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'J. --'--mi "CHARACTER IS as important to states as IT 13 to individuals; ajd thh globi of thb STATE is the sommo property of its oaTiaENs." I HOLMES & BAYAE, Editors ana V roprietors. FAYETTEVILLE, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1S40. Volume 2. Xuniber95. Vs. Do De TER3IS OF THE NORTH CAROLINIAN. annum, if paid in advance it paid at the end of 6 months, 3 00 if paid at the end of the year, 3 50 Rates of Advertising: feixty cents per square, for the first, and thiry cents for each subsequent insertion. A liberal deduction will be made to advertisers by the year. tJourt advertisements and Sheriff's sales, will be charged 25 per cent, higher than the usual rates. All advertisements sent for publication should have the number of insertions intended, marked upon them, otherwise they will be inserted until forbid, and charged accordingly, No paper discontinued until arrearages are paid, except at the option of the Editor. No subscription received for less than twelve Months. fC3Letters on business connected with this estab lishment, must be addressed H. L. Holmes, Edi tor of the North-Carolinian, and in all cases post paid. VCF Subscribers wishing to make remittances by mail, will remember lhat they can do so free of postage, as Postmasters ar authorized by law to frank letters enclosing remittances, if written by themselves, or the contents known to them. Prices of Job Work : HAND BILLS, printed on a medium, royal, or super royal sheet, for 30 copies, 82 50 For 50 copies, 3 00 And for every additional 100 copies, 1 00 HORSE BILLS, on a sheet from 12 to 18 inches sq iare, 3 J copies, 3 00 Over lo inches, and i;ot exceeding 30, 5 00 CARDS, large size, single pack, 3 00 And lor every additional pack, 1 25 Smaller sizes in proportion. BLANKS, when printed to order, f.r 1 quire, And for every additional quire, under 5, Exceeding 5 quires, 2 00 1 00 75 CIRCULARS, INVITATION TICKETS, and all kinds of BOOK & JOB PRINTING, executed cheap for CASH. .Fayetteville FEMALE SEMINARY. fll Z?!? 'ecllned fun-er supervision of the I- FEMALE SEMINARY, it .s but just that I should express to its former catrons and u my confidence, that in the hands of Mr. Spencer it ...-I wiiuulicu wun aumiy and iaithtulnesp, on the general p!an heretofore pursued. Air. Spencer as a teacher, is laborious, accurate and persevf-rino- It. W. BAILEY. " THE Subscriber will open the Seminary on the 1 5th of October next, and hopes by giving his entire and exclusive attention to the business aided in each department by competent, efficient FEMALE TEACHERS to merit the patronage heretofore bestowed. In regard to the plan he in tends to pursue, he has only to say, at present, that he is DETERMINED to give a course of instruc tion in each department as THOilOUH as possible. The Academic year will he thesame as before; com mencing on the 15th October, and closing on the 15th Jidy, and divided into two sessions. Pupils charged from time of entrance to close of session, and no deduction made for absence, except in cases of sickness. MESSAGE In Advance. Elementary Department, or Se cond Class, First Class, French Language, Drawing and Pointing, Mus;e on the Piano Forte ac companied by the Voice, 25 00 Music on Guitar, 25 00 Use of Piano, 3 00 Incidentals, 50 S3 00 per session 16 00 " 10 00 10 00 August 1, 1840. G. SPENCER. 75- LAND ! LAND ! LAND ! i THE FOLLOWING B L AN K S! Kept constantly on hand AND FOR SALE AT THE caroXjItcxan ernes : CHECKS, on Bank of the State, and Cape Jb ear liank. PROSECUTION BONDS, Supr. Ct. MARRIAGE LICENSES VENDI EXl'O., constables lew COMMISSIONS to take depositions in equi ty, ana oupr. court APPEARANCE BONDS , ';: WRIT3, Superior and Co. Ct. CA. SA. Sunr. Cf. INDICTMENTS for AflYay, and Assault and Battery. Co. and Sup. Ct. CERTIFICATES, Clk. Co. Ct. JURY TICKETS ORDERS to overseers of Roads BASTARDY BONDS TAX RECEIPTS WITNESS TICKETS EJECTMENTS PATROL NOTICES LETTERS of ADMINISTRATION Bonds Deeds, common, Sheriff's Deeds, Constables Ca. Sa. Bonds, Do Delivery do Appeal Bonds, Equity Subpoenas, Superior Court Fi. Fa. Countv Court Sci. Fa, to re- vive judgment. County Court SubpcSnas, Superior Court Warrants, Bonds for Col'rd. Apprentice Mm 11 LAFAYETTE HOTEL. Fayetteville, North Carolina. fTflHIS ESTABLISHMENT will be open after U the 1st of Ausust. under the management f the Subscriber. The House has Vffn thornuo-hlv repaired, and will, in a few da: 1 well furnished: and every etlbrt will be made to render it worthy of patronage. EDWARD YARBROUGH. 4r.f 3. 1839. 23-tf cdpThe Augusta Chronicle (weekly,) Raleigh Hcister and Standard, Wilmington Advertiser, Oreensborough Patriot, Salisbury Watchman, and Cheraw Gazette will insert the above three months and forward their accounts to the subscriber. NOW ofTer for sale a very valuable farm on the Eastern siJe of Cape Fear River in the countv of'B!aden, about 16 miles below the Town of Fay etteville, and immediately on the River. There are 7G0 acres of land (river survey,) and 12 acres of back land joining- the same. About 250 acres were in cultivation the present year, and there are suitable buildings for the convenience of the farm. Persons are requested to examine the same before the crop is housed, as they can then judge properly of its production. It is unnecessary to say it is a first rate farm, as all will be satisfied of that fact when tliev see it. Terms will be made to suit the conve nience of the purchaser. JOHN T. GILMORE. Fayetteville, Oct. 31, 1S40. 83-tf The Observer will copy. FIVE DOLLARS REWARD. AN OFF on the 22d inst., from my residence on the Cape Fear River: 3 miles above Fa vefteville, my negro man A PRILL. He is a little bright complected, with thick bushy hair, very bow-legged, when walking vtfz j vctv Tmirll n nrl line i frrpt CjbviMasSEfsss impediment in his speech partic ularly when frightened. Said boy is about tive feet five or six inches hish, and weighs about 145 lbs. ; . r- . , m i i -lit aeu ;iDou years. jl ne aoove rewaru win De paid for his delivery to me at my residence, or for confining him in any Jail so tliat 1 get him again, and all reasonable expenses paid. It is more than probable that he may make an attempt to go to Mr Arch'd. McArns, Robeson County, near Gilchrist's bridge, who owns one ot Ins brothers, whither he has made the attempt to go heretofore. lliiMl 11. IvUNOr. October 31, 1840. SS-tf .3 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, ( Jlnson County. $ Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, October rrf -l o i r xerm, io-u. John Sturdivant and wife, and Benj. D. Henry, versus The Heirs at law of Unity Hammond. Petition for partition. It appearing to the satisfaction of the Court, that Dickerson Hammond, John Hammond, Joel Hammond, Armstead Hammond, Willie Gilmore and wife Elizabeth, and Griffin Gatewood and wife Unity, are not inhabitants of ttm State, it is order ed by the Court that publication be made in the North Carolinian, for six weeks, of the pendency of this suit, for said heirs to appear at the next term of this Court, to be held for the county of Anson, at the Conrt House in the town of Wadesboroush, on the second Monday in January next, then and there to plead, answer or demur, the petitioners' petition, or judgment pro confesso will be entered against them, and the case set down to be heard exparte, as to them. WitnAM "Nnrfleet D. Boj?an. clerk of onr said Court, at Office, the 2d Monday of October, A. D., lOill ' I'M. IJ. I ii niUrni . Ks. v.. j. 91 6w MOUNTAIN BUTTER. Firkins (assorted.) Some J verv superior, at prices from 5 to IS cents per pound ! for sale by GEO. McNEILL. Nov. 24, 1840. STOVES & STOVE-PIPE FHlHE Subscriber has on hand, and offers for sale, U the largest assortment ot S 1 (J VES ever be fore off red in the State, consisting of Box-Stoves, x, Seven and iSine Plat ed Stoves, Boiling, Baking and Cooking tstoves, ot the most approved patterns, Church Stoves, suitable for Churches, Court and School Houses, Manufac tories, &c., assorted, from 18 to 36 inches in length. ALSO. Pipe and Fire place Franklins, with an assortment of Stove-Pipe and Elbows, together with a large ana very ccnera nf TA PATVNED and PLAIN TIN t WHOT.F.SALE and RETAIL, all of ill sell on the best terms. ;rpHe still continues to manufacture every ar .:Tfn .POPPER. TIN and SHEET IRON ware line, at the shortest notice. MART,NE Fayetteville, Nov. 27, 1S40. 92-3m FROM The President of the United States, TO THE TWO HOUSES OF CONGRESS, 1t the commencement of the second Session of the Twenty-Sixth Vongress. F ellow-Citizens of the Senate and House of Kepreseniatives : Our devout gratitude is due to the Supreme Being for having graciously continued to our beloved country through the vicissitudes of another year, the invaluable blessings of health, plenty and peace. Seldom has this favored land been so generally exempt from the ravages of disease, or the labor of the hus bandman more amply rewcirded ; and never before have our relations with other countries been placed on a more favorable basis than that which they so happily occupy at this critical juncture in the affairs of the world. A rigid aud persevering abstinence from, all interference with the domestic aud political relations of other States, alike due to the ge nius and distinctive character of our Govern ment and to the principles by which it is di rected ; a faithful observance, in the man agement of our foreign relations, of the practice of speaking plainly, dealing justly and requiring truth and justice in return, as the best conservatives of the peace of nations ; a strict impartiality in our manifestations of friendship, in the commercial privileges we concede, and those we require from others : these, accompanied by a disposition as prompt to maintain, in every emergency, our own rights, as we are from principle averse to the invasion ot those of others, have giveu to our country and Government a standing in the great family of nations, of which we have just cause to be proud, and the advantages of which are experienced by our citizens throughout every portion of the earth to which their enterprising and adventurous spirit may carry them. Few, if any, remain insensible to the value of our friendship, or ignorant of the terms on which it can be acquired, and by which it can alone be preserved.. A series of questions of long standing, difficult in their adjustment, aud important in their consequences, in which the rights of our citizens and the honor of the country were deeply involed, have, in the course of a few i . .1 years, (me most ot tnem ctunng me success ful administration of my immediate prede cessor,) been brought to a satisfactorya-eeri-clusion ; and the most important of those re maining are, I am happy to believe, in a fair way of being speedily and satisfactorily ad- usted. With all the Powers of the world our rela tions are those of honorable peace, feince your adjournment, nothing serious has occur red to interrupt or threaten this desirable har mony. Tf clouds have lowered above the other hemisphere, they havo not cast their portentous shadows upon our happy shores. Bound by no tangling alliances, yet linked by a common nature and interest with the other nations of mankind, our aspirations are for the preservation of peace, in whose solid and civilizing triumphs all may participate with a generous emulation. Yet it behooves us to be prepared for any event, and to be al ways ready to maintain those just and enlight ened principles of national intercourse, for which this Government has ever contended. In the shock of contending empires, it is only by assuming a resolute bearing, ana clothing 1 !S Si Whereas my wife, MARGARET D. McFAR LAND has left my bed and abode, without my con sent I hereby forewarn all persons fiom harboring her or trusting her on my account, uerorti & VM. W. McFARLAND. Laurel Hill, N. C, Octoher 23, 1S40. 92-6 1 BUCKWIIEAT FLOUR! For sale by GEO. McNEILL. gfov. 24, 1840. NEW GOODS. r V I L L I A M Mcl X T Y R E TTfTAS just received and oner for sale, Superior JULBI ack. Invisible Vjreen iiue ioin, -- c- vi rMrtV TViuble-Mill'd Drab & Lyon- sl-; - S:,ttinnetts. Kentucky Jesns, Strong Twill'd irvIvmrns. Flannels. Vestings, Blankets, Bjan- ket'-Coats ; French Merinor s & Circassians ; Call coes. Muslins, Mouslin D'Lains: Shawls ; Plush Musk-Rat-& Seal-Skin Caps: AVool Sc Kussia v., Hnfs Boots & Shoes : Hoods & Florence Braid Bonnets. GROCERIES. Teas, Loaf-Sugar, Wines & Liquors, Cheese ; Raisins, half &. quarter Boxes, White Figs in Boxes; Window-Uiass, fauy c v nn j-.rau. Hardware & Cutlery. Carpenters' c$- Blacksmith's Tools ; Collins, t Co's Axes, and Yhettmor's Cards, &c Favetteville, Dec. 12, 1340, 94-lsGt Loco Foco FRICTION MATCHES. ifh GROSS, HOLMES' Improved Fric- nV t;,n Mntrhes. lust received, ami lor sile bv the Gross or Dozen, a superior article, ai Anolv to JAMES MARTINE. A constant supply of the above kept on hand, and will be sold low, to sell again. Fayetteville, September 5, 1S10 SO-tf ...... . aieir iaoors as soon as practicable in the en- distribution of the surplus revenue was in a suing year. I course of rapid execution. Nearly twenty- It is understood that their respective exam- f eijiht millions of dollars of the public monej-s nations will throw new light upon the subject J were, in pursuance of its provisions, deposit in controversy, and serve to remove anv er- I ed with the States in the months of January, roneous lmnressions which mav hnvp bpn made elsewhere prejudicial to the rights of the United States. It was, amonsr other reasons. with a view of preventing the embarrassments wnicn, m our peculiar system of government, impede and complicate negotiations involving the territorial rights of a State, that I thought it my duty, as you have been informed on a previous occasion, to propose to the British Government, through its minister at Washiug- April, and Julv, of that year. In May there occurred a general suspension of specie pay ments by the banks, including, with very few exceptions, those in which the public moneys were deposited, and upon whose fidelity the Government had unfortunately made itself dependent for the revenues, which had been collected from the. people, and were indispen sable to the public service. T. his suspension, and the excesses in banking and commerce ton, that early steps should be taken to adjust out of which it arose, aud which were ereatly iue puiuia oi uinerence on tne line ol boundary aggravated by us occurrence, made, to a great from entrance of Lake Superior to the most extent unavailable, the principal part of the northwestern point of the Lake of the Woods, public money then unhand; suspended the by the arbitration of a friendly Power, in con- collection of many millions accruing on mer lormity with the seventh article of the treaty chants' bonds ; and greatly reduced the reve ot tjhent. Jo answer has yet been returned nue arising from customs and the public by the British Government to this proposi-I lands. These effects have contiuued to ope- tion. 1 rate, in various degrees, to the present period ; ith Austria, France, Prussia, Russia, j and, in addition to the decrease in the reve- and the remaining powers of Europe, I am nue thus produced, two and a half millions of happy to inform you our relations continue to duties have been relinquished by two bienni be of the most friendly character. With al reductions under the act of 1833, and pro Belgium, a treaty of commerce and naviga- bably as much more upon the importation of tion, based upon liberal principles ot recipro- iron For railroads by special legislation. city and equality, was concluded in March Whilst such has been our condition for the last, and, having- been ratified by the Belgian last four years in relation to revenue, we havo, Government, will be duly laid before the Sen- during the same period, been subjected to an ate. It is a subject of congratulation that it unavoidable continuance of large extraordi provides for the satisfactory adjustment of a J nary expenses necessarily crowing out of long-standing question of controversy; thus 1 past transactions, and which could not be im removing tha only obstacle which could ob- mediately arrested without great prejudice to struct the friendly and mutually advantageous the public interest. Of these, the charge upon intercourse between tbe two nations. A mes- the 1 reasury, in consequence of the Chero senger has been despatched with the Hauo- kee treaty alone, without adverting to others verian treaty to Berlin, where, according to arising out of Indian treaties, has already ex stipulation, the ratifications are to be exchang- ceeded five millions of dollars ; that for the ed. I am happy to announce to you that, after many delays and difficulties, a treaty ot commerce and navigation, between the U. States and Portugal, was concluded and signed at Lisbon, on the 26th of August last, by the plenipotentiaries of the two Govern ments. Its stipulations are tounded upon those principle of mutual liberality and ad vantage which the United States have always sought to make the basis of their intercourse with foreign Powers, and it is hoped they will tend to foster and strengthen the com mercial intercourse of the two countries. prosecution of measures for the removal of the Seminole Indians, which were found in pro gress, has been nearly fourteen millions ; and the public buildings have required the unusu al sum of nearly three millions. It affords me, however, great pleasure to be able to say, that, from the commencement of this period to the present day, every demand upon the Government, at home or abroad, has been promptly met. This has been done, not only without creating a permanent debt, or a resort to additional taxation in any form, but la the midst of a steadily progressive re Under the appropriation of the last session I duction of existing burdens upon the people, of Congressman agent has been sent to GerVI leaving still a considerable balance of availa many, for the purpose of promoting the inter-1 ble funds which will remain in the Treasury ests of our tobacco trade. I at the end of the year. The small amount of The commissioners appointed under the Treasury notes, not exceeding four and a half convention for the adjustment of claims of millions of dollars, still outstanding, and less citizens of the United States upon Mexico by twenty-three millions than the United having met and organised at Washington, in States have in deposite with the States, is themselves with defensive armor, that neutral nations can maintain their independent rights. j The excitement which grew out of the ter ritorial controversy between the United States and Great Britain having in a great measure subsided, it is hoped that a favorable period is approaching for its final settlement. Both Governments must now bo convinced of the dangers with which the question is fraught ; and it must be their desire, as it is their in terest, that this perpetual cause of irritation should be removed as speedily as practicable. In rny last annual message you were inform ed that the proposition for a commission of exploration and survey promised by Great Britain had been received, and that a coun terproject, including also a provision for the certain and final adjustment of the limits in dispute, was then before the British Govern ment for its consideration. The answer of that Government, accompanied by additional propositions of its own, wa3 received, through its minister here, since your separation. These were piomptly considered such as were deemed correct in principle, and con sistent with a due regard to the just rights of the United States and of the State of Maine, concurred in ; and the reason for dissenting from the residue, with an additional sugges tion on our part, communicated by the Secre tary of State to Mr Fox. That minister not feeling himself sufficiently instructed upon some of the points raised in the discussion, felt it to be his duty to refer the matter to his ovn Government for its further decision. Having now been for some time under its adv isement, a speedy answer may be confi dently expected. From the character of the points still in difference, and the undoubted disposition of both parties to bring the matter to an early conclusion, I look with entire con fidence to a prompt and satisfactory termina tion of the negotiation. Three commissioners were appointed shortly after the adjournment of Congress, under the act of the last ses sion providing for the exploration and survey of the line which separates the States of Maine and New Hampshire frora the British Provinces ; they have been actively employed until their progress was interrupted by the I inclemency of the season, and will resume August last, the papers in the possession of the Government, relating to those claims, were communicated to tha board. The claims not embraced by that convention are now the subject of negotiation between the two Governments, through the medium of our mir inter at Mexico. Nothing has occurred to disturb the har mony of our relations with the different Gov ernments of South America. I regret, how ever, to be obliged to inform you that the claims of our citimena upon the late Republic of Colombia have not yet been been satisfied by the separate Governments into which it has been resolved. The charge d'affaires of Brazil having ex pressed the intention of his Government not to prolong the treaty of 1S28 it will cease to be obligatory upon either party on the 12th day of December, 1S41, when the extensive commercial intercourse between the United State and that vast empire will no longer be regulated by express stipulations. It affords me pleasure to communicate to you that the Government of Chili has entered into an agreement to indemnify the claimants in the case of the Macedonian, for American property seized in 1819 ; and to add, that in formation has also been received which justi fies the hope of an early adjustment of the re maining claims upon that Government. The commissioners appointed in pursu ance of the convention between the United States and Texas, for marking the boundary between them, have, according to the last re port received from our commissioner, sur veyed and established the whole extent of the boundary north along the western bank of the Sabine river, from its entrance into the Gulf of Mexico to the thirty-second degree of north latitude. The commission adjourned on the 16th of June last, to reassemble on the 1st of November, for the purpose of establishing ac curately the intersection of the thirty-second degree of latitude with the western bank of the Sabine, and the meridian line thence to Red River. It is presumed that the work will be concluded in the present season. The present sound condition of their finan ces, and the success with which embarrass ments in regard to them, at times apparently insurmountable, have been overcome, are matters upon which the people and Govern ment of the United States may well congratu late themselves. An overflowing treasury, however it may be regarded as an evidence of public prosperity, is seldom conducive to the permanent welfare of any people ; and experience has demonstrated its incompati bility with tbe salutary action of political in stitutions like those of the United States. Our safest reliance for financial efficiency and independence has, op. the contrary, been found to consist in ample resources unen cumbered with debt; and, in this respect, the Federal Government occupies a singularly fortunate and truly enviable position. hen I entered upon the discnarge oi my official duties ia March, 1837, the act for the composed of such only as are not yet due, or havo not been presented for payment. They may be redeemed out of the accruing revenue, if the expenditures do not exceed the amount within which they may, it is thought, be kept without prejudice to the public interest, and the revenue shall prove to be as large as may justly be anticipated. Among the reflections arising from the contemplation of these circumstances, one, not the least gratifying, is the consciousness that the Government had the resolution and the ability to adhere, in every emergency, to the sacred obligations of law; to execute all its contracts according to the requirements of the constitution; and thus to present, when most needed, a rallying point by which the business of the whole country might be brought back to a safe and unvarying standard a result vitally important as well to the interests as to the morals of the people. There can surely novr be no difference of opinion in regard to the incalculable evils that would have arisen if the Government, at that critical moment, had suffered itself to be deterred from upholding the only true standard of value either by the pressure of adverse circumstances or the violence of unmerited denunciation. Tha manaer in which the people sustaiued the performance of this duty was highly honorable to their fortitude and patriotism. It cannot fail to stimulate their agents to adhere, under all circumstances, to the line of duty; and to satisfy tnem of the safety with which a course really right, and demanded by a financial crisis, may, in a community like ours, bo pursued, however severe its immediate operation. The policy of the Federal Government, in extinguishing as rapidly as possible the national debt, subsequently, in resisting every temotation to create a new one, deserves to be regarded in the same fav Among the many objections to a national debt, the certain tendency of public securities to concentrate ultimately in the coffers of foreign stockholders, is one which is every rl.-w o-nthprinrr strength. Already have the resources of many of the States, and the fti,r industry of their citizens, been indefinitely mcrUjazed to the subjects of European' Governments, to the amount of twelve millions annually, to pay the constantly accruing interest oa borrowed money a sum exceeding half the ordinary revenues of the whole United States. The pretext which this relation affords to foreigners to scrutinize the management of our domestic affairs, if not actnally to intermeddle with them, presents a subject for earnest attention, not to say of serious alarm. Fortunately, the Federal Government, with exception of an obligation entered into in behalf of the District of Columbia, which must be soon discharged, is wholly exempt from any such embarrassment It is also, as is believed, the only Government which, having fully aud faithfully paid all its creditors, has also relieved itself entirely from debt. To maintain a destinction so desirable, and so honorable to our national character should be an object of earnest solicitude. Never should a free people, if it be possible to avoid it, expose themselves to the necessity of having to treat for the peace, the honor, or the safety of tho Republic, with tho Governments, ot foreign creditors, who however well disposed th?y may be to to cultivate with us in ireneral fncndlv relations, are nevertheless, by the law of their own condition, made nostue to tne success and permanency of political institutions like ours. Most humiliating may bo tho embarrassments consequent upon such a condition. Another objection, scarcely less formidable, to the commencement of a new debt, is its inevitable tendency to increaso in magnitude, and to foster national extravagance Ho has been an unprofitable observer of events, who needs at this day to be admonished of the difficulties which Government, habitually dependent on loans to sustain its ordinary expenditures, has to encounter in resisting the influences constantly exerted iu favor of additional loans by capitalists, who enrich themselves by Government securities for amounts much exceeding the money they actually advance -a. prolific ""source of individual aggrandizement in all borrowing countries; by stockholders, who seek their gains in the rise and fall of public stocks, and by the selfish importuuities of applicants for appropriations for works avowedly for the accommodation of the ' public, but tho real objects of which are, too frequently, the advaueemnet of private interests. The known necessity which so many of the States will be under to impose taxes for the payment of the interest on their debts, furnishes an additional and very cojrent reason why tho federal Government should refrain fromcrca- ting a national debt, by which the people would be exposed to double taxation tor a similar object. AVe possess within ourselves amplo resources for every emergency; aud we may be quite sure that our citizens, in no future exigency, will be unwilling to supply tho Government with all tho means asked tor the defence of tho country. In time of peace there can, at all events, be no justification for the creation of a permanent debt by the Federal Government. Its limited range of constitutional duties may certainly under such circumstances, bo performed without such a resort. It has, it is seen, been aovided during four years of greater fiscal difficulties than havo existed in a similar period since the adoption of tho constitution, and one also remarkable for the occurrence of extraordinary causes of expenditures. But, to accomplish so desirable an object, two thing's are indispensable: first, that tho action of the Federal Government be kept within tha boundaries prescribed by its founders; and, secondly, that allappropriations for objects admitted to be constitutional, and the expenditure of them also, bo subjected to a standard of rigid but well-considered and practical economy. The first depends chiefly on the people themselves, tho opinions they form of the true constiuction of the constitution, and the confidence they repose in tho political sentiments of thoso they select as the representatives in tho Federal Legislature; the secoud rests upon the fidelity with which which their more immediate representatives, and other public functionaries discharge the trust committed to them. Tho duty of economizing tho expenses of tho public service is admitted on all hands: yet there are few subjects upon which thcro exists a wider difference of opinion than is constantly manifested in regard to the fidelity with which that duty is discharged. Neither diversity of sentiment, nor even mutual recriminations, upon a point in respect to which the public mind is so justly sensitive. can well he entirely avoided; and least so at periods of great political excitement. An intelligent people, however, seldom fail to arrive, in tne end, at correct conclusions in such a matter. Practical economy in tho management of public affairs can have no adverse influence to contend with rnoro poweiful than a large surplus revenue; and unusually largo appropriations for 1837 may without doubt, independently of tho extraordinary requisitions for the public service growing out of the state of our Indian relations, be, in no inconsiderable degree, traced to this source. The sudden and rapid distribution of the large surplus then in tho Treasury, and the equally sudden and un precedeutedly severe revulsion in the com merce aud busines3of the country, pointing with unerring certainty to a great and pro tracted reduction of the revenue, strengthened the propriety of the earliest practicable reduction of the public expenditures. But, to change a system operating upon so large a surface, and applicable to such nu merous and diversified interests and objects, was more than the work of a day. The at tention of every department of the Govern ment was immediately, and in good faith, directed to that end; and has been so contin ued to the present moment The estimates and appropriations for the year 1838 (tho first over which I had 305 control) were somewhat diminished. The expenditures of 1839 were reduced six millions of dollars. Those of 1840, exclusive of disbursmenta for public debt and trust claims, will probably not exceed twenty-two and a half millions; being be tween two and three millions less than those of 1 837. Nor has it been found necessary, in order tor poduce this result, to resort to the power conferred by Congress, of postponing certain classes of the public works, except by deferring expenditure for a short period upon a limited portion of them; and which post"
The North Carolinian (Wilson, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 19, 1840, edition 1
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