The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-09-08

aJm;t that the Government have right 70 pass
sb law and that while il is law II must 20 opey ~
But what are we promised ~ 'n' VIZ that The
Covernment In lis turn, will pay It's depts III sleo,i
and that thus what il receives with one haiu WI,
nav out with the other and metallic eiicuia'io VIM
be established. undertake 10 say Una. no ,''1
sacy than this was uttered the thing y impos
I'm. and for this plain reason The dues whlch 20
xernment collects from individuals eaeh pays Tor
himself; but il is far otherwise with the disbursements
Of Government; they do not 80 down 20 individuals
mi seeking out the workmen and the aborors, pay "
ch his dues Government pays in large sums 10
large contractors and 10 these they pay gold and ST.
yer But do the gold and silver reach those whom he
contractor employs On the contrary, the contractors
deal as they see fit with those whom they employ VI
az whom they purchase The Army and Navy are
fed and clothed by contract the materials LOT your
sumptuous custom houses your Notifications ior M
Cumberland road and for other public Worhs, ~ ~
supplied by contract, Large cohuaot I1 - H.
Washington and receive their tons OF gold anu s'i'oi
but do they carry il with them to Name, MISSISSIPPI
Michigan or wherever their residence or VOCATION py
he No moi a dollar but selling II Tor deprecated
paper the contractor swells ms previous Pfo y ''
added premium and pays of those he owes IA uePre,,
ciated bank notes This is not an Imaginary case
sneak Of what is in proof a contractor came 70
Washington last winter, and recel'ed dfalI OF
$500 on a specie-payi bank IN New OH ms
he sold at per cent premium, ana WIN the Na's
nnrcbased wildcat money with which he paid the
producer the farmer, and the lahorer, ms Is the
operation of specie payments gives 10 the ,'oNefh
ment hard money 10 the rich contractor hard money
hut to the producer and the aborer il gives paper ana
bad paper only And yet this system is recommended
as specially iavoring the poor man, rather lhan the
rich and credit is claimed for this Administration a.
the poor mans friend Let us look little more nearly
at this matter and whom, IN TRUTH u does tsor
Who are the rich in this country There Is very
little hereditary wealth among US and large capitalists
are not numerous But there are, nevertheless,
who live upon the interest Of their money and these
certainly do not suffer by this new doctrine Tor their
revenues IRE rendered valuable while the Objects
of living are reduced in value There is the money
lender too who suffers not by the reduction OF prices
all around him Who else the rich in this eoun-
try Why the holders of Office he who has
fixed salary of from ~ 500 to 50 900 finds prices fall
ing but does his salary fall On the contrary three
ourths of that salary will now purchase more than
the whole of il would purchase before; and he there
fore, is not dissatisfied with this new law
There is too, another class of our fellow citizens,
wealthy men, who have prospered during the last year
and they have prospered when nobody else prospers
mean the owners of shipping. w hat Is the reason
Give me a reason We'll, will give you one he
shipping of the country carries on the foreign ana do
nestle trade-the larger vessels being chiefly in the
foreign trade Now why have these been successful!
| will answer by example live on the sea-coasl
of New England, and one of my nearest neighbors Is
the largest ship owner probably IN the United States
During the past year he has made what might suffice
for two or three fortunes and how has he made 1t
He sends his ships to Alabama Louisiana, Mississippi,
to take freghts of cotton This staple whatever the
price abroad, cannot be suffered TO rot at home, and
therefore it shipped My friend tells his captain TO
provision his ship at Natchez for instance where he
buys flour and stores in the deprecated currency of
that region, and pays for them by bill on Boston
which he sells at As per cent premium Here, nj
once, as will be seen, he gets his provision Tor halt
price He delivers his freight in Europe, and gets
paid for it in good money. The dlsordercd currency
of the country to which he belongs does not follow
and afflict him abroad He gets his freight IN good
money, places it in the hands of his owners banker
who again draws at premium for IT. The ship own
er, then makes money when all others are suffering
because he escape from The influence Of The bad
lars and bad currency Of his country Now,
will Contrast the story of this neighbor with that Of
another of my neighbors, who is not rich lie is
New England mechanic Woodworking, sober, and
intelligent tool maker by trade, who wields his own
sedge-hammer His particular business Is the making
OF augurs for the South and Southwest lie has for
years employed many hands, and been the support
thereby of many families around him, himself mean
while, moderately prosperous until these evil times
came Yearly, however, for some years, he has
been going backwards-not less industrious, not less
frugal he yet found that however apparently good
the prices he might receive at the South and South
for his tools the OF converting those funds
into funds current in New England was ruinous, lie
has persevered, however, always hoping for soTe
change for the better and contracting gradually the
circle of his work and the number of his workfnen,
until al length the little earnings of the past wasted
and worse, he is reduced to bankruptcy and he and
the twenty families that he had supported beggared
by no fault Of their own. What was his difficulty
He could not escape from the evils of bad laws and bad
currency at home; and while his rich ncighbor who
could and did Is made richer by these very he
the honest and industrious mechanic, is crushed to the
earth and yet we are told this is system for promo
ting the interests of the poor
This leads me naturally TO the great subject Of Ame-
rcdn labor which has hardly been considcle ed dis
aS as
tabor? 1t is hest described by saying Is mol Euro
pean labor Nnc-tenths of the whole labor Of this
country performed by those who cultivate the land
they their fathers own, who in their workshops
employ some little capital of their own, and mix II up
with their labor Where does this exist elsewhere
Look at the different departments Of industry, whether
agricultural, manufacturing, mechanical am you
will find that in all the lahocrs mix up some little
pital with the work of their hands The laborer of
the United States is the United States. Strike out
the laborers Of the United States including therein
all who in way other belong to the industrious
and working classes and you will reduce the populn
ton of the United States from sixteen millions to one
million The American laborer is expected to have a
comfortable home, decent though frugal living, 10
cothc and educate his children, qualify them 10 take
part called To do, in the political affairs and
government Of their country Can this be said ofany
European laborer2 Does he take any share in the
government of his country, or feel it obligation To
educate his children There nne-tcnths OF the labor
have interest in the soil they cultivate, nor IN
the fabrics they produce no hope under any clrcum
stances Of rising themselves Of raising their chi
dren above the condition of day laborer at wages
and only know the government under which they live
by the sense OF It's oppresson-, which they have no
voice in mitigating
To compare such state of labor with the labor Of
this country reason from that to ours, is prepos
And yet the doctrine now is not of lndiNidu
ais only, but of the Administration, that the wages of
American labor must be brought down to the level Of
those of'Europe.
have sand this is not the doctrine Of few indiy
duas and on that head think injustice has been done
TO a Senator from Pennsylvania, who has been made
10 bear large share Of the responsibility OF suggesting