Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-01-10

schemes OF the government nave all
been formally or virtually carried
into effect, and yet, while they have
held the reins and controlled the
destinies of the nation, we have
fallen from state of uncXampled
prosperity, to one of unparalleled
depression. If then they have not
caused our reverses, let us at least
hold them responsible for not pre-
} vcnting them.
, But great as are our present pc
cuniary distresses, they arenot the
most intolerable of our evils, both
, because they are temporary in their
, nature, and of less intrinsic impor-
lance than the invasions of our polit-
, ical rights, and the inroads upon our
, free institutions, which now threaten
to fall before the usurpations of the
: executive.
, TO most of these we can but al
| Jude, because their investigation
and exposure would require more
. time than can now be devoted to
, them, but we ought to lose no oppor-
tunity of reminding our fellow citi-
, zens, that this and the late admins
tration and their party, have strenu-
t ously resisted every attempt at
investigation by Congress of the
manifold abuses of the Departments,
that they have refused to correct
} these abuses, when disclosed and
: proved, and have retained in place
officers convicted upon the clearest
S evidence of the most outrageous and
r corrupt violations Of official duty;
: Have, with the cry of economy
: continually in their mouths, increas-
: ed in threefold ratio the expenses
= of governments;
, Have given partial and unjust
Z preference to particular sections of
= country in appointments TO Office,
l and in the expenditure of the public
} funds, lavishing the treasure of the
, nation where it would most avail in
l purchasing or retaining party inilu-
! ence
Have acted upon, if not avowed,
r the principle, that public office is
but an invention, whereby the hold
er may be enabled to live by the
| earnings of the people, and that the
: end of government is to create and
. distribute office;
S Have openly encouraged the eX-
S ercise of mob-law, and contempt
t for decisions of judicial tribunals,
, and other constituted authorities;
f Have intertered with the freedom
, of elections, and made conformity
to their political creed test and
condition of Office
Have lately, with open and I'M
blushing impudence, set at defiance
principles, and tramplcd under foot
} forms, consecrated by the usage of
half a century, in determining the
, qualifications of members OF con-
5 gress, Knocked and denied the rights
, of an int ral member ofthe conied-
: eracy, and at last rewarded a mere
! scribe, for assuming, without colour
r of law, the power of excluding a
sovereign state from the legislative
t council of the nation;
! Have steadfastly opposed every
5 scheme for the equitable distribution
t of the proceeds Of the public lands,
l and are now seeking to abandon
f them altogether;
Have for a long series of years,
in the face of the clearest evidence,
, and in spite of the most earnest
5 remonstrances, winked at the gross
; est and most palpable frauds upon
the protective system, to the utter
1 prostration of the most important
branch of national industry; and in
fine,
Have pursued, throughout,
series of measures neither calculated
nor designed for the promotion of
the general good, but aimed chiefly
, at the maintenance and advance
| ment Of the power of a party.
Upon these several causes of
complaint we shall not diIate, but
, we cannot pass over in silence the
subject of the protection oIdomestic
, industry, subject i'll which every
citizen who lives upon the fruits of
his own labour, or the product OF
his own property, has the deepest
and most absorbing interest. BY
the Joint operation of the frauds on
the revenue, whereby incalculable
quantities of foreign goods are
I - :. ,,on ne without novinU