- f 'A"' I r. 1M AND 4 -i - NOE.TM- ;' .f...: f - Ovti are tW Jlt ofMri deltghtfaT Wace, ' i- Vvwtrf'i by partr raje, to fhr like Brotherj.'! r FRIDAY, FERfiUARY 23, !82i; NO. ma VOL. XXII, A'.: 1 w 7v A REDUCTIOK OF.THERl V Slvth dcbateJaviiTg Jaken piaC this sub ject in Congress, we presume our readers -would wish to see a Speech or, two on ech side of the quest'on. We commencewith ; Mr rixriAset who brought forward the measure : ' . ':- " ' ' ' ' Mr. Williams said, he concurred with the gentleman frem South-Carolina, (Mr. Srmpkins,) who had just taken his seat '.in ore sentIrr.fT.t,.wbich was, that the bill . "now under consideration depends for its support cn thecxhaosted condition of the Treasury. But. although this was at any time a. Aery sufTcient "reason, he would yef remind the rer.tlen nr. from S. Caroli na, that if was not with him (Nr. W.) the -only reasrn. He hado.hcr, and he might . add still higher motives- frrsurporting the bill, as had been.evjEced,rby bis conduct on many previous cccnsicn?., When .there w as no deficiency in the Treasury ; when there was in ' fact a surplus of some mil - lions, he had been in favor of reducing the " army cn account of thecssential proprie . ty, or natural adaption of such a measure to the principles cf our government. Passing, .he we vex,-for the present, this part f the subject, he would subscribe fully to the opmion of the gentleman from Massacrusetts..(Mr. utis) that we car not go on with enr establishments as they row exist. To the gentleman frm Mas sachusetts. Mn W. said he would seize thl rmr6rtnT.itvr.f rATerine the tribute of his sir.cere thanks for the very instructive, impressive, and elcquent speech which he delivered the other day cn the subject of - retrenchment and economy. Thai gentler man's age indicated the wisdom and the histoTj cf his past life the expeiicnce, with which he could claim topeak and to he heard.in this heme ; and on no oc casion, said. Mr. W. was he ever more gratified than he was when attending to the sentiments expressed by the gen tleman frcm Massachusetts; with him, Mr.Wr. thought-the time had arrived when we must resume the practice of eco . rjemy ; when we must return to that path of frugality and prudence from which we vhad most unwisely departed; or persist in a career of extravagance, , prcfusicn. and prodigality, as hostile to the nature of our political institutions, as it is repugnant to the individual prosperity and happiness of cur fellow-citizens. Mr.W.said if he could hesitate between these alternatives he should deem himself unfit tocccupy a seat cn this floor. ; Not that he would condemn any gentleman r ho entertains a different opinion. . ' Tct captumt totidem millia studiorum"-! is a maxim, the truth of ' which is every day displayed in the proceedings of this Hcuse. I knew well that gentlemen will hcnesily Hiffipr in oninion. not onlv cn this subiect, . u on every ether which may be agitated Eut, it appears tame,tni3 ainerence wcuiu net be so great, so glaring, so irreccncile able, if, we all built cur systems of reason ing on a 'prcper basis ; if we all started frcm the same point; Seme reason from the government Ao the people ; while o ihers reasciv from the v people to the' go vernment f some appear, to think that the: geed, cr, in'cther words, the power and amplitude ot the government should alone be consulted, ; regardless, of, the effects "which any partciulax rneasure might have . on the people. But, others assert we should in the first place jcok to the circumstan ces and condition cf tbe people ; that their ease, comfort and. happiness; -should be the sccpe the end, the object of all our laws. s It is thus we are made to arrive at different conclusions.. For his own part, said Mr. V.- he would lookvto the people as the prcper basis for all cur acts ; he ; would, axamine the ' consequences imme diate and remote likely to result to them, from the adcptich.of every measure which mighi be. proposed., Those who start from any other, premises must, in my judgment, f always arrive at false conclusions. For, sit, who are the. people. of' this country ? The very constitution- tells" you that they , are supreme ; that thry are the sovereign authority ; r that -all power emanates from them.: The President' in his message to Congress at the ccrrmentcment of the present, session observed that this go vernment is founded by administered for, and supported by the people," , Whate ver then promotes the happiness cf the ptcple must conduce, in an equal degree, "to benefit the government, since it was to promote that happiness that the-govern -. men! was.fotinded. On. the other band, ' whatever injures, afflicts or distresses the people; must in tfie same degree injure, afflict, cr distress the government, since it was .to prevent that injury, affliction, ; and distress, that the government was formed'; and here, Jr. Chairman, suffer me - to correct a verjr erroneous idea fre quently propagated, abroad, andwhich, much to my surprise, has been reiterated within these . vwalls by the member from Scuth-Carolinu, (Mr. Simpkins.) . w i w W hen an attempt is -made to 'retrench expewiitures,' we-hear loud cries raised against those; who think prcper to advo- ' ' cate the measure'.' It is said, that we who favor! retrenchment are opposing go verLfr.tut, &c" Now, siri this idea is full rt tircr ;it is false , I do not' mean by this to charge the gentleman from South Carolina with falsehood ; btit I mean to say, and I will say, that hedges ot right- iv jndge.our rnotives. Ko'doubt, sir; tbe gentlerrs'n has more intimate acquaint ance svith seme portion of executive views than J have. J "But if this attempt to eco nomise in our expenditures, and to relieve i the burdens of the community, 'should be regariiCO as an busck u cAtvim.v goveTT.ment.jor any cf its branches, I for one will say, jthat I cannot help it;, that it is my duty to pursue what appears to me most conducive to the public good, with out reference to anysuch extraneous con- fsiderations. i 7. 'v . ! Suppose, for cxampTe, half of the pre jsent army Would answer every purpose -which this nation could desire. I ask, if : an attempt tj reduce it would be acting a ; gainst the people, or, if you please, against ; the government ? Not at all ; but, on the ; contra r'y it ould be promoting the just ehds of government to reduce the armv, : because by jhat reduction, our expendi I tures wouldj be lessened, and 'the happi ness of the' people.would be prr'pbrtiona blv advance!. jTbere are, indeed, a set of officers, f sinecure placemen, ofpoli J tical grasshoppers, warmed ar.danimat ' ed into exisf ience by the sunshine of the Treasury ; sustained and supported, not ! by Ge p. j jkinson's turnip patches - at i Ccnrcil Filufis. but bv the streams of mmrishmentj which flow from the Trea sury,' who wll, when any attempt is matfe to rrt'iirp Vnr1?tTirpc irv rtit. the grvernmrnt is in- danger; the necessary j establrhrocnts of the ccuntry are abf nt to be broken w upcn Sic. Rut, sir, all this is nrthing rftcnc than falso alarm. It is true, you ."may take frorr. such persrns the falarit s thrxido rct.earn,am' which cbn- sequently trjeyclornt deserve; but yon leave in the jprckets of the perple the mo ney which is thus -saved.' yVnd I-'aska-gain, 'whether the interest rf the people, or of govt run ent, does not require that officers whojdo npth'pg.rr next to nothing, should be disbanded? I should. think it dbesi But ;et theie characters swell into factious importance, and exclaim, when you are ahot to disband them, ' that you are opposing government." They seem to think tHy are the government; that their individual benefit,, should alone be considered. But, sir, I think the people the government, & that their at large are good ought to be promoted, without re ference to any particular persons whatso ever. . J There are, said Mr. W. two courses of policy: one is a course of economy ; the other a course of - extravagance. The first employjs few officers ; gives moderate : but suff?cie;nt salaries, and condnctR-the j whole machinery of government with the least possible experce. The t fleet of this is, that evry mari in the community is either taxed very lightly, or not at all. -He has of (j-ourse ali the benefits and the t: chest - blessings the social state can af ford. He has protection tohis person and property ; jhe has an abundance of mate rials for food and raiment, and is never subjected to the severities of cold hun ger. On tfie other hand, an extravagant course of policy leads to very different results.- Thre many useless fijeers, w ith exorbitant! salaries, are employed; and the machinery of government cannot be carried on without large disbursements of public money. I he consequence is. ' that thv vvifnditric cfivnneeth rereints. i land the people must be heavily taxed. j j Of course, j every man in the community f finds himself distressed for money. ? His ! means 5f subsistence become scanty ; rfe j is compelled, perhaps, to lie down sup i perless at niht, ;and to rise in the morn j ing with no better hopes, for the ensuing day. Such, sir, are the two courses of j policy which this goyernment may pur 1 sue. and which, at different times, it has ' pursued. Under Mr. Jefterscn's adroinis- tration economy-was the order of the day, but, under) another administration, great . extrjivagance obtained. ' ; j The gentleman from S. Carolina said 1 that the; Arnerican people had renounced j their prefei-ence for economy, as pursued , in 18C2,an'd had now attached themselves j to the policy pursued by . Mr. Adams.-f j Mn W. said he would beg leave to differ j from the tentleman, and would willingly j submit, to the decision of the people the I point at issue between himself and the member from S. Carolina. He was cen ' fident the jpeople would decide that, under f Ir. -Jefferson's administration, they were j as freea$air:; that little ; or nothing of 1 ihe profiti of their labo was taken trom them, by taxation ; that the hand ot go vernment was not ieit to be upon them, only im tre protection ' it afforded them; that swajrns if ievenue efiicers, of domi ciliary visitors, cf merciless tax'gatherers, were banished from their presence ; "that every man had wheiewitb to be jclolhed and fed,and ) wherewith . jtb be hajjy. . This was exactly that administration of I the government which the people want 5 j it was such an: adrninistraticn ast iery ! one must wish 6 "see 'in a government founded by, administered fir,atid support I ed blithe people. To what otLtr fcdnii nistration;Tiet me ask the n en ber fixm ? St CaroliLa,:arj or ought the people to be '. vCV '....'."' .- t , Gent Atkinson, in a letter to the t cft f tarv cfM'ar, lately published, oleives,' Uiat t the grtf hoppers Lit ocstrojtd the turrup. . patches bcn tfte arn y Jiatt pea?ofea1t " IfJ by he course, of policy pursued, you conflict with the: interest oUhe citizen, or mar hjs happiness, it is not unreasonable to suppose he will be attached to that po licy How can an y one of common sense admire the policy which tends to strip his body or starve his stomach ?. As " this government Is founded by, adminis tered for, and supported by the people," it will . be most strong when the people are most attached to it ; and; the people will be most attached to it when least op pressed by it ; irr otheV' words,- when they are required to contributevty taxation, as little as possible of their hard earnings to support government. I 1 1 We hear much abopt national glory. The irentleman from Maryland (Mr Smith) has dwelt eloquently en this topic No one has a greaert right than he has to speak on such subjects, because ne nas participated largely in those scenes which have tended to illustrate and dignify the name of his country, j Although il bow with deference to whatever that gentle man may. be pleased to say, yet, on this occasion, I must differ from .him, - not be cause I admire national glory less, but be cause I love national happiness more. Hf roliat o Troll :e t fr follr nhrtnf thp enlen did victories of a Decatur, if, in order to I obtain those victories the people had been obliged, by taxation to give up so much ! of their own property as, would compel , them to go upp'erless to bed ? v Indeed, ' sir, j they would be in an ill condition to j relish those victories with an empty sto ) mach. I But feed them, clothe them, make j them, in these respects, contented and j happy, ; which government can do by.the i means It enplovs, or the measures it adopts, and then, with all imaginable zest, they can enter into.and realize those fine elevated feelings,' inspired by a recollec tion' of our great achieve ments by sea and land." We have, also, been referred, said Mrj W. to the glory of other countries, particularly te that of England. No ex ample could be held up to his view which he ! would imitate uithr greater, caution than that of Eneland.i She; had paid too I deally for her glerjv 'fop he'r distinction among the nations of ; the . world." To I prove this, it would be necessary to advert f only, to what her people' themselves had I said : and he wor.ld now do; 0, by asking the attention of the House while he read fan extract frcm the Review of Seybert's j Statistical Annals of the United States. ; The extract is as follows: " Wc can in form. Jonathan what are the inevitable consequences of heing. too fond of gloiy. fiToxes upon very article which enters into the B'outb, or covers the back, or is placed under the foot taxes upon every ! thing which i is pleasant to, seej hear, ? feel, smelly or tastetaxes upon warmth, ! light, and locomotion taxes on every thing cn earth, and the waters imder the (earth on everv thing that comes from abroad, or is grown at jiome taxes on. the raw material taxes on every fresh value that is added to it by the industry of man taxes on the sauce which pam pers mans appetite, Lhd the, drug that restores him to health on the ermine which decoraies the Judge, and the rope which hangs tbe, criminal on the poor man's salt, and the rich man's spice on the brass nails of the coffin, andnheLrib bands of the bride at ; bed or board, couchant or levant, we must pay. The ohnol-hov whins his taxed top the ! beardless vonth manages his taxed horse (with a taxedbiidle, on a taxed road ; andl j the dying Englishman pouring his mecn i cW, which hets paid 7 per cent, into a i srioon which has paid 15 per cent, flings ! himself back Unon his chinti bed which has paid 22 ppr cent. making hisill on an eight pounQ stamp, and expires in the arms of an ariothecary who has paid a li cense of a hundred pounds for the privi lege of putting him to death. His whole property is then, immediately taxed from 2 to :10 per cent. V Besides the probate, large fees are demanded for burying him in the;chancel ; his' virtues are handed down to posterity" bri taxed marble ; and he is then gathered to his fathers, to ibe taxed no nrorc. In ladditiun to all this, the habit of dealing; with large sums , will make the government avaricious and pro fuse: and the system itself will infallibly generate the base vermin of spies'and in formers, and ft still more pestilent race of political tools and retainers ofahejneafi pst and most odious "description wliUe thi frirMlJirious riatronace. -which the col lecting of this splendid revenue will thrpw J Into, the bands pt governmeui, wui nivwi it with so vast . an influence, and hold out such means & temptations to cormptkn, &s all.the virtue and public spirit even oi republicans will be unable to resist." This; sir, is what .the- English them selves say as totbe effects.of that exces sivei that blind b:ut eager pursuit of . na tional glory; in' which they have been en- j gaged-vburiiyi then, it rs not a,ht exani- tple tor ourimuation, v u iiic wu xi j , say, et our gii-y vum"i wvp." nf mrr;nctile ; 'let' cur freedom mriTtsucir ;ppresRrs as- those under which the peb-1 it is tbeu wt-'sliaH have obtained true glo- : ry ;,it,is tbui we shall nave acccnipiiiii r ea'tt e gieat ciject for which our goyein hi.tut was instituted; - Jv T Wi; n.Uchi M W; thought it.was ne- -f cessaty tbsu cn) the subject of ..the 'bm j gOi;rlj and ifi repiT t rJoaaxk$ which had "fallen from gentlemen. He wouht not, Ivoweyer, be understood to say. that the extravagantcourse of policy pur1 sued in Mr. Adams's administration was carried to all those pernicious consequen ces he had. pointed, out. He said only, but he said it boldtv, that, unless the good nft Inf the American neonle had arrest ed the course, changed the policy, and di verted the tendency of that administra tion,, we shonld noVbe as much oppress ed, ceteri fiarfbus. as the people of Eng land. As the voice of the nation could not theni j so- he hoped it would not now, be resisted"; and that w should again re sumej those wholesome habitsf economy from which we had departed. He would, therefore, proceed immediatelv to th con sideration of the bill which embraced the principle for which he contended. ; Propositions of this kind, it would here collected said Mr. W. had been before Concrress for several vears.but as yet they have been unsuccessful. He rejoiced, however, in the belief he had, that now the slibject would be' thoroughly investi gated; that it would receive that full and free examination which' its importance, both Intrinsic and relative, may demand. For, sir, the amount of a military force and the manner of its support, are, in ev ery coun fry ."quest ions of the first impor tance. ""But with us, they deserve infinite considerafibnbecaiTse, in proportion as our, government differs from all others will jtbese qUestionsbe found to rise in magnitude, claiming theattfntion nmVvi giJarfcebfthe American people. . So im Dortant did CRneress believe thern to be, ac tne lasi sessionfiiHi a siuiiuii ! passed; calling upontbV Secretary of Waif to make a report ohthe subject at the present session. The reportsir, has been received, and what is its aspect? According to my judgment, it is a practi ! cal renunciation of the principles upon which bur government is founded, as well as of the principles inculcated at an early period, by that class of politicians to whom the Secretary has heretofore professed to belong. To.prove this, the attention of the Hou:s9 is repecim41y solicited, while I read some passages.;from the report.. Page 3, j the Secretary says -" It will be. readily admitted that the organisation of the army ought to have, reference to the objects for which it is maintained,' "and ought to be such as may be best calculated to effect .such objects ; as it roust be ob-; vious, on the slightest reflection, that, on considerations connected herewith, ought to depend not only its numbers, " but also the principles on which it ought to be formed." Again, in the same page, he says, The objects for which a standing army in-peace ought to be maintained, may be corrjprized under two classes: those which, though, they have reference to a state of -war, yet are more immediately conrtected with its duties in peace ; and thoe which relate immediately apd sole ly tjo war. Under the first class may be enumerated, as the leading objects, the garrisoning the forts along our Atlantic frontier!, in order to preserve them, and to cause' the sovereignty of the United States to lie respected, and the occupying of cer? tairt commanding posts in our inland fron tier, to keep in check, our savage neigh bors, and to protect oni newly formed and feeble settlements in that quarter. These a rei doubtless, important objects,! but are by'no means so essential as these which relate immediately and solely to a state of war ; and, though not to be neg lected wholly, ought hot to have any deci ded influence in 4he organization of our peace establish ment.V.j v ; From the foregoing, it appears, said Mr. W. to be the opinion of the Secretary, that the duties to be performed by an ar my in time of peace, . ought not to have any decided influence in the organiza tion, of the peace establishment." I Thi sentiment, with others which .would be noticed hereafter, he deemed a palpable abandonment of the principles of the gov ernment. Whatever he might have pre viously thought, there. was no longerroom to Entertain a doubt of the fact, since the, speeches of the gentleman from (Virginia; (Mr. Smyth,) and the gen leman from S. Carolina, (Mr. Simkins.) The first of these gentlemen, from his official station in this House, as chairman of the commit tee on military aflairs, fiiust be supposed to be intimately acquainted 'with the views and sentiments entertained by the head of the: War Department. ' Whether the lat ter gentleman has had access to the same source 6f information; was .for the House; tojdetermine. ' ' ...M s " jBoth gentlemen, pursuing what I had believed w as the opinion of the Secretary; have jdiscarded the militia as & means of defence for this cUntryiT'he gentleman from Virginia, in particular, entered Into a series t reasoning ;ounflea; upon : wnat he was pleased to cali historical facts, to prove that militia force "was not worthy to he "relied on- Mr. . W said he also would rely; on history " to ; prove, not only that militia - were to be depended bn ,but tnautnev were, wc, oniy son ctiorcc u whidrtbjsfroroeotw it was ooi, moeeo,oisioryi in ine simpic accemation of the term; such aa the meoi- ber irbin Virginia had? produced,- but; it 3 CIS Ul A UlgUU - 4UU JtWWtpj itULUUtdUYC vATiLtier: - It was not histcirv wjit ten b v one individaal, thai opinion, too, fraught "ft I with alf the prejadic? of . him who-'ea pressed itr out it was constitutional hito- ry, pronouncea ny nc p?nrioiu zjv of the country, assembled for tie alT-ira- . prtant purpose of creating and establish-i ing governments for the seyerttl states' iri this wide-spread repubpe , I axamme this history froro the earliest enodsto the present moment ;!frora thf ConstifQ tion of.Massachnsetty clowTi to the consti" rution of Missouri, and the sme grejV fundamental truths, areseen to peryade the whole; they are these,' M1Jat stand ing fermies are dangerous to liperty; ana ought not to be allowed ; that 'f. well re gulated militia are the only sure; and cer tain defence of a i free peopleJ: Gentle . men on the otherside rnay pre what force arid effect they please toiheir histo ry but hvC will rely on cohstittiorral hisr tory, which is more Solemn, ajid entitled to infinitely greater weight thari any aa thority they oarTpossiblv prodni. Front , it I hope, we shall be able to pdint out the dangersiwe are likely to jneori or should labor to avoid. I l -f - '.y- 1 In reply to the gentlemen espousing the oM ; thic hite. Mr. W. said. l he would endeavor to shew, pn the; lan guage and spirit of thstt conshttitiooal his -tory to" which he had referred! first, that standing armies are dangerousto Jiberty, anri niirfit' not. to, Do ai owea ; seconq. " that the militiaf are the onfy sure and certain defence fa free people - third that the army of tins country B unnecest sarilv laree at present, and shbuld there fore be reducen. A. government, like ah individual per 7 - T. : . .' L. ,.! tJ it i: -" finrr ha& certain pnucrpK-s w w wtr pressed -jon it at its creation, (which are . natural to it in every stage of its existence, and from- which it can nevr jdepart bu at thelrisk of consequences always hazar dous, if not utterly destrUctif 6 Nature) dictates to man, Iri his individukl capacity, thlove of truth jand justice! if he ever disregards the impulse of tha sentiment, he will incur certain j .eyij. : In like man ner, whatevert appears to be Ihe natural dictate of a, government shotrl be; care, fully discerned and. scrupuloulv obeyed f for, if not, the body politic will become disorganized and rendered the subject of every dangerous j infection. t would not do for a monarchy ;to practise1 upon' the , prmciples of a republican government, nor, on the other, hand, fpr sJ. republic to practise upon the, principles of monarchy These two gojneimentsafe joppbsites ia their various systems of jpolityf, and should goon in the v separate ; spherjea in whicii they have been destined to move.' It would be as;rational to expect the eJeated;oc currence of strange, anbraalies in nature as tofsuppose that a republicj could;OC(car sionally dart into the sphere Jf rponarchf ' and sill preserve : its blessing, in;allthcr pristine,; excellencelIji',i thefpiret IntHe . course or revolutions of rebublican' o vernroent, it is eyer ifond toT be - erratic if it is1 seen to deviate from tbjose lawim pressed on it by the fmighty ihahd ' of the people who created lt if if courts coh junction with, or solicits indigence id the costly; the expensive trappings' "and 'ap pendages of moriarchytherilpronouhciV the time has arrived tor arresting its ro gress jand reforming its ekamlple;; ' " Of all the ' principles connatural to tha people of these' United Statei; impreised upon theinattheir political dreatibn; hone apjpears Tn,bre irjrijwrtat c? announced ,'jth 'more solemnity, thanf . this. that standing arniteslflirej dangerpfis. to the lij berties of a free people,; arid ought not to be allowed " This truth isdstinclyJwrit' ten inj constitutions formed cnterjaporane ously jwith the birth day pf tlur independ ence; as well as in. those ordained and es tablished at subsequent peridds Bqt it U particularly the saying of clir 'aricestors. of thel fathers of the freedejo'' ari Ihde pendence'of their country; ; Thteugh'odt their -wbrks-i yon find the same cautioo ' concetti the sums jealou solicitude about tbe fatal effects 1 rptulting'ffom: ;nn over- grpVtit a redtindant'and aft'ihactive ansrr jntim'bf rpeiicEe't rrif astf; if thetur imaginations were distempered ; if ihey ' were1 alarm'ed'at 'an airy fpharjtorn.'; whether they didtnot speakhhe' labguage oC scbeness and truth; teaching their ptt terity how to avoid dangers! certain, realr and extremeMforTOidablQl ..T N conclusicti iriua't be adpptedkntl we shopld re,ceive;thse:constituUonalxfe arguments of gentlemen' W the contrary notwithstandingvas 80 ' credcoda iit the articles of out iticalSaStfu ;? Yes, sir; the champions b our independ ence and our, rights knew well thalho lawshd rules of An annv Iwere, in fac thatan armv wart :anrihti th hnrlrivil and iHHrinstitvtk ting influsnceover our pi iniiples, ejiegs, ad habits. InEnglind, tbje c)imjry,Crci . uhicb In order to 6e ; sepaf ated Amcriqa lavished so prodigiously b t$t blood arid 'treaSmTmflrtiai 1 Axwisf cwdefcd sq miich VvariahceTwHh' ihesbaull portioa of liberty she enjoys," tbijt it is called ! io JCeaUtyrnoia.law dulgcdtuier thn-allowj at i,JW'-' If an-army; and its; rules .fee thus- aiige yous to British liberty. hqW q li'jnore so .toihe luny,offAJnferi9anKciU ens f; As citizens; webbjiist'of but- ebuaU lip,1 tiut'irf Vaitf doybu? lokor it ia 1 i -Si.

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