The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-07-28


upon, with calmness and candor, 10 consid
er thoroughly the present posture ofpublit
and private affairs aud deliberately 10 H.
guire into the causes and remedies OF this
! unpropiIious state of things, We have arriv
, ed at that period IN the United States
And, If ever People stood bound by the
| highest duties TO themselves and to their
prosperity, TO sacrifice upon the altar Of
their country, cherished preludices and par
" predictions and aniipa,hies, we are
now called upon 20 make that sacrifice, il
necessary.
What is our actual condition. 1t is one
Of uuexampled distress and embarrassment
as universal as it is intense, peryadiug The
whole community and spatlns none. Prop.
erty Of all kinds, and every where, fallen and
falling in value; agricultural produce Of
every description al the most reduced prl-
ces: money unsound and al the same time
scarce, and becoming more scarce by pre-.
para,lons, OF doubtful and uncc nain issue,
to increase its soundness all the depart.
aien,s Of business inactive aud stagnant /;
exchanges exlravagantly high and constant.
ly iluctuallDg; credit, public and private, al
the lowest ebb, and confidence lost and
feeling Of general Encouragement and de-
preston. And what darkens the gloom
which hangs over the country, no Que can
discern any termination Of this sad state Of
things, nor see IL the future any glimpses of
light or hope.
Is not this faithful although appalling
picture of the United States in ls42l |
appeal to all present, Wings and Democrats,
Ladies and Gentlemen, to say If ii be at all
TOO high colored.
Now let US see what was cur real condl.
ton only the short time of ten years ago.
| had occasion, in February 1882, in the
Senate Of the L. States, when was defend.
ing the American System, agains, the late
Col Hayne Of South Carolina, TO describe
II; and | refer to this description as erideacc
Of wha, believed to be the state of the
country at tina, time. That i, conlormed
TO the truth of the case, | appeal with conf
deuce 10 those now present. On that coca.
sion, among other things, | said:
uuNS LO" AZ pCIAOi III tHC ulOES IItCdS
ing task OF exhibiting an imperfect sketch
Of the existing state Of the unparalleled
prosperity Of the country. Ga q general
survey, we behold cultivation extended, the
arts h0urishiug, the face of the country i'm
proved, our people fully and pFofi,ably EN-.
pioyed, and the public coun,enance exhibit,
ing tranquility, conteHtment and happiness
And II we descend into particulars, We have
the agreeable contemplation OF people out
OF debt, laud risin. slowly in value, but 10
a secure and salutary degree: a ready
though extravaganza market for all the sur.
PIus productions Of our industry; innumer.
able iiocks and herds browsing and gam
boiling on ten thousand hills and plains
covered wiki rich ard verdan, grasses; our
cities expanded, and whole villages spring
ing UP, as 1t were. by enchaniment; our
tonnage, foreign and coasiwisc, swelling
and fully occupied; the rivers Of our interi
or animated by the perpetual thunder and
lightning Of countless steamboats,; the cur
rency sound and abundant ; the public debt
Of two wars nearly redeemed; and 10
crown all, the public treasury overlooking,
embarrassing Congress, not TO find objects
OF taxation, but TO select the objects which
shall be liberated from the lmpos, II the
term OF seven years were TO be selected, OF
the greatest prosperity which this people
have enjoyed, since the establishment Of
their present Constitution, Il would be ex
actly tina! period Of 7 years which lmmedl
a,ely followed the passage Of the Tariff Of
1924"
And tina. period embraced The whole
term Of the Administration Of Mr.. John q.
Adams, which has been so unjus;ly abused
The contrast in the state Of The country,
al the two periods of 1892 and 1912, is
most remarkable and startling. What has
precipItated Us from tina, great height OF
enviab!e prosperity down to the lowest
depths Of pecuniary embarrassment? What
has occasIoned the wonderful change =
No foreign foe has invaded and desoIated
the country. That there exists a cause
there can be no doubt and think il equal
~ clear that the cause, whatever il may be,
mus, be general one for nothing but a
general cause could have produced such
wide spread ruin; and every where We be
hold the same or similar effects, every in.
ieres, affected, every section Of the Union
suffering, all descriptions Of produce aud
property depressed in value. And whilst
endeaVor 10 find cut that cause, and to
trace to their true source the disastrous ef.
tects which We illness and feel, and lament,
| entfeat the Democratic portion Of my au
dience, especially, 10 listen with patience
and candour, and, disrnissing for momen,
party biasses and prej1dices, to decide with
iupartialIty aud in spirit Of genuine pa
trloiIsm.
/; has been said by those 10 high author
ny, that The People are 10 blame aud not
the Government and that the dis,resses
OF the country have proceeded from specU
IaLion and over!fadin2. The people have
been even reproached lcr expecting too
much from Government, and not relying
sufficiently upon their own exeriion. Aud
they have been reminded tina, the highes,
/ duty Of the Government is to fake care Of
Itself, leaving the People 10 shift for them.
selves as well as they can. Accordingly
/ we have seen the Government retreatinp
from the storm which it will be seen, ia the
I sequel. itself created. and takinp shelter mn.