The Madisonian. [volume], June 18, 1840, Image 1

About The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845

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THE M ADISONI AN.
THONAl AL L E M ,
Editor aud Proprietor.
DON ALU MACLEOD,
A??ci?l? iidltur.
AGENTS.
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THE MADISONIAN.
VOL. Ill?NO. 1(H)] WASHINGTON CITY, THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1840. [WHOLE NO. 359.
OK NH.
OF OHIO.
At reply to Mr. Di .nc an, on the bill providing
for the civil and diplomatic expenses of Go
vernment for the year 1840.
IIoi mk or Rkphe**nt*tivk?, Amu. II, IHIO.
Mr. GI|)DIN(i8 said ||C had entertained no
idea ol addressing the committee until the eve
ning of yesterday. 1 had (sftid he) |>aid hut
little attention to the subject matter of this hill,
in consequence ol my time having been so fully
occupied in ihe duties of the committee of which
I am a member.
Indeed, so tully has my time been employed
with the business of that committee, that I enter
tained no expectation of participating in the de
hates of the House, on this or any other subject
until I heard the remarks of my colleague yes
terday ; and now it is my intention merely to
re|tly to some parts of the argument which he
advanced.
I understood him to say, in substance, that he
thought it ungenerous lor the party with whom
I have the honor to act to complain of the great
amount ol money expended in the support of
Government, unless we could specify the par
ticular items of extravagance. I understood
him to call upon the Opposition to show, in de
tail, the object of retrenchment, and to point
definitely to the abuses which demand reforma
tion. I also understood the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Vanderpoel) to make the same re
quest the first day on which the bill was under
discussion.
This request, I think, is reasonable. I deem
ihe proposition perfectly fair and honorable on
the part of the gentlemen who made it. If the
minority shall find themselves unable to point
jut any particular extravagance?to lay their
lingers upon distinct items of wasteful expendi- j
lure, and to demonstrate the prodigality of the
Administration in detail?they ought to say no
nore upon the subject, but permit the bill to '
[Miss without further delay or opposition. 1
therefore desir" my colleague to understand
hat, so far as I am concerned, his proposition is
Jiiconditionally accepted.
And now, Mr. Chairman, I will proceed with
is much brevity as possible to notice some of the
(cms of this bill which 1 think extravagant, and
iiuch higher in amount than is necessary. The (
irst is the sum of41seventy thousand dollars to
lefrauJhe contingent expenses of the Senate.'''' j
We should examine the several sums composing
this amount, and determine whether they are
necessary ; whether they have been expended
in such manner as to give to the nation the full (
benefit of the funds. This information is found ,
in the report of the Secretary of the Senate, ,
made to both Houses of Congress under the law
jf 1830. In this report Is contained several
?mall sums, amounting, in all, to si.r thousand ?
fire hundred and twelvedollars for "colohino
maim." m. As our maps are intended principally to
diow the relative positions of different places, I i
was unable to discover any possible benefit what- \
ever arising to the country from this expenditure. .
I made inquiry of older and more experienced
members for information, but have been unable t
to find one who could mention any advantage
whatever resulting from it. If, however, any
gentleman can show the least possible conveni
ence arising front it, I would most gladly listen
to liiiu. So far as the nation is concerned; I
think the money might as well.have been thrown
into the Potomac as to have been paid out for
^coloring This sum, constituting near
Iv-one-ten+h-of -t-he-contingent expenses of the
Senate, will, on all hands, be admitted as unne
cessary and useless. I therefore refer to it as
one of the abuses worthy of correction. Hut I
feel disposed to look into the manner of its ex
penditure a little more minutely. This amount
appears to have been" paid to several individuals
in sums of various amounts. Among those in
dividuals is the name of One person who appears
to have received two thousand and si.rty -six
dollars between the 28th..February and the 5th
day of June last, being little more than four
months time. This fortunate individual is un
known to me, but is said to be the daughter of
an office-holder,* who himself receives a salary
of three thousand dollars per year.f I woulil
not willingly say any tiling to give pain to the
feelings of female delicacy, hut 1 must be allowed
to he a little specific on this point, in order to
comply with the request of my colleague and of
the gentleman from New York.
Sir, the compensation allowed to this young
lady for four months' labor in '?coloring maps,"
in my opinion, is altogether extravagant. It is
at the rate of more than live hundred dollars per
month, and exceeds eighteen dollars per day.?
It is double the amount allowed to a member of
Congress; four times as great as the compensa
tion allowed to the Governor of Ohio ; six times
as great as the amount paid to the members of
our Stale Legislature; and would employ fifty
common I.AB0HKH8 in the Western country at
the rate of ten dollars per month. I desire that
it may be distinctly understood by the people of
the Western country that this is the estimate
put upon the price of labor here, as compared
with that of Ohio. That it requires the price of
fifty of our hard handed tailoring men in the
Western country to employ one lauy in the city
of Washington. This is done by the parly in
power; by those who are loud in declaring their
democracy ; who often speak of their friendship
for " the People," and are constantly proclaim
ing their devotion to popular rights, and to the
'' laboring classes."
Sir, while the father was in receipt of a salary
of three thousand dollars per year, and this
daughter was receiving live hundred dollars per
month, another person of the same name and a
member of the same family (as 1 am informed)
appears to have received seven hundred and
eighty dollars for ?*coloring maps:" amounting
in all to little short of six thousand dollarst re
ceived by this most fortunate family. However,
perhaps my colleague would say, " to the vic
tors belong the spoils."
I desire also to call the attention of the com
mittee to the manner in which the contingent
fund of the Treasury Department is expended.
The lirst item which attracted my attention was
the amount paid during the past year '' foh
Homes," being something more than three thou
sand dollars, if I have added correctly. There
is. however, some obscurity in the report, aris
ing from 'be indefinite manner in which it is
made out. Some items, lor example, are set
down, to which is added an ?' rt cetera ;" as in
some of the charges for books we lind an " et
cetera" included. Now, what are the articles
embraced in the ''??/ cetera," or what were the
I prices paid lor them, is a matter of which I am
wholly ignorant. It should,however, be under
stood that tin' amount of three thou .and dollars
embraces several sums charged as paid " for
boohs, <y-r."
The character ol the particular Iwioks pur
chased is al?o kept out of view, l.ast year, and,
I believe, generally up to the present year, the
?After delivering the alsoe speech. Mr (lidding*
received a note from the Secretaiy nftlie Senate, sav
ing, in substance, that the labor was actually prepared
by six persons, although the accounts were made out
us they appear in tllr official rr|mrt.
t Two days after the delivery of this speech, an ho
noraMe member from Massachusetts handed to Mr
Oidilings the copy of u voucher filed with th<* Sere
larv of the Senate, show ing that this same gentleman
received during the last year seven hundred and fifty
doll <cm for extra nerr ires' in addition to his salary
Bv adding the seven hundred and fifty dollars re
ceived bv the lather for " extrii utrrice*, it seems
that this family received during the last year
description or character of at least a part of the
Isioks purr ha icil has been reported. Such ia
the case this year with toine of tue Department*.
As, for iu*iance, the Postmaster (Jeneral in
forms us, in his report, that he paid thirty dol
lars of the public funds for a copy of " Indian
Hiography." How far the history of Philip,
1 eeumseh, Black Hawk, and Oceola will aid
our worthy Postmaster iu conducting the affairs
ol his Department, I leave for his friends to ex
plain. I mention this fact as showing that the
honorable Secretary of the Treasury has been
more cautious than some of the other heads of
Department.
[Mr. Joni:h, of Virginia, said that he was not
particularly informed on the subject, but he pre
sumed that the ''luniks" mentioned in the report
alluded to were blank Itooks lor the use of the
Department. J
Mr. Giduixuh said he would be the last man
to desire that any wrong impressions should be
given us to the items alluued to. I, however,
leel confident that the chairman of the commit
tee of W ays and Means has misapprehended
the report. In the report we are informed of the
iimount paid for '? blank bonk*," lor blank*, and
lor stationery?all which arc property characte
rized, and plainly distinguished from ''/*?/?."?
Moreover, as I have before remarked, last year
ivc had the charucter of the books specified in
the rejHtrt. We were shown the amount paid
lor "Sparks'* Life of Washington," for "Frank
lin's W orks," for "Jefferson's Works," Ac. 4c.
& c.?all given in the renort of last year. Not so
this yi ar. W e are told that the sum of mure
lhan three thousand dollars has been paid to
litlerent individuals "for books;" and that is
ill the intelligence on that subject communicated
?y the report. ,
1 will not, Mr. Chairman, deny to the Secre- i
ary of the Treasury the right of purchasing for
lie use ol his office such books as are partieu- i
arly calculated to aid him in the discharge of i
lis official duties, such a< works on finance and
m political economy. I iliiuk there would be a
iropriety in such practice. Perhaps one or two
ilindrcd dollars per year might very properly be
'xpended in this way. But, while we are spend
ng jarge sums every year to increase the gene
al library of the nation, to which the officers of
he Government may at all times have access, 1
leem it unnecessary and improper to purchase
ivorks of a mere literary character for the scve
al Executive Departments. The expenditure
if three thousand dollars in the purchase of
Mtoks for this Department, I think extravagant
mil entirely unnecessary.
The next item to which 1 invite the attention
>f the committee is the amount of more than
me thousand dollars, paid by the Secretary of
he Treasury for newspapers during the past
/ear. I would think it well for that officer to
ake three, five, or ten papers, to be kept on file
ii his office to be referred to if necessary.
Twenty, thirty, or perhaps fifty dollars may very
iroperlv be expended for that purpose. But
ivhcn the number of paper's amounts to several
inndreds, and the amount of the public moneys
bus expended exceeds a thousand dollars per
/car, 1 think it becomes an abuse which demands
?orrection. The practice of bringing so many
tapers into the different offices must have the
?fleet of occupying much time of the clerks
ivliiMi should be spent in other business. The
People who pay for these papers, the laboring
>art of the community, do not allord such variety
jf reading matter for themselves, and I am of
(pinion they ought not to be compelled to fur
ush it to their servants.
[Mr. Jones, of Virginia, said it was the prac
.ice of this House to furnish each of its members
with newspapers during the sessions of Con
gress.]
Mr. Gipdingh resumed. Sir. I understand the
irgunient of the Chairman of the Committee of
W'ays and Means. 1 point to this expenditure
is wasteful ami extravagant. I pronounce it
iuch an expenditure as we would not suffer to be
nade of our own money. I hold it up to the
nation as an nbn*e. I demand in the name of
lie people that it fie corrected. I protest against
lppropriating further sums to be expended in
:his way. And what is the answer of the Chuir
uaii of' the Committee of Ways and Means,
nid of the party with which he acts ? They do
not deny the charges I make. They will not
itteinpt to justify this expenditure. They will
not say to the People, You ought to be taxed
lo supply these hundreds of papers to the several
Rxccutivc Departments. Nor, *ir, vill they
rnrrect the evil, or reform the abii*e. The only
reply is, " There are other abuses existing."
And when we attempt to correct the abuses thus
illtidcd to, we shall be referred buck to those 1
have just commented on, for the purpose of jus
tifying them; and the utmost satisfaction which
the People receive when these extravagant and
wasteful expenditures are pointed out is, that
"there are other departments in which the
treasure of the nation is also s<piandered." 1
declare, sir, my object in looking into this sub
ject is to retrench our expeiuliture; to correct
the abuses when we come to them, not to leave
them for the next session, or the next Congress,
or the next generation; but I propose to "off
coat and go at it now." The times call for re
form and retrenchment.
Of the papers taken by the Secretary of the
Treasury there are nine copies of " the tlaily
frlobe." Ninety-dollars is paid for the sup| ort
of tlia^ paper; but whether the honorable Se
cretary reads the whole number of copies daily
I ain not informed. A small portion of this
thousand dollars seems to have been paid for
''anti-abolition" papers. Now, sir, 1 have many
constituents who are abolitionists. They have
sent their petitions here, but those petitions are
not permitted to be received, yet they are taxed
to furnish the honorable Secretary and his clerk*
with "finti-abolition papers." I am of opinion
that each man should furnish himself with liook*
and papers on the subject of "human rights."
The committee will excuse me for being parti
cular and specific; 1 do so by the particular re
quest of my colleague.
In passing over the report upon the contingent
expenses of the Treasury Department, I notice
several charges for amount paid "for soap,
the several items of this description amounting
in all to perhaps little more than a hundred dol
lars. What is included in the "et cetera" I
know not, unless it be for "perfumery." Very
naturally, after the charge for soap, follows the
amount paid ''for washing," being something
more than live hundred dollars. Thus, having
found soap and paid for washing, what could
be more natural for these " hard laboring
clerks," before they sit down to read so many
newspaper* in hot weather, lhan to take some
thing to cool the " inner man?" Why, sir?
honorable Secretary understands this tiling, and
the next item I would refer to is little more lhan
a hundred dollars "for ice;" but whether le
mons, and sugar, and wine are included in lb
"et ccteras" I am unable to say ; yet I solemnly
declare that I should as soon have thought (
appropriating the public moneys for those arti
cles as I should for n e." I would :?< soon
have charged the nation for my Imanlin''
my trashing, or for cologne water and olh<
perfumery as for soap. I am aware thai ihesi
are small items, too much so, in my opinion,
have found a place in the Secretary's re|M>rt W
know that the support of Government is draw
from the laboring portion of our people; but ho'
many of the hard tailoring men in your distru
or the district represented by my colleague,
the one represented by myself?men who toil
ilieir fields, exposed lo the scorching rays of il
summer's sun?enjoy the luxuries which th<
furnish to the clerks and officers in this city?
to th* men who kit in a cool room, anil perforin
no labor more severe than to read a newspaper
or ?Aore a goose quiltt It is true that the
amount is insignificant, but the piiticiple is im
portant. One other item, though- the amoant is
pi-rlertly trilling, I think worthy of notice. It is
the sum of seventy-seven dollars "roll taking
cahe or a clock." 1 have heard of persous be
ing employed uto tend guide board;" but a *a
lury for *4 tending clock" never entered my
mind until I read this report of the honorable
Secretary. 1 suppose the kind of clocks used
are the " eight-day clocka," as they are called;
of course it will require winding about forty-five
time* in a year, for which a clerk would receive
little lews than two dollars for each winding?an
easy mode of earning money, surely.
I am inclined, Mr. Chairman, to look a little
to ihc labor which these clerks perform. They
;ire provided with fine rooms well carpeted ; j
tliey sit in easy chairs, well cushioned ; with ice
water in warm weatlier, to cool their drink?'
with all the "el ceteras" contained in the report
i?l the honorable Secretary of the Treasury.?
Then, sir, they have newspapers for their amuse
ment, and book* of general literature for instruc
tion; all furnished by the hard-working men of
|'ur country. For all this the < Jovcriiment pays.
It costs the clerks nothing. They also receive
high salaries, which I shall not now comment
u|H)u. And what does the nation receive in re
Iurn7 Why, these men attend to their several
iffices sir hour* per day; at least I understand
[hat to be the general regulation, though no du
lies are requirrd of them upon the general holy
lays.
My constituents are laboring men; such is
he general character of our people, and I believe
iucli to be the general character of the people in
ny colleague's district. They rise perhaps at
four or five o'clock in the morning during the
Dimmer season. They spend one hour in rest
ifter dinner; otherwise they will labor until
irohably eight o'clock in the evening, and often
jntil nine or ten. With the exception of the
necessary time to take their meals, their labor,
from March to November, probably more than
fourteen hours per day. They follow the plough,
they use the hoe, the axe, the scythe and cradle,
ill which require much bodily effort. Under the I
scorching rays of a summer's sun. I hey toil the
live long day, and never dream of the luxuries
of ''ice-water," or of sitting in a beautifpl cool
room, well carpeted, and reading newspapers,
nnd shoving a goose-ouill instead of a scythe;
and that, too, but sir hours per day instead of
fourteen. Such, sir, are the men who are call- '
I'd on to furnish the soap and irushing, the ice
irater, the ' clock tender,' the newspaper*, and
the Itooks, and the 1 et ceteras.'1 to the luxurious,
pert, and genteel clerks who fill our public offi
ces ; and then pay them heavy salaries for per
forming the severe task of attending si.r hours
per day in our public offices. Mir, I regard it as
an outrage upon the whole laboring class of this
nation.
[Mr. J on km said he believed there was a re
filiation by which the clerks were required to
abor ten hours per day.
Mr. Giddinuh said he had seen an order from
the President which directed the " ten hours
system" to be adopted by the laborers in the
public employ. But that applied to those who
handle the spade and the hoe, but had no rela
tion to the clerks.
Mr. JoNEft requested the ( Herk to read the law
which requires the " public offices to be kept
open for business ten hours per day."
Mr. Gedwnos resumed. I was stating a fact
which I believe no one will deny, yet I state it
upon information of others. It is, that clerks
are required to labor only sir hours per day. I
do not understand the gentleman from Virginia
as denying this fact, but I understand him tacit
ly to admit thai they do not in fact lalior but six
hours per day.
Mr. Jones said he did not admit it
Mr. Rice Garland, of Louisiana, was under
stood to say that he had such information direc
from some of the officers of Government. 1
Mr. GinoiNGs again resumed. I would no
surely be willing to give any wrong impressions
on this subject. I stnted what I supposed was
well understood by every member of ttie Mouse.
Although 1 could not swear to it, 1 have it from
some of the clerks themselves. I did not think
any person would doubt it who had been long in
the city. If, however, any member lias infor
mation on the subject different from that stated
by the gentleman from Louisiana, (Mr. Gar
land.) I would thank him to let it be known. I
think. Mr. Chairman, no member has any doubt
that the clerks in J'aCt lultor but si.r hours per
day, or rather, sir, they attend in the offices that
time. I think the law, properly understood, has
no relation to the duties of clerks. However
that may be, it does not affect the question at
issue, if the law requires them to labor ten
hours,and the headsof the several Departments
require but si.r, then the Secretary violates law
as well as duty.
Hut I have been led into .a digression. It is
supposed that we have about eight hundred
clerks in this city, and that their salaries will
average $1,250 per year, for which they labor
six hours per day. 1 think all gentlemen of both
political parties will agree that ten hours a day
would be no more than a reasonable labor. It
would be less than we require of persons in our
employ at home. Now, if our Executive offi
cers would require ten hours' labor per day in
stead of si*, it would enable them to discharge
three hundred and twenty clerks, thereby saving,
to the People of this nation foi h iii:ni?rei>
thousand doi.i.arh per annim. This immense
sum is taken from the People who labor fourteen
hours per day, in order to employ clerks who la
bor not more than si.r ; the laborer at home re
ceiving perhaps, at most, tiro hundred dollars
per year, while the clerk receives twelve hun
dred lor the same time. Here is a test of our
democracy, about which my colleague had so j
much to say. It shows the estimate in which
we hold the laboring man. I say, sir, it shows
the value of labor as estimated by the party in
power. The salary of a clerk here would em
ploy at least six laborers in Ohio. But as the
clerk labors no more than six hours per day,
while the laborer works at least twelve, it fol
lows that the service of a clerk is equivalent to
that of twelve laborers. Sir, I put no such es
lunate upon the labor of my constituents, al
though I make no great pretensions to democra
cy. I regard it as derogatory to the character
and dignity of the laboring men. To me it ap
pears like an insult to their intelligence.
1 was reared to labor ?to hard and severe la
bor. My life has been spent among a laboring
and industrious people. I know them well. I
know them to be honest ami intelligent. I heir
labors are often painful; but I assure you I
would rather undergo their severest toils than
sit here and listen to such rhodomontades as we
have heard about '' popular rights " love of
the /'enple " regard for the laboring class
es and "democracyfrom members who
rote to compel them to bestow the avails of their I
labor to support officers and clerks in the man
ner 1 have mentioned. The People are com
pelled to support three hundred and twenty
clerks in this city at an expense of four hun
dred thousand dollars, for no purpose whatever,
that I can discover, except to increase the K.re
cutire influence and power. This is done by
the party professing to be the real friends of the i
People.
II we are to judge from |>ast experience, how
ever, it will be useless to point out the particular
modes, in which the money of this nation is
squandered, or to specify the abuses that exist.
On this point we have had the most perfect de
monstration of the principles of the party in
power. It will be recollected that, in the latter
part of January, the subject of printing was be
fore the House, The printing of the fcenate,
the House, and the Kxecutive Departments
would, in all, amount to probably $400,000 per
Congress. During the last lew years a most ex
traordinary change in the monetary transactions
of the country has taken place. Property and
produce have fallen nearly one-half, and, ol
course, our printing could be obtained much
cheaper than formerly. The prices at which
our printing had been done were fixed in 1819;
more than twenty years had niadcgreat improve
ments in the art of printing. I was informed
by a gentleman who had spent twenty or ilnriy
years in the business, that the pre** work con
stituted in 1810 little short ol one half of the
whole labor of printing; and that the improve
incuts since that period had diminished the la
Imr in press-work at the rate of *erenty fire per
cent. Under these circumstances, I was per
fectly conscious that great reduction in the ex
j>eiise of printing ought to In made, particularly
is there were so many candidate? lor the office
if Printer, all of whom appeared anxious to ob
tain the appoiutmcnt. Added to these lads, we
Itad the report of a respectable committee, com
Kised mostly of friends of the Administration,
which showed thai the printing of a neighboring
State is executed at forty fir? per cent, less than
ice (ire paying. \ViIh these tacts before in<*> I
jpened a correspondence .with several gentle
men who had been long engaged in the business
if printing, and understood, as I believe, the va
ue of that kind of labor. My object was to ob
ain from each a statement ol the amount lor
ivhich he would do the whole public printing
low done in this city when compared with the
irices of 1819. The offers varied from tvi uty
Hre to forty per rent, reduction from former
irices. This, it will at once be seen, would save
0 the peope of this nation /V??h one hundred to
me hundred and sixty thousand dollars per
f'onuress. II we had proceeded to the election
?f a printer, according to the previous usage of
Congress, the person elected would thereby gain
1 legal right to receive compensation according
to the law of 1810. The Clerk had lor some
time employed the printing ot the House to be
Jone not by the person who would do it the
cheapest, but by the editors of the Globe, at a
|>ric,e probably of at least thirty per cent, above
what other printers were willing and anxious to
Jo it for. The authority of the Clerk to do tins
had expired, and it appeared that one party were
anxious to elect Blair & Hives printers without
qualifying the prices at which they should do the
work The other party appeared equally anxi
ous to save the money. In truth, sir, without
any circumlocution, it appeared to be the object
of one party to give this sum of one hundred
and xi.rty thousand dollars to Messrs. Blair <V
If ires, over and above the real value ol printing ?
while the other party appeared equally anxious
to"save it to the nation. 1 speak ol appearances.
I will not charge anv man with improper inten
tions. I will give facts, and leave the People to
jud^e for themselves. The Globe, in the most
unblushing manner, urged upon the majority ol
this House the necessity of electing its editors
printers in order to sustain their paper. I hev
did not disguise the object ol their party, ami
will not. The time having expired during which
the Clerk was authorized to obtain the printing,
the able chairman of the Committee ol Wavs
and Means, made a most pathetic appeal to the
House to authorize the Clerk to continue the
printing upon the former terms. He introduced
his resolution to that effect; but most unfor
tunately for his party, omitted to call the previou -
question. I had drawn up a substitute, directing
the Clerk to have it done by such person as would
do it " with the least expense to the Govern
ment." This substitute 1 offered as an amend
ment. Sonic little confusion appeared on pre
senting it, but it was adopted. No sooner, how
ever, had the Speaker declared the result than
mv colleague from the Hamilton district, moved
a reconsideration of the vote. Here, sir, the
democracy of my colleague and myself came in
contact. My efforts and intentions w ere to sare
the money; as to his intentions I do not judge ;
his efforts appeared to be to pice the money to
Blair \ Birrs. Certain it is Jie opposed, with
hisvoice and his vote, the resolution to have the
printing done by the person who would do it tor
the least money, and then voted lor Blair and
Wives printers. ' Yet his motion to reconsider
failed bv a small majority, and the resolution
thus amended was adopted. Proposals were, I
believe, that very night, or perhaps the next
morning, handed to the Clerk, ottering to do the
printing at prices averaging twenty live percent.
Reduction from what we had paid under the law
if 1810, and the most undoubted security lor its
faithfui performance was offered. Still further.
| will remark, that one ol the offers alluded to
was from one of the political Iriends ol my col
Sir a crisis had arrived. We had adopted
the resolution, and il Messrs. Blair & l\i\< s p< r
Ibrnicd the printing, under it, they must
1 I * . .... ,,?! ..IV Vl'itlllll I
[oriiu'u i m* i ... ?
upon as favorable terms as others would do it.
They could receive nothing beyond a lair and
honorable profit for their labor. I hey could not
receive the public treasure without considers!
lion, or for extra copies of the Globe. It was
said that great confusion prevailed among tin
ranks of the Administration party. "Humor,
with her thousand tongues," spoke of a certain
uarty caucus. convened that evening or the
next morning, at which ways and means we, e
,1,.vised to avoid this retrenchment which had
hci-n adopted. Of this fact I know nothing ex
cept from rumor. However, if no such caucus
were held, gentlemen of the party have now an
opportunity to deny their participation in it. It
,s at least certain that the next morning a mo
tion was made to reconsider the resolution w hich
had been adopted the day before. And here
came the test of all our professions about ie
trench went and reform. It now gave an oppor
tunitv for every member of each party to show
his constituents and the nation Ins views in re
gard to the abuses complained of. I he result
though disastrous to the cause of reform, was a
proud one for the Whigs. (In that ocrash...'.;
ll'Aig voted apainst the reconsideration,
and ererv Administration man voted for it.
Sir the facts stand recorded, and will remain in
all coining time as a proof of the sincerity "l
the Administration party; and will show to I
People of this nation who it is that would tax
the many to support the few ; who are wihug
to tax your constituents and mine, Mr.
man. to support a paper which they hold in eon
'* After this transaction, we tire called on to sit
here and listen to speeches well composed and
well delivered, for the purpose ot showing that
the party who do these things are the true demo
crats. the real friends of the People; and that
those who use their efforts in lavor of reform,
Who expose these abuses, and endeavor to pre
serve the money of the People from wast, tul,
extravagant, and unnecessary expenditures, are
in fact opposed to the best interests and pros
verity of the nation. 1 ro<e in part to expose
these pretensions; to hold up the mirror i
which my colleague could have a viewof>
democracy of which he speak* so murkk ?nd
often. I have called attention to a <
I have endeavored to be ?o ?pecih< < ?
|?r as to be understood and comprehended and
& , will leave the M t6
Aft" my roHeague ha ^ ^ he
say in regardto* ?? <' (||fk ? ,h(. mi|(t?rv
commenced a sr .r^ rPf, < ieneral Harrison, and
- ?f
fice to which he has been nominated. Ha?l ti?u
attack been made in the presence of the People
of Ohio merely, I should not have thought it ne
cc?s#ry to make any reply whatever. It ha*
been well said by thai distinguished gentleman
whom my colleague eulogized no higbnr, (Cot.
It. M. Johnsou,) " that the History oj the netl
i* the history of General Harrison. With
that history our people are familiar. Our old
men were eye-witnesses to hit services, ni?f?r?
vatiotu, hi*> hardship*, his battles, and his Vic
tories. Our young men have read tbem in his
tory, and heard them in story and in.song.?
Our children, too, are familiar with his name
and exploits. It is therefore unnecessary for me
to say any thing to the People of that Stale. It
would also he a matter of supererogation for rnc
to attempt to add any thing to the points dwelt
upon by my talenu d colleagues frotn Wontgo
mery and Wurreii,(Messrs.CorwinandGoode.)
The triumphant refutations given by those no
norable gentlemen to the charges advanced by
the member from Michigan would seem to ren
der anv auswer to further attack* quite unneces
sary. It should, however, In- borne in mind that
my colleague and my* If are both citizens of the
same State with General Harrison. The attack
dot's not come from the Representatives of a
different State, or from a stranger, but from Uie
Representative of the district in which General
Harrison resides. It comes from his neighbor.
It is an attack on this floor, made by a member
upon the lair fame of one of his own constitu
ents. The member even went so far in his r<
marks as to speak of General Harrison in one or
two in lance as "hi* friend:'''' while he occu
pied an entire .lay in the vain attempt to con
vince the People of this nation that the exalted
eitiz. u v\ horn he availed was in favor of telling
irhih men into slavery; and in endeavoring to
tear from his war-worn brow the laurel* that
have clustered there for more than a quarter ol
a century.
The member from Hamilton county has not
eonfined his assaults to General Harrison, hut
has extended his attacks to the whole political
party who support him lor the office of Presi
dent". He lore I proceed to notice his charges
a raiijst General Harrison, I will detain the com
mittee a few minutes in answering his assaults
upon the Whig party.
The first charge made !>y the member against
the Whig party is, that ire are trying to get up
a panic, lie asks, " Where is the ditties# to
be found ?" I will.refer him for answer to the
planter of the South ; to the commission mer
chant; to the importer, the jobber, the retail
mecrhant, the manufacturer, the farmer, the la
borer, and the mechanic. Any ol these wiU
tell him where pecuniary distress is to be found.
Let him go to our principal cities, or to our pub
lie works, and inquire ot any one of the many
thousand laborers who cannot find employment,
and are destitute of the means necessary to sup
port their wives and children, and I think they
will inform him where he may find pecuniary
distress. In answer to the question, 1 would re
fer the member to his oim constituentt, and, if
I am not mistaken, they will answer his inqui
ries with promptitude, and will show him dis
tress within his own district.
Again, the member appears to complain of the
Whi" party for speaking of General Harrison
as the ?' log cabin candidate." He very gravely
denies that General Harrison lives in a "log
cabin." Now, sir, it was the party who oppos.
General Harrison that first applied that term to
him and to the party who support him. I he
Whigs had nothing to do with it. The mem
ber's complaints should be directed to those who
bestowed the name upon General Harrison as^a
term of reproach, and not to the Whigs, who
quietly receive the appellation which his party
have IK**lowim! upon them, rather than contend
about a name. 1 think the member is correct in
saying that General Harrison does not live in a
"1o" cabin." I incline to the opinion that he re
sides in a pretty comfortable old-fashioned two
story frame house, with a chimney in each end,
and "done ojf" in pood farmer-like style.?
Such is its appearance as you pass by it on the
river. But I do not think the Presidential elec
tion Mr. Chairman, depends on the style of the
dwelling in which General Harrison resides.?
The real secret is. that all tbe early settlers in
the Western country once resided in "log ca
bins." They were often destitute ol chimney
or hearth. Sometimes they had windows with
out glass and doors that could not be shut, ex
cept, perhaps, by a blanket. They often sat upon
stools constructed by the help ol an axe and an
aicer aud ate their frugal meals from a plank
split from the body of a neighboring tree. They
Mifl'crcd many inconveniences and privations un
known to later emigrants. At that early day.
General Harrison was in the Western country.
He, too, encountered the same privations. He
associated with our people, and in all respects
wa, one of them. Our population at that day
were hardy, intelligent, virtuous, and brave.?
The friendships formed at that time were of the
most substantial and enduring kind. They are
not now forgotten. The early settlers ol the
Western country regard General Harrison as
their associate and companion in the hardships
and privations of former days. To the ears ol
those men the term "log cabin" has a sort ot
charm. At its very mention, a thousand pleas
ing recollections tush upon the mind ; old asso
ciates are brought to remembrance, and an en
thusiasm is awakened, which can only be ap
preciated by those who have experienced it.?
It is to these feclingH that we are in some de
cree indebted for these enthusiastic demonstra
tions in the Western Slates and the display of
"W cabins:'1 with all . the paraphernalia of
skins rillles, traps, which were only known
to the early settlers of that country. I ain aware
that these representations call forth sympathies
and feelings hostile to those who treat the pio
neers of the West with sneering and contempt.
While reading accounts of some ol tlu?s-?' en
thusiastic meetings lately held in our " Buckeye
Stale," 1 found my mind unconsciously car
ried ba.k to the days of youth and of log
cabins;" to the days of hunting, and "of youth
(ill sports and buoyant pleasures;" to my asso
el ites of that day ; and, in short, to all the ten
thousand recollections to which the memory
clings with a fondness and enjoyment that may
|?. Pelt but not described. II these feelings,
w Inch do honor to our nature, are brought in aid
of ihe election of General Harrison, it is be
CiUise his enemies have taunted him with being
"the low cabin candidate." They must now
reap the consequences of their aristocratic jeer
My colleague has alluded to the Convention
held in Ohio during the winter past. He has
staled the number of men whom lie calls bant,
men and the number he calls office holders. It
is quite likely he was correct as to numbers.
There was probably a fair representation ol all
classes in that Convention. The only error ol
the gentleman, perhaps, was the to
mention the twenty thousand
nits, and formers who were present It would
surely be wrong to a* that those who possess
wealth should have no voice in < oiiventions It
was therefore no more than fair <" |wrm,i a ITew
hundred bank men to mingle with thi tw.nty
thousand laboring men.
| presume my colleague was also correct as to
the number of present who had been ho
pored by the -Hide of their lellow citizens
With offices ol distinction. Sir, in that t onyen
lion there were many men of high standing,
,hos m whom our people place unbounded con
ti,|, who would not suffer by a com
narison with the members of this House. But
sir they hold their offices from the people. 1 lu y
have the confidence of the people. They are not
I dependent upon the Executive will They have
not rai-'d themselves to office bv P1??1"*.''tJ
sycophant to the ?' power* that be I >ey hold
?o Fxccutivc commissions, nor do they bend the
" rvile kne, to Executive dictation Thp are
indebted ?o the
Their interests are identitu <i
PP0P1" (to mi: coMTtftten |