Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-03-06
MONDAY, Feb. 18th, 1884.

MONDAY, Feb 18th, 1884.
DTR. ROBBINS addre ssed the Senate
as iolows:--
take this occ aston to pray the Senate
TO consider, for a rnoment, what the con-
sequences must be, 1.-THE present stale of
things, now spread and spreading over
the country, is to be continued. do not
speak in reference to private distress and
individual ruin, prevailing and threaten
ing to prevail to- an extent beyond any
example in the history of our country land
produced, too, not bv the accidents of
fortune, or the perils of business, or the
miscalculations of folly or imprudcnce;
but by the gratntous and unnecessary
act of their own Executive Government;
for it seems that private distress and in
dividual ruin, however extensive, are not
to be regarded by that Governments: but
] speak in reference to the sequences
Of this state of things to the country it.
self. ] hope we are not TO be told that
the well-being Of the country is not to be
regarded by that Government, whatever
indifference may be manifested by it to
that Of individuals.
We see, at this moment, the whole
business Of the ountry paralyZed in all
its branches; and all enterprize suspen-
ded.
il is enterprise that has made, and is
TO make, your country prosperous, and
your treasury rich; il has its rise in the
facility with which exchanges are TO be
effected; this again has us rise in that
system Of credit which sn5sists, and can
only subsist, by the confidence of the
capital of the country in that system.-
Now that confidence j. gone; il is gone
bv the act of the ENrrnive. by one
blow, tn" well c"ni,i>.d, but delicate
structure, g! the national prosperity has
been dem"!I-hcd, and now lies IN rains.
| ask, what must be- the consequences
Of this para, SIS, "f this suspension Of en-
:erprize, upon all the great resources of
the country? Upon her foreign COM
merce; upor her inland trade; upon her
internal Improvements in the several
States; upon the home market; upon her
products, depending upon that market
for their value; upon her land, depend
ing for its value on the value of these
products?
True, we must wait the Instructions
Of experience, to enable us to measure
with accuracy, the extent Of those con-
sequences, to the prejudice OF those re-
sources. We already, however, know
enough to know that the effect must be
disastrous to an incalculable extent
We have information, and from anthen-
tic sources, that, at the great importing
cities Of New-York and Philadelphia, 4,
the orders for importations have been
countermanded to very great extent; {;
that the merchants Of Great Britain, OF
France, and the rest Of Europe, who
have been in the habit of making ship
ments to this country, for a market ,have
been advised by their correspondents
here, not to make them; and that, il
made, the consignments must he declin-
ed. There must, then, be great fal-
ling off in the amount of our importat'ons;
there will be, by the most moderate com
mutation, n falling off Of one half; OF
course, there must be a corresponding
falling off in the revenues from importa-
tiOns.
Ifany have INDUCED fears Of too re-
dundant treasury, they may now dismiss
them as idle fears. If any should now
indulge fears of deficient Treasury,
and so deficient as to require supply
from loans, or direct taxation, J for one,
am not prepared to pronounce such fears
to be idle. So much as to our foreign
commerce.
As to our inland trade, the effect must
be still more disastrous. We all kno"
that our manufactures are the foster-mo'
ther Of that trade; that all its channels
are supplied and filed up either directly
or indirectly from that source; ieeding
and sustaining greater numbers OF ou'
population, than any other resource
perhaps a greater number than all on
other resources put together. IL Is The
great aliment Of the nation.
Now, our manufacturers have beer
apprized by their established conslgnces
in ell the great marts where sales arr