Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-10-23

same time all rich or all poor; such is not the nature
Of things; andif the working men will but reflect that
result from the general prosperity, so essentially de-
pendent on credit and currency, they will not become
the dupcs Of crafty masters, for the purpose Of shifting
responsibility and odIum from their own shoulders to
others. Craft is a weapon in the order of Providence
usually assigned to the weak and this is the weapon
now employed by the dominant though sinking faction.
But the craft Of man is short sighted, and very. differ
ent from wisdom. The one is profound, fore-sightful,
and extensive in scope the other limited to narrow,
selfish purposes, wanting the liberality, expansion, and
disintcrestcdness indispensable to greatness.
Erperientia docet. am addressing myself to you
sir, but with reference to all practical common sense
men. Facts are stubborn things" 1prny you to
contrast, for a moment the progressin every depart
men' and branch of business and prosperity, during
the term of undsturbcd credit and currency for many
years, with what it has become since both those SOW
ereign agents have been put under the ban OF the
Government. On the one hand genius and enterprise
and spirit, inventing and consumating the noblest
works of man abundance of employment, in all its
variety, for all classes of society comfort and profit
every where flowing into the lap of industry property
of every kind geeatly enhanced public and private
virtue presiding over a contcntcd people, and the true
glory Of a happy land thus blazing forth as q guiding
light TO an admiring world! But, alas, in this rapid
shipwrccked excuses, failures and frauds, occurred
some people suffered from the villany Of others; some
banks, or some of their officers. were found to be
rogucs; corporations of every kind, ministers of OPP
preSSlon, enTOaCnmcntS upon UNIVERSAL liberty, &c
All must, therefore, be swept by the board, and a new
system be organized the factious clamor rings
throughout the land. But let us calmly ask, when
was this imperfect world without the evil upon which
all this clamor is founded I They are a part of or the
necessary consequence from Humanity itself. 1t has
been always, and is now, the legitimate province OF
law to check and restrain them of human wisdom to
realize the good, and prevent the evil, Of the works
OF the Almighty, without reproaching HIM for moi
having made them both physically and morally more
perfect. But human nature continues the same; hu.
man institutions gradually and safely improving until
a set of political characters have siczed on them, and
are exercising a certain magic in their metamorphosis;
aud behold! we have already the reverse of the beau
tful picture just presented; the most offensive daub.
ing to reduce it to a level of their own taste. II
were to say many OF them were innocent as well as
ignorant, j might err.
am well aware that, besides the imputed prcsump-
ton of meddllng with a subject above a private, re.
tired individual and especially y, too, ono of an insight
lcant DISTINGUISHED people, it will be sneeringly re-
marked that ! I'M president of a bank, and therefore
~sclfshly sensitive and vindictivc. Every candid and
sensible man not under the influence OF party discl-
plume and subserviency, must admit that their fierce
hostility waging against the credit system in every
shape, and especially against banks, furnishes a leg1tl-
mate reason for opposition. The sneer Just alluded to
summons no bushes to my cheeks. l have, been
president of a bank more than thirty years; l have
been so of the Bank of the Metropolis from its birth to
this day and fearlessly say that Notwithstanding the
great extent and multifarlousness of its transactions
neither it nor its president has ever been suIlicd with =
single stain on account of them. ! am proud of all
those facts. And here let me observe, that my con-
ncctiOn with the bank was never before objected to
as derogating from what little weight | had, if any in
the political scale and, in the election Of Genera
Jackson particularly, his friends and party generally
compimented me as IN efficient co-opcrator in thcil
struggle and success. ".Sed Temporal mutdntur," AND
my opinions and reasons must now, forsooth, he
worthless, because / am president OF n bank But,
sir, it is not as a stakeholder in a bank that I suffer
mainly by tn destructive public measures complained
Of | am a landholdcr, and my interest as such, is
vastly greater than my bank concern. 1t is in the
depression and decline of real estate that ], in common
with all other classes, professions, trades snd working
men suffer.
An. let IN ask, Independently Of tie ~palpable and
notorious evils We all experience, what respect is due
TO the measures and characters OF those who at one
period, are advocates and champions of banks and at
another, without n change of relative circumstances,
their enemies and prosecutors, as either the one or the
other character is most e%xpcdient for the dark intrigue
and purposes Of an ambitious and rcigning faction,
m1dly regardless of all consideration for the public
veal ! 1t would be vain and assuming in me to at
tempt, formally, to discuss all the various matters,
the mlsmanagement or unfortunate condition of which
concurs with that briefly referred to, to produce con-
vlcton in my mind on this question of the election.
Nor does the case require II, or the occasion justify II.
it.. ] shall, therefore, transiently only allude to a few
other topics, promising that the indifference or neglect
of an industrious and confding people toward their
political concerns and agents SO long as their con-
ditlon is tolerable, not unire Iucntly enables the artlul
ana ueSlgnl1n ucnlHIDnuc anu lntTlnHcT, Dy Ir3utl1l
and silent advances, to cOnsummatc dangerous usur
patlons and self ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. II is, therefore,
truly taught, that eternal vigilance is the price of lib
erty.' And, according to this salutary prccept, with
out : 'lng into minute discussion, I shall snmmarily,
only, remind you and others of several things that
may have escaped YOU, or not received SO much OF
your and their notice as they are entitled 10, in refer
ence to our present and permanent, interests.
The Florida war is n subject of painful consideration
to every friend of humanity and our country; and
the sentiment OF It's maDlUctOent is too StrOnU 10 Dc
overcome by the inadequate attempts at its success
full conduct and termination. Besides the many nil
lions OF dollars already spent in this terrible contest
with n few hundred Struggling savagcs, the blood Of
our provincial population, as well as that of our army
ls proluscly streaming throughout the territory the
destitute surviving few inhabitants fleeing in terror and
despair, And, according to present prospects, that
physically favored soil, irrigated and enriched as it is
by the precious blood Of our people bnrbarously sla,gh-
tered, will long remains desert, abandoned and avoid
ed ny all civilized occupation. 1t is emphatically an
lnglorlous war. The mcrcless Indian savagcs are
even invading the neighboring states. It's, in short,
a subject, the contemplation of which is haunted by
the obtrusive rccoiecli)ns Of the r,ans Of dying pa
rents, the screams of mangled pcrlsling children,
and the horrld dsonnant yells Of the murderous
savagcs.
The veyed question of the Northeastern boundary,
of the keenest and most exciting interest in that quar-
ter, is still 'slug9lshly draggingirs slow length along;'
the patience and confidence of our pcoplu wearing
ont; anxiety decpening; irritation fast succeeding:
IN truth the combustiblc materials on the spot in con
slant danger of an explosion, kindling n dreadful con.
Migration, only to be eXtinguishedb by rivers of human
blood. And what would we who have ON hand one
bloody war, TO which we are in effect daily admitting
our incompetence, do with another infinitely more ex-
tenslve and more formidable in It's character?
The New Jersey case, which without reference to
It's intrinsic merits, be they what they may, has been
conducted, besides the violation OF n great principle at
the threshold of the case, with such Indecent irregu-
lnrlty and violence Of manner as defy all former pre-
ccdcnt the calm, lofty dignity of legislative proceed
ing being totally discarded.
The contemptrous neglect, nay, rejection, of all
territorial business by a sweeping interdict, is as dis
graceful as It's unjust and unkind TO our (mark I speak
as as a ciilzcn Of the United Statcs) political of .pring
who have been, during a long session, imploring a
slight parental attention to their urgent concerns;
fllnl cntreaty received only stern repulsc.
The vast mass of private business, consisting gen
orally OF crying cases of poverty and distress, begging
Tor relieving justice from n debtor Government, almost
Who'll y dlsregardcd and thrown aside; their feeble
voice 10 It in the noise of factious turmoil.
The cold, phelgmaric neglect of the Smithsonian
PROJECT, one of the noblest and most Interesting that
ever occupied the e~nlightcd statesman or philanthrop-
list, is truly dlsreputable. Not the least solicitudc in
relation to It has ever been evinced by the Admins
tra'ion since the arrival of the legacy of $500, 900 in
specie, with considerable interest afterward accrued ;
and even the sacred fund appropriated to it by private
virtue and lberalty, if not sacrilcgiousl v squnndorcd.
Is 30 misappl'od, or invested at a material loss, as to