Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

594 ABRIDGMENT OF THE SENATE.] Executive Patronage and Government Expenses. [FEBRUARY, 1835. B. took up the third issue which he had joined these eight years of plenty, during which we are with the report; namely, the possibility of to be afflicted with seventy-two millions of surfinding an object of general utility on which plus? Let us see. Let us take one single the surpluses could be expended. The report branch of the general system of defence, and affirmed there was no such object; he, on the see how it stands, and what it would cost to put contrary, affirmed that there were such; not it in the condition which the safety and the one, but several, not only useful, but necessary; honor of the country demanded. He spoke of not merely necessary, but exigent; not exigent the fortifications, and selected that branch, beonly, but in the highest possible degree indis- cause he had data to go upon; data to which pensable and essential. He alluded to the the Senator from South Carolina, the author whole class of measures connected with the of this report, could not object. general and permanent defence of the Union! But the amendment is to be temporary: it In peace, prepare for war! is the admonition is only to last until 1842. What an idea!-a of wisdom in all ages and in all nations; and temporary alteration in a constitution made sorely and grievously has our America hereto- for endless ages! But let no one think it will fore paid for the neglect of that admonition. be temporary, if once adopted. No! if the She has paid for it in blood, in money, and in people once come to taste that blood; if they shame. Are we prepared now? And is there once bring themselves to the acceptance of any reason why we should not prepare now? money from the treasury, they are gone forLook at your maritime coast, from Passaina- ever. They will take that money in all time quoddy bay to Florida point; your gulf coast, to come; and he that promises most, receives from Florida point to the Sabine; your lake fron- most votes. The corruption of the Romans, tier, in its whole extent. What is the picture? the debauchment of the voters, the venality of Almost destitute of forts, and, it might be said, elections, commenced with the Tribunitial disquite destitute of armament. Look at your tributions of corn out of the public granaries; armories and arsenals-too few and too empty; it advanced to the distribution of the spoils of and the West almost destitute! Look at your foreign nations, brought home to Rome by militia, many of them mustering with corn victorious generals and divided out among the stalks; the States deficient in arms, especially people; it ended in bringing the spoils of the in field artillery and in swords and pistols for country into the canvas for the consulship, and their cavalry! Look at your navy; slowly in- in putting up the diadem of empire itself to be creasing under an annual appropriation of half a knocked down to the hammer of the auctioneer. million a year, instead of a whole million, at In our America there can be no spoils of conwhich it was fixed soon after the late war, and quered nations to distribute. Her own treasfrom which it was reduced some years ago, ury-her own lands-can alone furnish the fund. when money ran low in the treasury! Look at Begin it once, no matter how, or upon whatyour dock yards and navy yards; thinly dotted surplus revenue, the proceeds of the lands, or along the maritime coast, and hardly seen at all the lands themselves-no matter; the progress on the gulf coast, where the whole South, and and the issue of the whole game is as inevitable the great West so imperiously demand naval as it is obvious. Candidates bid, the voters protection! Such is the picture; such the listen; and a plundered and pillaged countrystate of our country; such its state at this time, the empty skin of an immolated victim-is the when even the most unobservant should see prize and the spoil of the last and the highest something to make us think of defence! Such bidder. is the state of our defences now, with which, Mr. CALHZON said that he rose to make a very oh! strange and wonderful contradiction! the few remarks in reply to the member from Misadministration is now reproached, reviled, souri; and he must say that, in the long speech flouted, and taunted, by those who go for with which he had entertained the Senate, distribution and turn their backs on defence! there was very little that was relevant or and who complain of the President for leaving deserving of notice. us in this condition, when five years ago, in the He commenced, said Mr. C., with blaming me year 1829, he recommended the annual sum of for not going into the cause of the late enor$250,000 for arming the fortifications, (which mous increase of patronage, which he admits Congress refused to give,) and who now are for to be as great as is stated in the report: I taking the money out of the treasury, to be answer him that the reason why he has gone divided among the people, instead of turning into the cause of the increase is the reverse of it all to the great object of the general and that which has governed me in abstaining. His permanent defence of the Union, for which object is to defeat-mine to carry the measure. they were so solicitous, so clamorous, so feel- H.e well knew that an inquiry of the kind must ingly alive, and patriotically sensitive, even one necessarily lead to crimination and recriminashort month ago. tion, and ultimately to the excitement of those Does not the present state of the country (said party feelings which must defeat the applicaMr. B.) call for defence? and is not this the tion of any remedy to the disease which is propitious time for putting it in defence? and acknowledged on all sides to afflict the body will not that object absorb every dollar of real politic. I must, said Mr. C., be permitted to surplus that can be found in the treasury for express my surprise at the zeal which the

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Title: Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.
Author: United States. Congress.
Canvas: Page 594
Publication: New York, [etc.]: D. Appleton and company [etc.]; 1857-61.
Subject terms: United States -- Politics and government

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Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

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