The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1837-08-08
VOL. Il. NO. a.

currency of the country, that il did not restTain,
rather than stimulate, these tendencies rs chief
magistrate was making a grand experiment. 20 aug
the eLeeUti1e poloer. The lights OF forty years
experience clearly showed that the course from
which the administration sought to force the coun-
try, the course of safety and prosperity. These
lights unheeded. The warnings of sober,
considerate statesmen were sounded In Its ears
They were dispised. The voice Of the Immediate
representatives of the people in Congress rails
ed. 1t was disregarded. The GREAT PURPOSE
was not to be abandoned: Tha. purpose was IN
FLUENCE and POWER.
1t was not enough that the immense power of re-
moval and appointment had been converted from
public trust into eIecuttoe property and that there
by in the progress of misscaed reform, the Press
had been subsdized-the freedom and of elections
restrained and pted-egislation of the states
controlled, and the deliberations of Congress sub
iected to the influence, and its decisions put down
by the VETO. of the great Reformer. NO: The
MONEY POWER must be secured to fill the
measure of an all grasping ambition Fatal expert,
ment to the country But more fatal, we would
fa hope to the Dynasty by which it was conceived
and executed Fatal in this sense, surely il will be
if the people not SO drugged with party oPiates
have lost their sensibiity 10 truth, and their
love CT honest, and manly Independence
And now what shall be done in this great emer-
| gency? To iremain where we are is out OF the
question remedy must be devised or the coun.
try Kinks into irretrevabe ruin. To this question
there is, to apprehension, very plain and sat
isfactory answer: We must do just what a wise
man would do who had been led by an ignis iatuus
out of plain, beaten way into boys, and mire and
and quicisands. We must GO BACK: Christian
and Hopeiuls duty was not palmer. Ihey escaped
and ' Went on rejoicing. We must get out OF the
| hands of the Dynasty which has deceived US, and
return to the good old way from which we have
departed.
| And who think of the pure, upright and
unpretending administrations which proceeded thai
of the " Reformcr,' without signing 10 return p
Who remember the sound and convenient cur.
| rency which we once had and the steady, safe on
ward advanceiof natonaliprosperity which accom-
panied it, without feeling of pain, on looking al
skab a;u b, hnu md
| ing the misery which, every where, meets our
eyes?
| Fellow Citizens, we want A REAL REFORM.
A reform which shall really "cotrect the abuses
that have brought the patronage of the government
into conflict with the freedom of elections" and
which shall operate as a real sscouneracton of those
causes which have disturbed the rightful course of
appointment, and placed and continued power in
unfaithful incompetent hands. We want q
President who will come forth with the declaration
of Gen Jacksons first inaugural, above quoted, and
faithfully carry 1t into practice in his Illustration
We want man who shall talk less of democracy,
and practice of its genuine principles man
who, instead of deceiving the country with hollow
professions; and abusing il with broken promises,
shall speak tho thing he means, and DO the thing
he speaks. We want man to administer the gov
eminent who will put himself in the shoes of no
man-and least of all of man, who in the pride
| of Il boatod popularity has trampled down tho
Constitution, and fatally experimental upon The
purity, the peace, the prosperity and happiness Of
To effect this reform, the country should mme-
diately enamel pate itself, far possible, from
the trammes Of the reignng by nasty, by present.
ing plIaanX in both houses of Congress, and in
ooery state government which shall take its stand
boldly on the ground of genuine Wing Principles,
and say to tho men in power-htherto shalt thou
come and farther and here shall thy experiments
and abuses of power be stayed.
But after all, there are those who give to the
enquiry-what shall be done a very different an.
swer from that which have suggested. They
see the condition which the experiment. has
brought lthe country but instead of returning to
the safe condition from which it has departed, they
would have it go forward to an exclusive metallic
currency. Their cry is-away with monopolies-
Down with banks Give US equal rights and priv
ileges and the good old hard money, constitutional
| currency.
Now all this appears very fair and democra,io
But let us look at it moment.
What is monopoly 1t is an exclusive right.
And is this necessarily anti-repubican and odious'
What then. become Of the right of ferry and other
| exclusive rights, which have, time OUT of mind,
been granted by the Legislature of this truly republic
can state. Whether such grants be, or be moi
proper, depends not upon the question whethei
they are monopolies, but whether they are Jenst.
ciaL to the COMMUNICATIVE public good being al
ways, rghtfully the reason and rule of such grants
To deciaim against all monopolies is buta blind
opposition hated and odious name, without
understanding the true grounds of objection TO the
thing which it signifies. Monopolies justly
odious when they are granted by kings TO extend
the royal influence, and sustain the royal power
Just the exclusive privilege of office granted
the friends of our National Executive, TO extend
he's influence and sustain ms power sjustly odous.
But it, by no means follows that the people, through
their Immediate representatives, may not'grant ex-
elusive rights, for limited periods, under special
sponsibilities and for purposes not otherwise TO be
accomp lished-which are beneficial to the public
Such grants may be strictly monopoes-as truly
as grants of perpetual and exclusive privileges,
made to sustain royal power; and yet who cannot
see the wide practical difference which exists be-
tween them?
In the indscrminateness of the opposition g.
gainst monopolies, it is often directed against grants
of corporate privileges for manufacturing and other
MIR ,fs nj onl hens
their Gon productive industry, but when
properly restricted and regulated, truly republican.
inasmuch us, thereby, numerous individuals OF
small capitals may combine their capital and encr-
gy to benefit themselves and the community, and
maintain asuccessful competition with individuals
of great wealth, who need no such facilities.