The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1840-06-12

test cannon, therefore, be double as sure as I
c'e 3tion takes place, will Marlih Van Buren swc
Giorgia by TWENTY THOUSAND MAJOR
TY.
At n meeting of the mechanics and laboring
he'd on the evening ofthe 7th inst. at CincnE;
Ohio, series of resolutions were adopted n
then referred to a committee to examine and to
poIt thereon, the substance Of which is condens
in the following words;
WHAT IS TIE CAUSE OF TIE PRESEN
HARD TIMES.
1t has always been found much easier to 4
question, or series of them, tiian to give Il sal
! factory answer thereto
The cause of the present embarrassmenls in
kinds of business may justly he as,ribed to IN: M
MIA for sre unton, wli,h has prevlde this count
from the time it assumed its proper pace amo
the nations Of the earth. Nor is it confined TO .
republic, but it exists among all mura'ne na,ioI |
and always will twas this that built up Tyre Il
''i,ion, and, in fact, the commercial cities that la |
ever existed, and perhaps has contributed mo
than any one cause to elevate this queen city to h
present dignity, and when properly conduclc
must certainly be an advantage to the whole civ
zcd world hur, ike every thing in creation, VIII !
ONE beyond their natural and proper limits
comes an evil immense magnitude. The car
the planets, and the sun himself with all the or
that rc,ove around his bright disc, are govern
by one supreme law, and, were it not so, long e
this deSoliiion would have married all the gorgeo
works Of creation.
| Thc primary cause Of the enbara ss,ncnts no
existing may be ira ed to the Internal in,proveme
system. of the day. Now, without stopping to d
cuss the policy or impoIiry Of the measure, W
will conlinc ourselves to the subject now und
| dis 'uSSi0n.
During the last few years, the plan of intcrsec
| ting iha country in every direction with canals n
rail roads, has been c.rried To an extent hercioloN
unknown in the history Of nations ; Il desire to Il
emulate wealth obtained such mastery over Il
minds ol men, that, like the ancient lsraeics, tn
have been ready 10 fall down and worship the Col
den Calf, which they them selves have set UP.
! 10 construct those strprn6UOus works with Il
available RESOURCES Of The country, and in the spa
of tine that it WAS requisite 'hiy should be don
| was ut er,y inprnr'i abe : but H. : it sload |
done was decided pm hy the assembled wi'do
of tn people ; although il was ob,iors that near
every dollar necessary fer the purpose would In
/ 10 be borrowed. -tunseCUcntiy, To obtain the q
I
sued, and the fh and honor of eighteen States
the Mon pledged for their rcdenpion, and III,
credit strained through Europe, the cGormo
amount eff ), i70, oGo ,noO have been borrowed
| which i, is fir to presume thai England alone h
| furnished upwards Of : 100 eco ,Oo0. This cuus
an influx Of wealth into The country for FIVE We;
furnished thu moaas--apd gave an impetus to
system eff speculation that fncw 10 | OF MS.
| The question now forces itse.i on the mind, 10
m15 ms moqcv pqi{ This immense amount
wealth was paid inrcsu'ar instalnIcnts, Of dilGrc
periods of time; say six, nine and twelve monll
I'll th' first in'a!mert large portion was paid
manufactures .Lcl ~ dry goods, rail road iron
and in f.ct, in any th;Gg t.ll, cca'd be iprnld it
cash on TIL, side o! tn Aiiplli', without posti
loss AID IN this, Cd adagc, thit hcgs'rs,
borrowers il YOU p!nasn y l.us, not be chnussrS h
been iiily cNcnriajoi,
Raj! road iron hy H. slip lond HIS hccn hurri
from England. The writer cr this has seen 81
nj the whlrf IN Phiada'Elia, with upwlr"@ of i
tons ON board Ut enc Sine, for the Great rcnsyy
MIA Rail road, obtained ca the credit Of he Stat
to The deipimout of her oNn, and the benefit cf Il
/ rgn manufactures.
1'Ay bends eff lhc remaining instalmcn,s we
generally sold to the Eastern tanks, and 10 rgcn
Of foreign housrj in New York and Philadelphia
and rs they became die, were returned to Eurc
to pay loraGdiioual articles, the former iupor,
ilous hay ing been distributed ,hrorghCrl the co,
try. Other bonds became due and were dispose
Of in sn lar manner. Til. ~ stem has been
operation f3r years. rnlii the country has hecor
absolutely Quilted with Foreign productions; tie II
ural Consequences soon followed this mode ciru
ming in Debt arIi 'cs olIuSury We're easily obiui
ed ; tn pain republican manners cf ;hc peep
soon vanished Ike n.iss Of the nrrir. me-
soon found out the palm Ecme-slrn their mol
spun and wulc, and the thick stockings Init in Il
long winter evenings were exceedingly vulgar
W hat II gentleman 10 be alfred in hcmo-spu
and his lady to be adorned in domestic mnnuilr
iGrics The idea was hoo,cd, it WAS prcpostc
ors, II gave shock 10 their nerves that was not
be borne. "sloney is plenty" says one, ''tin}
ara good, says another" (ior credits are to be O.
tanned, and TO sell or force ofgoods was absolute
necessary hence 'hc sprinsng rp Of The hanki
system 10 its mushroom growlh,) will buy Il
imported superiine broad-cloih, and tile snow-whi
linen Of old Ireland my dear spouse shall have II
silk iion the trthaSt Indies the pearls of Ccylc
and the dincnds'o Of Golcorda the ribbons al
lacoS Of Hfiian; the six scarlet France the shaw
Of Cashmere and the bonnet Of Icghorn shr
decorate the fair form ofny beloved she s!u
up wv VI ~, uI.u
my parior shall glitter with the costly vases of ta
the paper that adorns It's walls attest the superb
s'i!l of the French artisan the carpets of Turke
ard the beautiful volupiious rugs of Persia sha
cmbellish The floor tie iurnaiure shall come fro
across the deep Atlantic, and my sidehoard sha
groun, aye groan beneath the glass CT England
and the most costly viands Of Madeira bcau,,
fashion and pleasure shall be reelected in dazzlin
splendor from the mirrors of wealth, and luxui
ous ease supcrsede republican simplicity.
This state of things has been progressing sind
about 1881, or - when the imports Of six Fl
brics averaged from four 10 siS million annual
until 1896, when every Kind of cStrayagund
reached lis climax whcn The value cf silks in
ported into this country for this year cxcccde
r22 $50 800; cotton manufactures ;sl7 900 600
md woolens upwards Of Si2, OGO 900 being "a
these three items alone more than S5l 500, OO0.-
J he neat year as might have been expected, wa
The epoch the great rcvulsion of specie payment
by The bank when the imports Of six fell
: u 500, geo.
IN proof Of the assertions here made, the import
IF articles brought from foreign countries. an
'od in this, have cyceeded the amount of our ey
1aris N the twelve years, fom lsS 10 1929, bu
: ~ .0GO, eco; in nine wears, from 1880, 10 3
-2s 900 900, being an average on the last hin
rears Of rs, 0O0. O0c,