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From the Palladium,
REMARKS,
On Mr, WofcotfsyAddrejs to the people cf
the United States, "
NO, IX, . -j:
, THE committee next proceed t
criticife the application of money
for purpofes of a confidential nature
in the War and Navy Departments.
Upon this fubject, their general af
fertion is, that certain acts, pafled
1708 and 1 800. te the
tJmiy autkwttics by whid ib Pre-
fident might fetde any part ot the
accounts or monies drawn from the
Treafury, by making a certificate of
fhe amount of fuch expenditures as
lie may thiiik.it advifaolenot tofpe
cify, which certificates are to .beta
ken as vouchers for the Officers of
the Treafury -that in all thele laws,
ihii power ' is exprefsly confined to
expenfes occurring in foreign inter-
courfe. It is not,
they add,
" therefore, without confiderable
furprize, that the Committee, have
feen the fame-principle applied to
the expenditures of the War De
partment.'' Mr. Woi co rr, in e
ply, after citing, at large, a report
made by him upon this fubject by
the direction of. the Prefident, in
confequence cf certain doubts" rail
ed by the Accountant of the War
Department, goes on to remark, .
It will.be perceived, that it was
merely the object of this Report to
.fiwj:u f.,N - i .. :
C1L4UUU1 IUI.I1 A IKJl III lUi eUJlWUUMUg
expenditures of. a confidential na
ture, as would moll effectually pre
- vent abufes, and " fhield the Offi
cers of Government, from, odium,
or fufpieion." 1 never doubted, for
one initant, that fuch expenditures
were .?, and that the principle
fhould now be qacitiuxrrd, has cs
cited a degree of afcrtJj.uent in my
mind, at lealt equal to the furpjize'
of the Committee.
" It is then ferioufly averted,
that in the War and Navy Depart
ments ; -eftablilhrnents, which,
from their nature pre-fuppofc an
actual, or probable- ftate ot War;
wliirh are defitmed to Drotet'r our
country agunft enemies, that the pre
cile objeSl of every expenditure mutt
be publifbed ? Upon what principle
are our Generals and Command,
ers, to be deprived of powers, which
are fanclToned by univerfcr nfage,
and expreisly recognized as lawful,
by all writer on the Law. ol .Na
tions ? If one of our naval Com
manders, now in the Mediterra
nean, mould expend a few hundred
dollars foi intelligence, rofpecting
the force or his enemy, or the mea-
lures meditated by him, ovht the
prefent Adminiftration to dilallow
the charge, or publifh the fourcc,
from which the intelligence was
derived-? Is it not -equivalent to' a
publication to leave in a public of
fice of Accounts, a document ex
plaining all circum'taiices relating
to a payment-? -Ought, the tuuh to
be concealed, by allowing fictitious
.accounts'? Could a more effectual
mode of 'pt eventing abufes be, devil
cd, than to eftattlifh it as 'a, rule, that
iiH ronfuitr.iial expenditures fhould
, be afcertained to the; falisfaction pf
the Chief Mugiflrate of our country,
that his cxprels fariction fliouid be
obtained, andtiat the amount of
all fuch expenditures, fhould be re
ferred to diPdncl account, in the pub
lic Records ? .
' There exifts no colourable cx-
cule, tor exciting t lie public j earn u ! y
xvl this fubicct ; 1 am confident
"'tliar theiecret' exptnfes'f the War"
Department, fince iheeflabtifhment
of the"1 prefent government, do not
exceed a few 1 thoufand, probably
not more than five or fix thou land
dollars ; The firft' expenditure,
;vhich-4can recollect, was made in
' i79o,.or V79i,and fro.-rl the nature
T U E S D A Yj
of the object,
as well as the ufual
mode of conducting fuch affairs, it
is highly probable it was known to
all the'then. heads of Departments ;
infor mationi that " fuch expendi
tures were made, was giveii to Con
grefiin 1792, as is proved by the
following extract from a printed
Report,-in relatroa to an eftimate
for the contingent expenfes of the
War Department A-.
It is to be obfeXvedupon this
article, as welt as xwhy other irt this
fefiimatcf ; that- fJr every cent ex-
pended in'purfuance thereof, vouch
ers mult ce produced athe Trea
fury, except'mg perhaps the furhfy ihhicb
mjy be expended for fee ret intelligence,
where the names might be iwpcrtat.to le
concealed , but for the propfiety of
the fmall f unis, which might be ex
pended, ttye rcj)0a(im ofjhe co
ing officer is pledg'edWTe pubtic?--' "
An explanation is due for Mr.
Rofs of Pcnnfylvania, who, ii co'n-
Jequence ot ttie ceitmcate or ffeli
ilent Adamf , .obtained a credit for.
five- hundred dollars. It is within
m y know I ege; t hat t h c expenc 2 was
i ncurred in 1 796, that the object
was authorized by Prefident Wafh
ington, and that it related to fup
pofed defigns of a foreign nation.
" The Committee feem to fup
pofe that the act of February 9th,
793' authorized ferret expenditures
in leladon to the Department of
G;ate. In my opinion, they have
neither traced --the iuhject to its
loiirxe- nor comprehended theob
jeel of the regulation. wliicrTthey
have cited ; tin set, which made
the" firfl provifion for the expenfes
oi- foreign intercouife was pafled
on the firil of July' 1 yoo ; -this at
firft gave activity to t tie operations:
Mr. Jeilerfon ; it authorized the'
Pl:fidclit to d'ii-iv from the Jreaf-try ferty
t.Mpvd dollars annually,- for the f-ip-p:i
t ot juch pcrfbnsfXS he might coin
miffion to ferve the United States ,
in fo:eign parts, and for the expencc,-
incident to the bufinefs in which, they
might be employed ; except in ie
Ipect to the Salaries cfAliivlcrs and:
SsiiTfane.i, wliich . were limited, the
expenditure of the fr.ncl, was ' alfo-
lutety commited to the difcrtthii if the
PnfJenf this dilcretioh could net
however be more unlimited than that
which Avas veffed in refpect to the
fund-for the contingent txpenlcs cf the
Department of War I he Jil'ovifion
of the law of July ift, 1 790, only di
rected that the Prcfidc;;t fnould ;c
count ipeiifi afy for all fuch cxpenc-
es,asTn his judgment ndht le mule
puttie, and ado for the aiuount of ,
men expenditures as nciniknttmnK 1
it aayneauie mt fpeciy ;- is ctr- j
tain that tn:s provilion ti;. net
te'.d the dilcvetionary pvw.r previOUi
given' and it is to bu imderftood
merely as a direct io;i re('ieliag ho 1
mcde of 'renderinarcounts.-, ,
v I ne act ot t cbruary 9th, 1 797,
cited by the Goihinittee, exprefsly
revives th". Act (f"Ju!y n't, 1 79c, j
' The act of February 9th, 1793,
tnen anoiit to expire : tms circufn
ftanceis not ftated by the Conimit-tee-:
is is however ..important-.be-'caule
the Jifirffw-trt ptfiver. of -the
l'reiident, was tnereoy- ontinmt tn
lull force :--whiJe the Jecnd Section
which the Committee have pleafed
to confider as a fpeciat Authority to ex
pend money for "ecret fervices, merely
provides for the (?ttlem:nt of accounu,
according to principles, pre fuppojtd
tQ.h 'wfU underjlpod) fodtjjried. " , '"
i4 1 he Act of ilay iotn? 1 800,
the laft cited by the Committee, is, '
if puflible, more irrelevant' to
the fubject thn the former ;- It
"merely confiders expenditures for
fecrct feFvices in the Department of
itite j-, as a defcription of cotitingenj
fxpences -tithey mult truly be fo
viewed : they. have been fo confi
dered by the Department of War :
a November 16, t$c2.
-t-flo perfen'ever imagined that fuch
expenfes were an ordinary charge of
th; Government; requiring an ejla
blijh'd provifton. .
"The refult of this examination,
therefore, proves, that certain iums
have been appropriated for the ,C
tiiigent Expcnces of the Depattmerit "of
State, war and the Navy ; that no
pacific, cbjecls have been defined, in the
laws, 'to which thefe funds fhould be
applied : that the application, ihre-ffi-sct
toihe Departments, has
b&A'leoualy riitknarvXJxdLthulfi
that waar;ixr?niave been. eytaU
It', lenvful tr ufdnOfu't i that a few in-'
cnfidepble exp?;ices have been iu-r
cured in the War Department, the
objects of which could not, with pro
Dtity, be communicated to the 'pub
lic: and that in tire mode 9f adjuiing
the amount 0) jhee expenesr. a rule has
been purfucd, which the Icgiflature
had pre.vioufly eftablifhed, in respect
to th e d epar t in eh t o 1 S r a t e.
. " The. committee Viffi to have it
believed," that a jpnhl authority has
been given to " t he Uep trnnenrdf State,
to expeil . mon-;y for -cret t vices,
and to infer, from tfie defect Of a fi
ntilar authority in the ctLr D.pa.t
meats, that the "expenditures have
been iliejr-tl. As the facts, relating to
the fu.bj.ect, were not f ully and cor
rectly Hated,, the inferences have
been demonff rated to be unfound ;
If, however, the erroneous premifes
of the committee mull be aflumed,
it is proper jo note, to what conclu
fions a fpiritof chanty would lead.
It might be oblerved, thai it k - the j
cfuty of the Secretary of State, m con- I
duct negotiations, in timed, war,
for the pur pole of obtaining peace ; i
and in time of peace, by fricnly and j
representations to the w.. r.ts of j
forjiicu nations, to . prefer c'- th
peace r-ntm-Ttiui. nu .1-.. .... .a.
aligned, to tr.iz omctr, wi:i, n n-is
not a pacific tendency, or relation.
If the refinements of cafuiftiy mult
le lubffituted for the maxims, which
ordinarily govern men cf bufinefs;
if the pOflelii:jii cF a let.rr neceiTirily
illiplieS the cj'tcealmeni of fotlie r.uinota
Jitx't and if the funds of fee ret P: vices'
are always employed ioi purpofes of
corruptive (p'r)fitio'n whicii I do not
admit,' fiid it mic.ht be urd, with
a fembiance ;of argument, at lealt e
qu'al to tha,t of the- Coinmktee,
that the laws'.pf War authori!e: the
employment of Spies, a:u! in-. many
inftances, -the fctnclin: ot enemies ; but
that all artijtiC Irilvry and czrrup::jx, 111
the Civil lntercore of nations, is de
clared to 1e unju.'tilia'jle. Fro:n
hence it rr.?i?,ht be concluded, that
while no d(uibt -could .cxtff, . of. the
ru-ht of a Secretary o
ifV,
v, or
11!'. . ,
crctary of the Navy,' to empioy no-
tr j ney as an engine oi ho'iVu, a Lh-ex-
'itije d:;penjliiwa was-requifitf, to iatif
'ilyff the piliiofbphic fcruples of a Se
"d fcretarv of State. '
ney
'Tii -fugg-ff ion of the C
tCC, that the practice, of the
om nut-
former
Admiiiiftration is not reconcilable'
Admiiki.'tration 1
with the principles
government, is a
of a reprelentanve
as incorrect as their
otner -ooiervations.. ir iney nau
proved, that the Government had
united all the .citizens., hi one bond
of affection and confidence 5 that it
1 t r 1 r .1 . L.J
ma punned all tnc exotic and pun
ous elements ; 'that it had'" fo elevated
the virtue, and confirmed the patii
otifm of the people' that the funds.
of-foreign actions Cocild here find no
employment ; , then indeed there
would be caufe for congratulation,
Llhatthef e:w
fired ll luff ration : but to bvi iiiciit.
on thefe topics and to deny to cur'ga
vemmtht the means of repelling "the
force, or combating the intrigues, r(ot
foreign nations,' i$t virtually to declare,
that our cut? magijh-ates, cholen by
ourfelves, have no integrity, and that
unliipited confidence may be placed"
in thejultice and virtue oi foreign ru
lers:'- ' " . .' - . .'; "
V.ol. VII, Numb. 345.
7'he lafUteras in tlie catalogue of
the financial crimes of the late adm
niftration, fu fKciemly, " imDorta
fox the precedents they may herafte
turnifh" to attract the attention-of
the Committee are two cafes of ex
penditure in the War Department.
One being a payment to Uriah
Tracy,- Liq. the other to Mrs. Ari-
ana tRfcNCH. ConcerninK the
firft, the Committee alertThat
Mr. 1 racy was appointed to exa
mine into the ftate or the garrifens.
iy ; tiiat he received a compenfatiori
for his traveling arid other iriciden
taj ex penft-s, as well as for hisown
fervices ; that although he'perform
ed fome cf the molt important, " he
did not f ulfil the other objects of his
iniffioii." Upon which, they re- '
mark that Mr. Tracy's acceptance
of this appoint merit has tte' appear-
once at leap oi iwconfiftency with that
part of the Conftitution, which pro
vides that " no perf'on, holding i.n of-
fice under the United States, fiiall be a
lnciriber ot either Houfe of Con
Ciefs." They proceed to ftate, that
he'wiis, at that time, a member of
the Senate of tha United btute's, by .
the pay-roll of which, it appears that
for -the laft ievemcen days of his
million he had a double compenfa
tion from ihe public viz. his ex
penfes and pay as agent, and hi$
travelling expenfes, as a member of
the Senate, from Litchfield.
I he circumftancs of the payment
to Mrs. Akiana Frencii, as Hat
ed ty tht' Committee, are, that Mr.
KVHenuv, former ' Secretary of '
VL,r, had, in April, Soc, Jeafed a
houfe of her for one year to com-
nience on the firft of lune fucoced.
ing ; that in May lie refigncd his
ofiicc of Secretary ot" War, and an
ctared that Mr. M'llfiNRYih'ouhl
pay to Mrs. Frknch 208 dollars
and 95 ccLli, for her damage fuf- ;
tained by his not accupying the
houfe according to contract ; and
that in conformity to the opinions
of the Secretary of the Treafury and
of the Secretary of the Navy, and by
the direction of the Secretary of
War, this fum wa'paid Mrs. Trench
out ot the fund fur defraying the
contingent expenfes of the War
Department.
, U pon thefe charges Mr. "W p l-'
cOT'r'remarKs :
"" The ideas to be collected from
cy, are, that this gentleman, whi!e
a Senator of the Unietd States, re
ceived an appointment which has
the appearance of inconfiflency with
the Conftitution that but a fmall
propoi lion of the duty afhgried was
performed j that - an exccflive al-
lowancc lias been made for his. fer
vices 'asrager,t,'" and .. that for. feyen- J
teen .days l.e 1 eceiy,ed a double com-
pctd'atiou,' both as an agent and as a .
From what the people-have heard
of repeated violations ot toe Coniti"
tutiou oy the former. Adminiftra- .
tioii, and whaL they have obferved,
during the (hirt career .ot the pre -"
lent, it is but fair to conclude, that,
owing to the f orce of the paffions of .
men or 'oilier caufes, an obfervance
ot its injunctions is a taflc of no little
difficulty. Afier what has Inppcn-
ed it is high time to dihnifs all con
cern about appearance, ' and confider
whether the Conftitution has, or has
not iii fad, been violated.
ed a part of the Conftitution, they
havexojLfaid, in .what manner it '.
m 1.1.T1 f 1
lias been violated. - j ney iurcty tto
not maintain meopinion, mai me
Prefident cannot appoint agents for
fpecial ferviccsv without being cx-
er has been exercifed from the com
mencement of the government, and
' l J v.