The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-06-13
A LETTER FROM JUDGE PORTER


ing elegant letter from the late distinguished Sc
nator from Louisiana, Judge ALEXANDER PORTER
in reply TO an invitation TO attend the Harrison
Festival on the Red River, of which we pub
lished an account in our last paper
OAK LAWN, May 8, 1910.
GENTLEMEN received, to-day, your letter of
the 9th ultlmo, post marked Opelousas, the 9th
instant, inviting me 10 attend meeting Of the
Wings Of the Parish of Rapides on the 10th of
May.
An indispensable engagement on matters of
business, made some time since, which requires
my presence in New Orleans on the 10Th instant
places il completely out of my power TO partci-
pate in your approaching festival, and sincerely
regret that am deprived of the pleasure Of
meeting you. see among the names of the
committee many Of my Oldest friends, and moth
ing could afford me more satisfaction than 10
meet them on such an occasion, and join with
them in the hallowed purpose for which they as
semble. If ever men were embarked in noble
enterprise, you are engaged in IT, May God
prosper your exertions. You are endeavoring
to wrest power from the weak and wicked hands
which are now paralyZing the industry of the
country the political morals of the
People and inhicting a lasting injury on man
kind, by showing how rapidly free institutions
can be rendered unfit for the benefcent pur-
poses for which they were instituted. In such
cause, gentlemen, you have every thing which
freemen hold sacred TO arouse you to strenuous
exertion, and success will and must attend your
efforts
cannot let this occasion pass without saying
something TO you on the melancholy condition
TO which our country is reduced and the pros
poets presented for its deliverance. Hackneyed
as the former is, we cannot too frequently re-
vert it, But the limits of a letter will only
permit me to notice one Of the most striking fea-
lures of our present degradation. ! pass over
therefore, all the wounds inflicted by the Adml-
nistration on the CONSTITUTIONAL their alarming
precedents of Executive power--and their cor
rupt exercise OF the appointing power. These
are well known to you, gentlemen. But there is
one matter which comes directly home to US all
and which rejoice to say rapidly tearing the
film from the eyes of the People; and that is
the pecuniary dstresses which, provided by the
wickedness and folly OF our rulers, are now af-
flicting the whole Of society credit is Frustrated
confidence between man and man destroyed.
The products of the SOIL extracted from il by
our labor, lie rotting in the receptacles we have
erected for their preservation, or are sold at a
PRICE which does not pay the cost of production
and, worse than all the compensation for the
labor Of the poor and Woodworking man is al
ready reduced, or rapidly approaching a reduc-
ton, which will scarcely afford subsistence TO
himself and family.
The Administration party and its supporters
in Congress- il is true, are telling us that this is
the best possible state of things that can befall
the country, and they boast that, SO soon as la
Dor is as low here as it is in China or in Ireland,
we shall be able to manufacture goods so cheap
ly that we will undersell the productions Of all
foreign nations, and drive them out Of any market
in which we may meet them in competition
But, while they are resorting TO this miserable
argument TO avert the heavy curses which now
assail and for long time will follow them, am
glad 70 see that they are counting without their
host, The freemen Of this land, who have been
in the habit Of enjoying the comforts of life,
through the fair price they have heretofore re-
ceived for their labor do not seem to understand
the advantage of reducing them 10 poverty In
order that their country may be rich; or rather
making mass wretched, that large capitalists
may swell still more their colossal fortunes. They
are beginning TO inquire into the causes OF tins
change in their condition., and TO examine into
the truth and the doctrines preached to them
The moment they do this-and they are ra
pdly doing 1.-THE country is safe; all that the
Wings can desire is, that the People shall in
quire and reflect. II is now ten years since set
Of men came into power, profting by an honest
but misguided enthusiasm for gallant and sue
cesstul soldier. When they seized the helm Of
state, the condition of no human society which
tensive happiness; public and private confidence
was unbounded ; labor was justly remunerated
capital could be safely and profitably employed,
and sound paper currency, whose credit was
co-extensive with the civilized world, enabled
all men TO conduct their business surely, safely,
and conveniently.
What is our condition now2 The very re-
verse of all this. And 10 what cause is the
change to be attributed Not, certainly, TO the
,,c t1
Providence sometimes chastens men, Our soil
has teemed with its accustomed fertility our
People have been as active, as industrious, as
as they ever were. Our crops have
been as abundant; neither pestilence, nor war
nor bad seasons had afflicted us. Why is il,
then, that we are thus stricken to the earth If
the fault is not in the People, and the calamities
which scourge us have not come from God, to
what other cause can they be attributed but to
bad government? They have come from that
source, and from that source alone To
wretched set of pedlars in politics, not statesmen,
are the evils TO be traced to men who first sur
rendered their judgment TO the passions of their
leader IN this war on the currency and who now
support measures that they see are running the
country, because they think il easier and better,
for party purposes, to go on than to go back
rejoice, gentlemen, to learn that you are
about TO meet together, TO deliberate, TO take
counsel from each other and TO animate mutual
exertion. All that is wanting to our complete
success is energy, exertion, and he spreading
~ truth before The People. The large, by much
the largest portion of our citizens who support
the Administration, are as patriotic as we are
and nothing prevents their coming over to us but
the force of party spirit, which makes them re-
uctant to learn facts that may change their
habits Of thinking and feeling. Were it not for
that party spirit the denominations of the present
A Il
forth burst of Indignation which would have
swept their authors forever from political life.
The force Of this spirit, however has il limits
suffering and misfortune sooner or later will |