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

Shirt u . a.
| Pair Of shoes
| % francs"
Nav what saw Won. nv frends--what will the far
mer of New York of Pennsylva and New Eng
land saw to the idea of walking on sunday 70 ehuich,
at the head of his family IN his jacket f!oo years ~
| What will the young man say when, ms woih chu,u'
he desires To visit the families OF MS nesnposi ~ '
one pair of panaloons not quite two years ON haecu'
but ~ the farmers say Of colt coming two next grass
and which for eighteen months, have done yeoman )
| service Away with IT all away with TINS plan ior
humbing and degrading the free, lnteliiSent, wen eau
Gated and ll-paid labor OF the United states 70
| theleyeI of the almost brute labor of Europe
| There is not much danger that schemes and doc
trnes such as these shall find favor with the People
They understand their own interest too wen LOT tha''
Gentlemen | am a farmer, the shore, and nave,
Of course occasion TO employ some degree oil aereui
tural labor | an sometimes also rowed out To sea,
being like other New Englandinen, fond OF OCCASION
ally catching fish, and finding health ana recrea-
ton in weather from the AR OF the ocean. OF
the few months during which am able To ENJOY ths
retreat from labor public PROFESSIONAL do not oil
ten trouble my neghbors, or they me, with converse
ton on politics 1t happened however, about lhree
weeks ago that such an excursion as nave men
toned with only one man with me, mentioned TINS
doctrine of the reduction of prices and asked hlm ms
opinion of it. He said he did not like IT. replied,
the wages of labor it is true, are reduced but then
flour and beef and perhaps clothing, all OF which you
buy are reduced also What then, can be your OBJ
jectionsl Why said he ut is true that hour Is now
low but then is an article that may rise suddenly,
BY means of a scanty crop, in England, or at home;
and if should rise from five dollars to ten do not
know for certain that it would fetch the price OF my
labor up with it. But, while wages are hlgh, then
safe, and if produce chances to iall SO inuch the
better for me But there is another thing have but
one thing to SELL that is my labor; but must buy
many things-not only -four and meat, and clothing,
but also some articles that from other countries
d little sugar, little coffee, little tea, little OF the
common spices and such like Now, do not see how
these foreign articles will be brought down by redu-
cinu wares at homc and before the price Is brought
down of the only thing have To SELL want to be
sure that the prices will fall also not OF part butof
all the things which must buy.
Now gentlemen though he will be astonished or
amused that should tell the story before such vast
and respectable assemblage this will place this ar
Guincnt of Seth Peterson sometimes farmer and some
times fisherman the coast OF Mas sachusets, stated
TO me while pulling an oar with each hand, and with
the sleeves OF his red shirt rolled up above his elbows
against the arguments, the theories, and the speeches
the Administrations and all It's friends, IN or out OF
Congress and take the verdict of the country, and of
the civilized world, whether he has not the best side
ofthc question.
men allow me to say that this ncighbor of mine is a
man of fifty of several OF poor man; that,
by his labor he has obtained some few acres his own
unencumbercd freehold comfortable DWELLING and
plenty OF the poor mans blessings VI these, nave
known six, decently and ceany clad, each with the
book the slate and the map proper to ITS age, all go
ing the time daily to enjoy the blessing OF that
which is the great glory of New England-the com
mon free school Who can contemplate thus, and
thousands of other like it, not as pictures but as
common facts without feeling how much our free in
sttutons and the policy hitherto pursued, have done
for the comfort and happiness OF the great mass OF our
citizens w here in Europe, where IN any part OF the
world out of our country, shall we find labor thus
| Al and IN al thp
good No where No where! Away, then, with
the injustice and the folly of reducing the cost of pro-
ductions with us TO what is called the common stand
ard OF the world. Away, then, away at once and for
ever with the miserable policy which would bring the
condition Of laborcr in the United States to that of
laborer in Russia Sweden, in France or Germany
in Italy OF Corsica Instead Of following these exam
pies let us hold up our own which all nations may
well envy, and which, unhapply in most parts OF the
earth it is easier to envy than to initiate
But it is the cry and effort OF the tunes to stimulate
those who called poor against those who are called
| rich, and yet, among those who urge this cry aho
seek to profit 10y it, there is betrayed sometimes an oc
casonal snccr at whatever savors of humble life Wit
ness the reproach against a candidate before Iii,
\ People for their highest honors, that a log cabin anc
| plenty OF hard cider Is good enough for HIM
1t appears persons that great deal too much
| use is made OF the symbol of the log cabin No mar
of sense supposes certainly, that the having lived IN
og cabin any further proof of qualification for Tia,
4 Presidency than creates the presumption tha
any one who, from humble condition, or under unta
vorabe circumstances, has been able to attract con
I siderable degree Of public attention, is possessed o
4 reputable qualities, moral and intellectual
But il is to be remembered that this matter of ~,
og cabin originated, not with the friends of the Whis
candidate, but with his enemies. Soon after his nom
nation at Harrisburg, writer for one OF the LEADING
Administration papers spoke of his log cabin, ant
his use of hard cider" by way of snecr and reproach
Az might have been oxpcctcd-tor pretcndcrs are gen
orally talschs taunt at humble life proceeded from
the party which claims for itself the character OF thu
purcst democracy. The whole party appeared to en-
ov it, at least they countenanccdn by silent acqui
essence; fo do not know that to this day, any emf
ncnt Individual, any leading newspaper attached t,
the Administration, has rebukcd this scornful jeerinl
at The supposed humble condition circumstances II
life past or present, of a worthy man and -worr
soldier. But it touched tender point in the publ,
feeling, Ii naturally reused Indignation What was in
tended reproach was Immediately seized merit
" Be il So be il So was the instant burst of the publ,
/ voice Let him be the log cabin candidate Wha
YOU say in scorn, we will shout with all our lungs
from this day have cry of rally, and we shall
see whether he who has dwet in one of the rud,
abors Of the West may not become the best house il
| the country
An this is natural and springs from sources Of jus
feeling. Other things, gentlemen, have had snIla
origin. We all know that the term Wing was he
slowed in dcrision two hundred years ago on thos,
who thought too fond of liberty; and nation
al air OF ankce Doodle composed by British off
GERS, fdIcue OF American troops. ct, ere long
! the last Of the British armies laG down its a
| Yorktown, whilst this air playing in tn,
| ears of officers and men. Gentlemen, il is only shall
low-mnded prctendcrs, who either make dstingushe,
origin matter ofpersonal merit, obscure origin mat
ter Of personal reproach Taunt and scoiing at tn,
humble condition Of early lfc' affect nobody in th
country but those who foolish enough to indug,
in them and they generally sufficiently punshe,
rs public rebukc A who is not ashamed OF him
sell need not he ashamed Of his early condition.
Gentlemen, il did not happen to to be born in
log cabin, but my elder brothers and sisters borr
in og cabin raised amid the snow-drlfts of New
Hampshire period so early, that when the smok,
first from II. rmdc chmneN and curled over Ii,