The Ohio Democrat and Dover advertiser. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1839-1840, 1840-04-03
REPLY OF Mr.. ALLEN OF
OHIO TO Mr.. CLAY OF KEN.

OIIlS ~ Mh1 Vim OA
TUCKY.
In a debate on the salt duties in the
United States Senate, Mr.. Clay rose,
he said, "to mark the Senator from
Ohio,--,o mark the dlsOrganIzIng rev.
olulionary tendency, Of his remarks.
All this about monopoly was but new
form of attacking the rights ofPrOperty.
And Sir continued the Great Wes>
tern, s'the whole tenor Of the gentle
mans remarks, were 10 conformity with
that Agrarian spirit, which ! regret 10
be compelled to say has eflats years
been 20 prevalent, and which il rapidly
increasing; that levelling spirit which is
at war with the institutions Of the coun-
try, which first attacked the United
States Bank, then the local banks, and
is now endeaVOring to lay violent hands
on the fishing bounties."
AZ the foregoing contains the whole
essence Of the charges Of the Wing
presses and whig orators for the last
Eve years, agains, the Democratic party
we insert the following reply Of Senator
Allen as the most able and concise ref
utation We have yet seen, and because
/. truly defines the position, the princi-
ples, and the objects Of the democratic
party.
Mr.. Allen replied. lam, Mr.. Pres
idsu,, by no means surprised at the in.
famed feelings, SO in1amably expressed
by the Senator from Kentucky (Mr.
Clay No, sir; for was we'll aware that
no man could here lift his finger against
the abuses practiced by privileged mo-
nopolies, however obvious those abuses
or ruinous their effects upon the people,
withou, incurriug the prompt disPleas-
ure Of Senators on the other side Of this
chamber. And why? Is the existence
ofthese monopolies disputedl Are the
evils resulting TO the community deniedl
Not at ell; neither the ono or the other.
Their existence 10 justiied,a ,and the evils
excused, on the sole pretence that both
are beyond our reach, and within tho ex
elusive jurisdiction ofihe States. We
are, therefore, forbidden 10 speak Of
these things as burdens upon the peo.
pie, although our avowed object in do.
ing 90 is 10 show that these monopo-
lies are fostered by an existing law of
this Government, which it is proposed
10 repeal. If the facts exist-if they
are The resulting consequences Of our
law, should not the law be repealed
Should NO not give some reason for the
repeall And, if 90, how can The rea.
son be given without speaking Of the
facts, which themselves constitute that
reason
But, cir, monopolies are in question,
and monopolies will never want friends
and defenders. lftheir abuses cannot
be openly justified, they will neverthe-
less be slyly drawn under the protection
Of some general principle,ss broad and
terrible enough to afford them impuuity,
end to alright the timid. who might
otherwise be inclined TO expose them.
Thus il is 10 the present instance. The
production and sale Of one Of the COM
mon ueeessariss ofIife are, throughout
the country, monopollzed.by combina-
tions of men. who, aided by an existing
Law of this Government, ara enabled to
extort tba most unreasonable prices
from the people. Well, cir, ! spoke Of
this public evil as reason for repeating
the law by which it is aggravated; ano
this il 10 that the Senator from Kentucky
denounces as an attack upon property;
az It these companies bad the right Of
property in public law, that rendered
il intangible 10 the law-makng and law
revising power 1t is this that he de-
clareS an assault upon private rights;
and it is for having thus complained oil
these abuses and proposed "a remedy,
that the Senator rose, as he said, 10
mark me-to mark the principle ad-
-vanced, as tending TO the dentruction of
property, to system Of leveling and
public confusion.
And what cir, is the system Of level
lingl Does it consist in defending the
rights of,he people, and The proceeds of
their toll, against the insatIate rapacity
Of these monopolies-mouopolies which
have already taken Overy form and
shape-which subsist upon taxes drawn
from the people against their will
which have utterly destroyed the pOlit.
zeal equality of men, in a government
designed to render all politically
equal, and which, in every part
Of the land, now lift themselves above
the surrounding multitude, as the num-
heress mounds upon the plains Of The
West, rise above the uniform levell If,
FUR, an honest resistance to this prevail
inU tendancr of AvarV thino. in MIR arm