Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-03-20

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eminent which, protesting to dc an act
OF grace, POUNDS that act ON cold calcu-
la,on Of a return of profit ? Charity is
certainly one Of the most amiable of vir-
tues yet, what would be thought of that
charity which should be bestowed on am
arithmetical estimate of usurious inte-
rest? Considerations of this sort, Mr.
President, are, in my opinion, unworthy
Of the grave and enlightened delibera-
lions OF this Senate. | will not urge
them. cannot rely en- them. No, sir,
any measure Of relief which may be af-
iordcd by the national legislature, should
bear the general stamp of an act oil grace
TO the indi, iduals interested it should
also be measure Of wise and just poll
cy in relation to the Union. For am
no advocate, Mr.. President, for the ro-
mantle and ostentatious display Of gene
rosity on the part of this government.
And this case would not receive the
support OF my poor abilities, did | not
belief that relief Is necessary to prevent
real, extensive, eminent, and, in my
opinion at least, unmerited suTcrinG.-
The debt is of such magnitude, that, in
point OF fact, it cannot possibly be paid
in the proaent state OF affairs. Had the
people Of The west incurred this debt by
any imprudence peculiar to themselves,
they might have had no claims to your
sympathy. But there was no peculiar
imprudence in this case. 1t was no
malady confined TO that country. Ii was
the general mania which ragged univer-
sally throughout the land ; and even il
the fever was hotter there, it was only
because the ha6uium which fed it, was
more copious and tempting.
That these people have erred, niscal-
culated, and purchased public land
greatly beyond their ability to pay for it,
is evident enough from the enormous
stn which, from the message of the
President of the United States, referred
to by the gentleman who has Just re-
sumed his seat, (Mr. Thomas,) it APP
pears they now owe on that account.
But, taking into view the frailties and
lmpelfections Of human nature, the want
of sufficient foresight, which is the com
mon lot O! man, and the illusions of hone,
which too easily cheat us into the belief
of the practicability Of that which we
wish to accomplish, the case makes a
strong appeal to our compassion
There are, indeed, also, some circum-
stances Ii this case, with part of which
the government has been 90 intimately
connected, as ought not only to prevent
it from regarding those people with the
sternness OF stole Indifference, and leav-
ing them to all the unmitigated conse-
quences OF the errors into which they
have been betrayed, but loudly appeal to
the sympathies, clemency, and magnani-
nifty, and even the justice of the national
legislature; and demand the utmost al
deviation which ii can reasonably grant.
Infatuated as all classes eli our fellow
citizens have been, BY short-lived pros
perlty, which, though depending wholly
upon temporary causes, too many be-
licvcd would be permanent, and too few
supposed would end SO soon; it is hard
ly to be supposed that our4ree, repre-
sentative government should have been
totally exempt from the influence of the
general delusion; or that it should not
have participated in it; and even given
rise TO portion oft.
In all such governments as ours, the
people and government must necessar
ly, to certain extent at least, recipro-
cally act upon and influence each other;
and therefore, in intimating the opinion
that the government itself did contribute
to the delusion which misled our fellow
citizens into excessive purchases ofpub-
lie lands, | do not wish to be understood
as imputing any blame or censure what
ever; but merely as speaking of things
as they actually have been; and, as from
the intimate connection between the peo-
pie and government, they must necessa-
rily have been.
The long convulsions in Europe,
which grew out of the French revolu-
ton, by furnishing US with a ready and
most extraordinary market for our pro-
duce, and by the advantages which they
afforded to our navigation and COM
merce, had produced such unparalleled
prosperity, that the whole nation had be-
come so intoxicated with its ephemcral
success, as to overlook the causes from
whence its prosperity sprung, and upon
which its continuance depended.
The late war, so far from abating in
the least degree, the fallacious calcula-
tons, that were but too generally in
dulged, produced train of events,
which inspired new and more extrava-
giant hopes and expectations-the causes
of which will endeavor briefly to ex-
plain.