The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1837-12-16

IT, The Sen -ie a,,d Hyose If Representatives. CfHe
ComwoowelH # PeulsyiUania
FELLow-CITIzENs;
Al communicating to the Legislature the general
condition of the Commonwealth during the past
year, it is my grateful duty to acknowledge, that
throughout all its changes the wise guardianship
of A marciful Providence has been visibly extend.
cd over us as people. The design of mans short
sighted hut bol5ted wisdom have sown distrust and
ruin wide over the rnd; but in Pennsylvania the
restraining care of the Ruler Of nations has still
been at hand to mit gate the evil. While want
of confidence and Of employment, anda consequent
general stagnatUn of business, prostrating the
enerlies of the Union, our crops grew and were
m iturel in abundance our czens were generally
empIovcd and remunerated foI their abor-our en-
terprises public and private if not quite
ful as was anticipated, have ne ther failed entirely
nor materially rctrograded, and good order, hea!tA
and happiness have blessed the state. The evil
under which others groIned fell lightly on u.s. anc
have it is hoped, already accomplished their worst.
Our gratitude should therefore be deep aud lubich
acknoV lodged.
In reforming the duty now before me, il would
be criminal TO treat Ii htly, or even fora moment
postpone the u jet which ahsorbs the attention o.
ALL With the public mind sensitvely aroused t.
it. the ,per treatment Of any matter becomes cA-
tremcly oIllicut But when the deli, ate su' % Vi
cu,ty is greatly enhanced. Sulld sincere desire anu
firm e termination, TO consult alone the good Of
the conntry will lead the patriot through every
difficulty aud enable him to accomplish much that
at first sight appeared hopeless. In this spirit per
nit me u invoke the cO-opera ion of the le57la
turc in deyising and adopting whatever may be
found v ithim the province OF our power for the
lief Of the community.
The distinctive characteristic Of the present CEN
tury is am enlarged degree OF civil liberty, couple
with q liberal and all.prcyajing commerce. In the
early aud less civilized ages man subsisted on tn,
products of tae chase the nock AMI heard or the
ground ound his dwelling, and required little in
tercoursc with his nc 5hbor. a later race neAt
sprung up, who, spurnlng the peaceful and obscure
ayocations of their an e5tors, made the sword ana
the bow yield the means Of gratifying their new ana
Increasing wants in the midst of whose in c5saul
broils the thi.t of the merchant was lit c under
stood, or pursued with great danger and precarou-
profit To curb their la vlcss career in the cOurs
of time, strong II absolute governments were es
tablshcl whose arhitriry decrecs and edats thouJu
they compelled pel-e and Partdlity protcce prop
erty hal also the effect of repres5ing liberty and
cripplia commerce. These inseparable compan-
ions in mans history at length burst their houds
AMI nov, in whateye' part of the earth nation
bound FREE, it, commerce is found to prosper in the
same proportion.
The first of'prng Of commerce, thus produce
by liberty. isa general Circulating me lum or cur
ren,y; aul the best proof % the prosperity of com
mercc AMI perfection of liberty, are the SCUM Ines
and uniformity Of that currency. In ia it is al
m ost impossible to conceive Of people suii ient
free to e5ulate their own aiT,irS, completely com
mercal in their hl5its and united in other 'pects
yet blind to thsr best Interests TO ne ;ect the
uniform regulation and sOuudness Oi that Oh which
their comm rciil prr'pe,itJ depends A soun
uniform currency will therefore be the first com
mercial effort Of a free people.
BY cOmOiLTce is meant MT that mere impo1dtiDl
of foreign an expectation OF dpmcSti" goods VIII.
is carried OH in seaport towns. hut the general Ii
posaI Of articles of all kinds whether The produce
the chase the field the forest the mine or the IA
tory, by those who have more than they need, L.
those who require them wherever t-anslctcl. An.
by cRvreRcy is intended TINT circulating lUivael'
wbih eaclrroreive5 in return for the articles sold
aud which will procure him an eIull amount i
value of others that he may wish to purchase. 1t
is 'OVHd when it i, either Compo ed of the pretou-
metals or of paper actually representing an clul
amount ofsperie, or Of property con'nnt9 conver-
tIble into specie some where deposited for its in
slant redemption; and it m FIRM when it is taken
in equal rate in cvcy part Of the county through
which it was intended to circulate.
such currency, the want of which was one o.
the greatest difficulties ofhe reyouton, was among
the first cares of the political fathers of our liberia
ted and commer,ial lnion
national paper currency wasb by them created
with the consent of Washington, after IA full exam
inalion of the fears of It's opponents and Of the
wants of the country. Gradually and clectuaill
il performed its Off, till the question ofits contin-
uance was again brought round in the course OF
years;- again it was opposed and was for time
dispensed with; but gain the wants OF lllEhiehe"
and equal commerce overcome the scruples OF Mad
ison and once more the business OF the country
found a sure reliance Here it mi ght be supposed
that doubt and experimenting would have ended
Here it might be hoped that the acts Of as enlght-
encd and pure patriotism ever gr'ced the M
tory of any nat on might acquire the irte OF pre-
celcnt aud settle the veveI question in favor Il The
wants OF the people and in opposii N to fears whi'l
two long and full trials had not realized. But no
The doctrine that every mans understanding ot tA'
constitution was the constitution, and that no pre-
celent however safe in its experience, or authorl,
of names however vencrated by tho country no
even he de,i ion of the supreme court o. the ma
tion. were 10 avail any III n , was bt)lchel'
iti'al doctors arose whose grlvsI a7owei ohJ6c
was to save the people from the power of thci' o"
constituted agents, and from the iuAl,lce OF elg gne
created by their own hands for their own convent
ence. They found the county healthy anI pfo7
poTous in all its relations, and needing only
wholesome restriction On the exubsran.eS of II