Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-03-20

dividual will, prompted by vindictive
passion, or guided by erroneous views
of the public interest.
The experiment, besides its influence
on the general business of the country,
the dismission of Thousands of the Ia.
boring classes from employment, and
the check on commercial operations
and other enterprises, has occasioncd a
very great depreciation in the value of
most descriptions of property, and es.
pecially of stocks. should be glad to
see an estimate land it would be a most
interesting and not impracticable esti.
mattel of the aggregate amount Of ma.
tional and individual loss produced by
this most improvident measure, in the
properly, business, and capital of the
country. | have somewhere seen n
statement that the total value of all the
property, real and personal, in the sin
gle State ofNew York, is estimated at
eight hundred millions of dollars. Il
will not be deemed extravagant TO sup
pose that this property, by the opera
tons of tho recent measure Of the Exc
cutive, has been subjected to an ave.
rage depreciation often per cent. As.
suming the correctness of this calcula-
ton, the loss in that State would be
eighty millions. The State Of New
York contains about one-sixth of the
whole population Of the United States,
and probably about one fifth of the pro.
perty. fproperty in other parts ofthe
Union has deprecated in the same pro-
portion as in New York, land it has
not been less, the reduction in value
throughout the Union would be equal
to the enormous sum of four hundred
millions of dollars! More than double
the sum which the last war with Great
Britain cost the United States
But the depreciation in the value of
capital and property is only one, altho'
not an unimportant item, in the account
of losses which have accrued from the
rash proceeding Of the Executive. Its
effect on agricultural products, and O.
Their products of industry, on the labor
of the country, on commerce, on public
funds, and in the stagnation of the &C.
neral business ofthe People, has-occa.
stoned loss scarcely inferior TO that
TO which the capital and property ofthe
country has been most unwisely SUBJ
jected.
And what is the remedy to be pro-
vided for this most unhappy state ofthc
country? ! have conversed freely with
the members ofthe Philadelphia Conn.,
mittee. They are real, practical, work
ing men; intelligent, well acquainted
with the general condition, and with
the sufferings of their particular COM
munity. No one, who has not heart
Of steel, can listen to them, without
feeling the deepest sympathy for the
privations and sufferings unnecessarily
brought upon the laboring classes
Both the Committee and the memorial
declare that their reliance is, exclusive
ly, on the Legislative branch of the
Government. Mr.. President, it is with
subdued feelings, of the proloundest
humility and modification, that ! am
compelled to say that, constituted as
Congress now is, no relief will be af
forded by it, unless its members shall
be enlightened and instructed by the
People themselves. A large portion o.
the body, whatever may be their pri-
vate judgment upon the course of the
President, believe it to be their duty, al
all events safest for themselves, to sus.
tain him without regard to the conse-
quences of his measures upon the pub
lie interests. And nothing but clear,
decided, and unequivocal demonstra-
tons of the popular disapprobation of
what has been done, will divert them
from their present purpose.
But there is another quarter which
possesses sufficient power and influence
to relieve the public distress. In TWEEN.
lty-four hours, the Executive branch
could adopt measure which would af
ford an efficacious and substantial re.
medy, and re-establish confidence
And those who, in this Chamber, sup.
port the Administration, could not rem
| der a better service than to repair to
the Executive Mansion, and, placing
before the Chief Magistrate the naked
and undisguised truth, prevail upon
him to retrace his steps and abandon
his fatal experiment. No one, sir, can
perform that duty with more propriety
than yourself.s You can, if you will,
induce him to change his course: To
you, then, sir, in no unfriendly spirit,
but with feelings softened and subdued
by the deep distress which pervades e.
very class of our countrymen, make
the appeal. By your official and per-
sonal relations with the President, you
maintain with him an intercourse which
] neither enjoy nor covet. Go to him
and tell him, without exaggeration,
but in the language of truth and SIM
cerity, the actual condition of his bleed
ing country. Tell him it is nearly ru-
med and undone by the measures which
he has been induced to put in opera
sThe reader should:.be in mind, to understand
II tLr.t4 49, ~