^
red.^Th his speech here, to idii^b^&'havg
already allud&k and w hen h e"* was ^assaj I > ,
?the (then) Adfliiiiistratiori, fye thus exclajrn
edV" The very- poswession:^ a
strong, a- natural .tendency- W^cQtrjija. the
heart.V Tfie lust of dominion ~jrrows*wirh its
possession : andthe- mat* w ho, >in httmb I e
life; was pure^jaj^ Jnioocent7 and just,, ha^.
often been transformed, hv the Jou&posses'v
sion of power, iuto^irfffristet. |? In ihe;fl?cr^4
Bool\whicb/<^ntains:lessoBS'ofwisd6rnfoi^j
pbJi ti c inrt aLi well as*(or the Christian,
fi iwta "ha jxpyil lu stira tion of'Fhe coiruptitig io-'
fluenVe'ofvpower. updo the humaB^he<il?..
Whet> llajrael came to consult JElisha >whe|
f her his master, the king of Syria^tvonld re
-covier from a d ang e ro u s^il J u ess3 the prophet r
looking through the vista of futurity, saw the'
jc rimes of. "which the messenger, who stood
. before hi.mA would b egu i 1 ty ,a d e we p t :?
rHazael asked, 4 Wrhy _wee.peth, my^aordj,'
The- prophet then recounted to him the mur
ders and ;the cruelties, Of which h^ sbouhf be
guilty j^wardsV thp, chiyren^of JjsraeJif^rJHa
za.^I, i n t h e spi r i t "of vi % t u o u s indigp at i ou," rer.
plied 4 Is thy servant a dog, thatJie should
do this thiug V And Elishaanswered, 4 The
X?prd hath shown me that thou shalt be-kfog
, over Syria.' This man afterwards became
i Jiing by the murder of his master, andyVaf
gLuilty of enormities, the bare"recital of which
would make us shudder." > 'v-; 'C/. '< A.
. How true, and alas ! bow applicable js this
sacred illustration to those who^ invoked its
use in elevating themselves to power.'' >
Suppose, Mr. Speaker, that some^spjred
Elisha had been present when you and Mr.
Buchanan, with others, engaged in the de-.
bate which has been referred to, and, moved
by ' > sympathetic tear of the prophet, you
had asked, /4 Why weepeth my lord ?" how
would you have been astonished in being
then told what the people of this country.
[ have since realized f . * - ' . -'J
Imagine, sir, .the inspired one looking*
through the vista of a few biief years, and
saying : You will be placed in power, 'but
will greatly increase the amount of all public
expenditures. You, will use the offices and
patronage of the country for private and not
for public good. You will create offices for
favorites. You will enlarge all Executive^
power. You will deny the right to' call for
reasons on ,a removal from office, and in. a
few years will remove more than 1500 per
sons from office for opinion^ sake .' - You
will derange and corrup^the PostOfl}'-e De:
partment, which you now admit to be sound,
and you will not reform any of your designa
ted abuses in the other Departments. You
will appoint more members ofT-Congress to.
office in four years than has been done in
all the past history of the Government.* Your^
bill for the abolition of the power and pa
tronage over the press v* ill sleep, the sle^p.of
death. You will retain 44 the press, the. post,
office, the armed force, and the appointing^
power in the bauds of the President, -land
will not suffer them to change position aii<&
tgke post on *he side of the people." . Yo^
now censure * small appropriation to par
chase some additional furniture for the Pre
sident's house, but you will furnish that
house in luxurious style for General Jackson,
who will be succeeded by Mr. Van Buren ;
and he, not content with the second-hand
furni'ure of his predecessor, will cast it off,
and make his entry into that edifice with one
appropriation of $7,300 for alterations of the
house and superintendence of the grounds* -
and another appropriation of $20,000 for new
furniture; and this, too, in the very year
when your public treasury will be bankrupt.
You will increase the expenses of foreign
missions, and sutler your ministers to return
home on such brief service as will show their
appointments to have been made for individ*/.
ual gain rather than public good.~i\. You will
increase the contingent expenses of this
House from $80,000, the present annual
amount, to $210,000. Yon wiU add to the- ....
like expenses of the Senate and to all other >
public expenditures in the. same ratio ; and" '
the sum total forithe whole total civil list an<^
ordinary appropriations of the Government*,
which is now $12,163,438, will be increased
from. time to time, uodef your boasted re-
form, until it shall exceed thirty milltoiis per
>e"' .
.. You. now. question the right of jt .-Depart^
ment to purchase a print or likeness
meansof the 5* gffice4tolders," the "enKetei v*
soldiers," as you have just caiM them; tring: :
the patrpna^e of the Generaf Govsrntiietft in
to conflict with the freedom of elections, a ndT
you will resist |he bill that shall be brougBt;
in*to secure the freedom of those elections.*
YoUj Mr^ Iiadidolpb^ wiU go upon whatyouf
novTcall as*' sleeveless -errand, arid after sa
luting the Emperor of Russia, will make a
pleasant sojqurn in: V old England," and
turn to your estate^] iv Virginia. YonV. Mrf;:r
pocket tlie7 ?13,0Wf'for '5 a' iwelvdnjontli i
^^ 4^^swvipe^ Ybu, (to the geuUe
' ' ' Tew Y<*rk,) MrVvGambrelengSwi^ '
man
* rT5 ? ? z . ^ s r vt . ? ? v ~^ii ^ \ t
thejkty of. members; jufea jneans oC shown*
ing>these$sion of Co ngi^^>>Ypu i
venson, will be made Speaker of this Hoi
.floor of <
s-tb* do jjiih reveren<
> <wu^u. , . _ ^^artmeuti and .
uncJer ycruf supervision, an attempt to hdm
;bd)?tbe people with'theproj'niseof an exclu
^v^JKard jnoney curtencj' wilj result in the
jbanishment brail sp^cte, . a Bankrupt Trea- ..
?suiv, and- a circulation of . shinplasters and
?* v? ' -'I'l Ti ' r ? a <* V* vi ' At*. ."T - ? - *
Trr,vsury npt^?>^^- , r 3 v - % 0
Speaker, such t? tfi-},.
s^iisejaJh^ve heen.made at the peri^ibf .
tin.d. wbich l have suggested/ What wonld
haveTj^en your repjyv';^nd^what would., Mr.*'
- It having -been "pro po
irigs of the o pponents of*,
^Uigemr,^^
States, '*
^at there^hoald be a General MeeUbg/^p
.Pe legates fromall the.Statest f6r the purpose^?
;of. agreeing on ^
persons as candidates for the offices of Presi^,
tgejut and Vice ^President atjthe ne:
a nd a desire ha ving been expres""1
r' ? L A*;,
stilted Onitne sunject, aoa, atm uuc bUUOIUW -y
uticn and reflection^" they *?re of opinion that
the Borough of H a rri sburg,i n the State off
Pennsylvania,: is a suitableplace, and thefirrt
Wednesday in December, 1839,apropertirt>eV
for holding a General Meeting for tfje purpose
above-mentioned, to be comppsed.of Oeler
gates from all* th'e States in-proporton to
their representation in the: two:* Houses nf .
a
. fFroaithe New York Conner and Enquirer.]
- The UtfiTBn ^States Bajtk and the;
TREASDEr.-r-It js well known that the Trea
sury "Department was apprized 3 yreek sidce
of the willingness of the United States Bank
to anticipate the two millions of its bomfs to.
the Government/ due^n OctOber nexU . Wev
no wv have it in ? oar ]power to: state, on nn-?
questionable authority, that^the Bank has,
expressed its desire tq. ap^tuge... amicably
wiftf tfie Treasuty for aU its bonds, to the *
amount of six millions, in anticipation.
" "The position of the Bank at the pjesent
day, ootwithstan^ioj^ the charges of insolven-.
cy brought again<t i^ tJaily in the official or
gan of the Government, fully justifies the as
sumption of these responsi bili ties, and ena?
ble?, it;to extend this timely aid .to the^Trea
l^fetiry witlfout embarrassment. 'It has in its ,
vaults aod in Europe ?^5,000,000 in specie,. -
and $10,000,000 in securities available in spe- ;/
cie at three days' notice. All its responsibL-xv
lilies for circulation and deposites are butv
$15^000,000^ leaviug a disposable surplus of
i
?OI/1'II*GCLOTHS 1/
'> Jib yh, ? ? * ? I .
lOR sale by