Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-05-04
Dialogue Jetrecn MASSisG, a Merchant, and M.sos,
Farmer, at The house Of the later in the country, o

Did0gue Getlrecn MANSISG, Merchant, and Mason,
Farmer, at The house Of the later in the country on
tic Isl Of March, 1s4l.-[No. II.
We entire those rights which
they have delivered orr We po,lerity mol
suffer their dearest inheritance 10 he dcsoJcd.Jcsrr.
Thus much for the year ls22 What was the con.
dition of the country in le24, by which time
the Bank of the United States had enjoyed abun.
dant opportunities of dispensing those benefits TO
which YOU alluded in the outset of our discussion-
Your friend Mr. Henry Clay shall answer the question
for u.s. In his speech in favor of the Tariff, in the
House Of Representatives, on the Both March, Ie2i
Mr.. Clay made the following remarks:
ain casting eyes around US, the most prominent
circumstance which fixes attention and CHALLENGES
our deepest regret the general distress which peryades
The uhole county. 1t is forced upon by numerous
facts Of the most ncontestbe character. II is indica
ted by the diminished exports of native produce; BY
the depressed and reduced state Of foreign nayra
ton; by diminished commerce; by successive un.
hreshed crops of grain, perisIing in our barns and
barn-yar for the want Of Market by the aiarniao
diminuon of the circulating medium; by the numerous
bankruptcies, not limited 10 the trading classes but
extending all orders Of society," by an unirersai
plant of the want Of employment, and consequent re-
ducton Of the wages of labor; by the pursuit
after public situations, not for the sake Of their public
duties, but a means of private subsistence; BY
the reluctant resort TO the perlous Of paprr mo-
ney; by intervention Of legislation in the delicate
relation between debtor and creditor and above
all, by the low and depressed state Of The value
the property Of the nation, which has, on an ave-
rage sunk not less than about fifty per cent 1rith-
in a fen gears This distress pervadcs every mart
Of the Union, every class Of society; all feel it. though
it may be felt al different places, in different degrees
1t is like the atmosphere which surrounds us-ali must
inhae it, and none can escape it. In some places il
has burst upon people, without a single mitigating
circumstance 10 temper its severity. In Others more for
tunate slight alterations have been experienced in
the expenditure ofthe public money, and in other "a
vorng causes. few years ago the planting interest
consoled itselfwth its happy exemption; but has now
reached this interest also, which experiences though
with less severity, the general suffering II is most
painful to TO attempt TO sketch dwell on the
gloom Of this picture. But have exaggerated no.
thing. Perfect fidelity TO the original would have au-
thorlzed me to have rown on deeper and darer hucs
Seven years after the National Bank commenced its
operations that MIR. Clay declared in the House
of Representatives, that the Of the property Of
the nation, had, on an average, "sunk not less than
about fifty per cent. nhin fen gears" The arti-
fetal and unwholesome excitement caused by excess
sve issues of Bank paper had subsidized, and in 1894
the "whole country, according to Mr. Clay's tesmo-
ny, in state ofcollapse and lie soemnly declared
that he had exaggerated nothing. He spoke of the
ssalarmng diminuton Of the circulating medium and
the "psr!ous ofYaper money Instead a,trbuting
the sufferngs of his fellow citizens TO the alternate ex
pansons and contractons of the banks, he ascribed
them to the want of Protective Tariff. The stimulus
of paper money had been tried and the reaction
debltatng and disastrous. To relieve our misor,unes
and invigorate our industry, Mr. Clay recommended
and urged the expedlent of Tariff of protec ton,
which lie considered sovereign remedy for our null
tifarious woes.
lie sage's Guack doctor, sangrado, had no faith
whatever in any medical remedies, except bleeding
and doses Of warm water. 1t perfectly imma.
terial how diversified the complaints and diseases OF
his numerous patients might be, all were bled and all
were required to drink freely of water If the
patient became weaker the remedies were repeat
ed, until he was relieved of pain by death. There are
Sangrudos in politics, we'll in medicine.
Manning cannot agree that Mr.. Clay is political
quack; the contrary, think he is statesman Of en-
larged views and the greatest of ancient mo-
dern times. He is the first in the u. S. and res
pect his opinions upon all subjects In 1924 his ankle
y in behalf of the Tarinduced him some THAT exag
eerate the condition of the country, without his being
aware of doing so yet confess if one half of what he
said of the times was true, they were almost bey0ne
endurance.