The name of Washington is invoked as authority for a prejudice which Economy, Human Nature, and Christianity repudiate. Mighty and reverend as is his name, more mighty and more reverend is Truth. The words of counsel which he gave were in accordance with the spirit of his age,--which was not shocked by the slave-trade. But his great soul, which loved virtue and inculcated justice and benevolence, frowns upon those who would use his authority as an incentive to War. God forbid that his sacred character should be profanely stretched, like the skin of John Ziska, on a militia-drum, to arouse the martial ardor of the American people! The practice of Washington, during the eight years of his administration, compared with that of the last eight years for which we have the returns, may explain his real opinions. His condemnation of the present wasteful system speaks to us from the following table.[103] [103] Executive Document No. 15, Twenty-eighth Congress, First Session. +----------------------+----------------+---------------+ | Years. | Military | Naval | | | Establishment. | Establishment.| +----------------------+----------------+---------------+ | 1789-91 | $835,618 | $570 | | 1792 | 1,223,594 | 53! | | 1793 | 1,237,620 | | | 1794 | 2,733,539 | 61,409 | | 1795 | 2,573,059 | 410,562 | | 1796 | 1,474,672 | 274,784 | | Total, during eight |} ----------- | -------- | | years of Washington, |} $10,078,102 | $747,378 | | | | | | 1835 | $9,420,313 | $3,864,939 | | 1836 | 19,667,166 | 5,807,718 | | 1837 | 20,702,929 | 6,646,915 | | 1838 | 20,557,473 | 6,131,581 | | 1839 | 14,588,664 | 6,182,294 | | 1840 | 12,030,624 | 6,113,897 | | 1841 | 13,704,882 | 6,001,077 | | 1842 | 9,188,469 | 8,397,243 | | | | | | Total, during eight |} ------------ | ----------- | | recent years, |} $119,860,520 | $49,145,664 | +----------------------+----------------+---------------+