Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-02-27
~ I Dalo field Ir
(Er,r, the ~ y. Ereains Past

Tho assertion which certain journalists are so fond of
rcpcatinr that it is the Sub Treasury which prevents
the farmers from obtaining liberal price ior ther
wheat. reminds us Of an incident which occurred IN
,ne NJ the Western counties of Massachusetts,, about
The time of the disturbances commonly called the Shays
: :,
man who had found his horse dead in the field,
set on foot prosecution against another, Tor malicious
10 killing the animal On the trial he proved that IN"
defendant on a certain day had been seen at the dis
lance of about half mile from the pasture in which
the horse was and had been heard to cry "hurra for
Shays" Here the counsel for the prosecution rested
The cause The counsel the other side, slrewd old
gentleman addressed tic jury III this short spccch-
.tGentlemcn if crying hurra for Shays can Kill horse
at the distance Of half mile, then acknowledge that
nv client is guilty The jury laughed and returned
verdict of not guilty without leaving their seats.
We make similar acknowledgment for the Demo
cratic party. II it was the Independent Treasury bill
which caused the late enormous issues Of paper mo-
new, exravagant specuations, and exorbIian prices
out of which the present contraction of credit stigma
ton of business, and decline of prices procceds-if It
had this effect not only years before it was passed, but
years before it thought of-then we acknowledge
that it is the SubTeasnry which has reduced the price
of wheat. But unless this be made out-uness it
be shown to be natural consequence that crying
hura for Shays! will kill horse half mile off, and
that proposal TO dissolve the dependence OF the go
vcrnment upon the banks will fill the whole country
with ovcr5ankng and overrading years before such
proposal is spoken ot-then we claim that the Admins
ton and its friends shall be acquitted.
Most true it is that the Administration and their
friends are be taken task for every thing that goes
wrong. Ifweat is too DEAR it is the fault oil the Ad
mnistraton; itthe community or any class of men sui
fer possible Inconvenience, II is the Administration
ta: is to blame, these matters of course with the
Wing party; celia sans DIRE, as the French say.
But although is the trade Of the Wing journalists
TO charge all these things the Administration, yet
we submit the question 10 their cooler judgment, wle
ther the thing mag not be ovcrdonc, and the effect of
it greatly injured, if not destroyed altogether For
ample, when they attempt to show hor the Administers
ton have brought aboua particular mischief, they may
ac7bc it 10 measures winch it is evident To the ducs
capacity, had no tendency 10 produce it, they are
doing in cndeavorIng connect the low price of
wheat with the Independent Treasury scheme. They
NAV become as much the objects of laughter and dcr
sion the unlncky prosecutor who thought tina, the
jury would presume, that the exclamation, 'hurrah for
Shays!" would kill horse at the distance of half
mile.
Would ii not be policy therefore in these journalists
10 avoid mentioning particular measure OF the De-
mocratc party the of any particular mischief
and TO deal only in general assertions; Let them lump
together every thing that goes wrong in commerce
at home abroad, in the grain market, the money
market and the other markets, in domestic and
foreign relations and put them all to the account of the
Administration, without troubling themselves to show
how the Administration is in fault, lest they should
make themselves ridiculous in the attempt Let them
leave that to be discovered by the ingenuity Of their
readers.