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

Christian nation, upon foreigners,
Tor almost every thing except the
barest necessaries of animal life, for
every article of elegance and com
tort, in short, the use and enjoyment
OF which distinguishes the civilized
man from the savage. We are ten
ding to state of vassalage, and de-
pendance upon Europe not less
oppressive, but more dseraceful,
because in some measure voluntary,
than our old colonial subsection, and
though the British no longer make
our laws, yet they control us nearly
as cilectually, by means of our COM
mercial dependence. They not
only supply us with an immense
proportion of the manufactured arti-
cles we consume, but the debt thus
created throws the regulation of
foreign exchange, and even the con-
troll of our public works and monied
institutions, and of course, to some
extent, of our currency, into the
hands of foreign capitalists. First,
they sell us the manufactured arti-
Gle, and then lend US the money to
pay for it, taking into their hands
our railroads, our canals, our banks,
and our state obligations, by way Of
security. Tho tendency of all this
is too plain to require any exposition
beyond the simple statement of the
facts, in the mind of any rational
man, and all men can at least feel, if
they cannot understand.
Among those whom we address,
it is considered to be settled point,
that the legitimate, appropriate and
only elfectual remedy for these
evils is the adoption and enforce
ment of protective system, which
shall in effect exclude the pauper
labourer of the workshops OF Europe
from competing with the American
artlzan in our own markets, and it
admits of as little doubt, that a
change in the government is an in
dispensable prerequisite to the
adoption of such a system. The
present administration, if not for
mally and irrecoverabIy pledged
against the principle of protection, is
yet VIGOROUSLY SO far committed to
the South, and SO imbued with
southern prejudices and principles,
that it is idle to hope, that those
who have hitherto connived at the
violations of the present insufficient
tariff will lend any support to one of
a more efficient and exclusive char
actcr. But let it not be understood,
that we would array the north against
the south, or that we believe, that
there exists any irrcconcilable di-
yersity of interest between these
great divisions of our common coun-
try. On the contrary, we hold that
a well regulated tariff would relieve
not only US, but the south also from
the still deeper depression in which
they have been plunged by promo
ting system, not of direct barter,
but Of virtual exchange between
the productions of the north and
south, which could not fail to prove
in the highest degree advantageous
to both sections of the Union, and
though we are not authorized to eX-
pect the speedy assent of the south
to such system as we desire, yet it
is gratifying to know, that more lib
eral views Of the subject are there
entertained, to some extent, and
there is reason to hope, that at some
not remote day, our whole country
will agree in holding that sclf-pro-
lection and defence is the first law of
nature, as we'll for nations, as for the
individuals who compose them.
That the elasticity of our Institutions
and people will soon, in spite of the
administration, produce a partial
relief, we have no doubt; but we
repeat, that it is idle to hope for
any settled and permanent anchor
alton of our condition, until the gov
ornment shall be conducted upon a
system of large and liberal policy,
wholly beyond the calibre, and out
of The grasp, of the lunctionarics,
who now despotize over US, in the
name of the American people.
As we have suggested, the true
remedy, lies in change of the ad-
ministration, and first, of its chief
officers, whose election, fortunately,
is in the hands of the people. 1t is
unnecessary to canvass the claims OF
the eminent citizen whom we seek
IN nIaca ot The hand Of tbo o,,o