The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1831-11-16
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Correspondence of The SIM.

Correspondence o. the Spy.
LETTER FROM PHILADELPHIA.
The appearance of Philadelphia, at tn
present time, exhibits marks Of unusu:
prosperity. The surest evidences of pros
porous times, the demand for labor and tn
payment oftilgh wages, shew that the 9th
er indications, in all directions, are not faI
iaclous. Yet there are those, who woul
try to persuade us, that the system of Iegis
lation which gives us the highest price for gu
work, and furnishes nv with tie Eeressarie
OF life at the lowe st rate, is unconstitution
al, wrong in principle, and ought not to b.
tolerated-that all duties for protection ar
grievous taxes on labor, which impoversl
The peoplc--that they are, indeed. tax OF
the consumer for the benefit ofthe manu-
tacturer, to the whole amount of the duty
And this is persisted in, notwithstanding
the fact, that many of the protected arti
Giles are now sold by our manufacturers 70
less than the duty, and for half the price
that they cost when imported. These mel
cautiously shun facts, and, Notwithstanding
ne ind we are getting out of debt, accu
mulatlng money IN our pockets, and clus
tering additional comforts about us, ye
:hey ask us to disregard the evidence o
our own senses, and although we find our
selves practically prosperous, they under
take 10 prove that we are theoretically un
prosperous, and therefore the system which
produces such effects ought to be ubolish.
ed.
Philadelphia is rapidly extending on ev.
cry side, and, it is said, that about one thou.
sand new houses will be erected in the city
this season. Many of the now stores, both
here and in New York. are constructed in
the Boston style, the first story of granite
columns brought from Massachusetts. The
fronts of many Of the old stores have also
been remodelled in the same way. | under
stand the prosperity Of the interior ofPenn-
sylvania corresponds with thai of this city
1t is the great seat Of iron making in this
country, and it is ascertaned that more
than two-thirds of the iron consumed in
the United States is of domestic prodnc-
ton, and the amount now produced by the
various iron works Of the country, is near
ly three times as great as the whole impor-
tation of that article was, twenty five years
ago. The competition in the market, which
has been induced by the protective duty,
has already reduced the price 25 or 30 per
cent; and if the duty is continued, will,
probably, in the course of four or five years
more, reduce it to the lowest rate at which
it can be profitably made, and at the same
time make us entirely independent of for
eign countries for our supply. The mex
haustible mines of coal and iron in Penn
sylvana, frequently situated in the near vi
entity of each other, must be source OF
vast wealth and unfailing prosperity to the
State. The ceal trade has increased with
astonishing rapidty, and yet the supply
does not keep pace with the demand. The
anthracite or stone coal is destined to be
used, net for domestic purposes alone, but
for almost every thing for which fuel is re-
CURED On my way hither passed from
from Hartford to New York in Steam
Beat propelled Ivy the use of anthracite
coal, and the captain informed me that it
made him saving of about half the ex-
pense OF fuel.
The posture of political affairs causes
considerable speculation. 1t is clearly as
certained that large majority is now OPP
posed TO the reelection of Gen. Jackson,
though not united in their preferences for
an opposing candidate. His reelection is
more to be dreaded than was his first cleo
ton, because, during the next term, the
charter Of the Bank of the United States
will expire, and it is well known that Gen.
jackson will not sign an act for renewing
it. Should it expire without being renew
ed, the arrangement of our currency which
would ensue, and the withdrawal of the
foreign capital invested in it, would produce
n state of pecuniary distress almost without
q parallel in this country. Should such be
the case the Anti Masons will have much
to account for. If they had not nominated
a new candidate, there is good reason to
believe that the opposition might have so
far united for Henry Clay as to elect him
by the people; but the nomination o! Writ
will be likely to give the votes of New
York and some other States, where cleo
tors are chosen by plurality. to Gen. Jack
son, where, otherwise, he could not have OBJ
tained them. There is less apology for the
nomination of Writ, from the circumstance,
that, in no possible event, can it have any
other effect than that of dividing and dis
tracing the opponents of Gen. Jackson.
With Clay in the field, but very few votes
can be obtained for Writ, and even if Clay
were withdrawn, the Northw estern States
where he has decided majority, would
be lost to the opponents of Gen. Jackson,
because, they could not be brought to sup
port Writ. Therefore, if Gen. Jackson ia
reelected, however direful the conse-
quepces may be, they will rest on the shout.
lers of those, who, without the apology OF
difference in opinion, on questions of Ma
tional policy, have nevertheless, without
the possibility of any advantage, distr acted
and divided his opponents, and thereb,
ieoparded the best interests Of our common
country.
DuNNiNG. The following curious ad
vertisemcnt was originally published in the
Spy near thirty years ago, and embraces
we should think, the whole art Of dunning
We republsh it with the hope tina. the post
riders who now distribute the Spy may de
rive some benefit from it.
George Washington Webb, (post ride
from Worcester to Northampton soliclts TIL
serious and candid attention Of each of his Gus
toners, who are indebted to him for more tina
one quarters newspapers, to that portion @
scripture which may be found recorded in til
latter clause of the 9Sth verse of the 18th oh. O
the gospel according to ST. Matthew pa
me what thou owest.'
" In discoursng from these words, IT is tn
intention of tho preacher to make no dirisio
of his mattcr--to have nothing to do wit
notes, except bank notes-and tn treat the sui
iect neither logically, nor metaphysieally. no
scripturally, nor rcligiously, nor morally, no