The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-23

the business and prosperity of this nation would
be countless millions; the cost Of setting all
agoing again, BY an extra session Of Congress,
would perhaps be quarter Of a million. Nay,
not SO much. II would be little more than the
amount OF mileage for members TO and fro For
u WIN be seen that all the business done al the
Extra Session will be so much subtracted from
that OF the regular session, so thar the number of
weeks OF which the former may be composed, will
De 50 much taken from the latter. If the Extra
Session should extend to three months of next
summer, II will prevent running out the regular
session from spring to autumn This is doubt
less fair view Of the case.
But suppose it were not and that the nation IS
to be charged with the whole expense of this ex-
asesslon, without abridging the next all the mo-
ney wil circulate among the people, who very
much want It in such hard times as these Ii
will add so much to the business Of the country,
and be blessing instead of injury. Admit
that II comes from the people, it goes back again,
and is SO much better than lying still, and doing
nothing.
Moreover, as before suggested, il anticipates
year-yes, a full year-in restoring the nations
prosperity, by the adoption of those measures
which are indispensable to it. If the measures
necessary to this end should not be taken up till
the regular session, they would not be determi-
ned and settled till the end of il, that is, in the
summer or autumn Of 1912, whereas they will
now be fixed by the autumn of this year.
Moreover, the whole country, thrown all aback,
till ruin has swept it, must still be forced to
pause in he midst of these ruins, till the policy
Of the Government and its great restoring mea-
sures shall be known and settled. The enter
prise Of the people will remain at stand still,
and the great machinery of the business, trade,
and commerce Of the country will lie ungeared,
useless as the lumber of farmers garrett All
that makes public prosperity must wait till the
Harrison policy is matured and the new high
way of the nations onward career shall be
opened.
What, then, is the mileage Of the members,
going to and fro for an Extra Session compared
with this amazing estimate of disadvantage 1t
is but as feather in the balance weighed against
the ridge of the AIeghanies. Nay, as before
shown, it be made to appear, that the peo-
| pie would be whit the poorer, even though an
objects.
| The nation has risen in its might for change,
notonly of men, but of measures to save the
country. from.absolute and irrerievable ruin We
have suffered and groaned under the most des-
tructve policy that nation ever endured, till 1t
could be endured no longer; and now, that the
| Government is ch.nged in name, shall we pause
in bringing in that redeeming agency which we
have been aiming at in this mighty struggle Z
Shall we stay unnecessarily year longer in the
midst Of that ruin that has overtakenus2 Veri-
| ly we thought the mind of the nation was made
up. If not, why, then, let us go back, restore
the rejected, kiss the rod that smote US, succumh
to the authority Of old masters, and ratify for
ever the doom which we had so much depreca-
ted. It's forpard, or backward; and for our
selves we say, forward let us march. The PEG
pie Of this country will not violate the principle
which governs their private exigencies, by declai
ming against the expenses of an Extra Session
Of Congress, in such an exigency of the ma.
| ton.
| All this talk, this bugbear about the expenses
of an Extra Session, when public interest may
seem to require it, is baseless as it is purvie,
demagogical, and un-business like. 1t is a libel
on the good sense Of the nation, and presuppo-
SEES, that the people have not capacity TO discern,
thatthe true economy of public affairs is based
on the same principle as private concerns Have
not thepublic discovered, that true public econo-
my, as well as public safety, required a change
Of administration And can it be imagined that
they will be satisfied if the Government brought
into power for this purpose, shall pause at the
very point where their task begins, and defeat
the end for which they were appointed