The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-03-15
From the Journal Of Commerce.
THIN rrTNHES

1t is quite evident that the merchants generally
are disappointed at the prospects of the spring trade
Among the dry goods dealers, trade was good last
fall, or at any rate much better than it had been
for years before Throughout this State the de-
mands for goods from consumers was quite lively UNI
til about November, when it suddenly fell off, and
through the winter has been light. The merchants
of the interior induced by the brisk trade which
they left at home to buy freely when they came to
the city last fall, but their goods are STILL large
portion of them on hand. The farmers were disap-
pointed in their crops and the merchants were disap
pointed in the farmers The state of foreign ex-
changes last fall and winter compelled the banks to
contract their issues that they had not the means,
by extension of loans to up the real state Of
the case The grocers, whose business is always less
interrupted by commercial revolutions than the busi
ness OF other classes, have been doing but moderate
business for six months past Trade in all its de-
partments has been rather dull during the winter and
now, when the spring is about to open, upon which
high hopes had been fixed that il would be more
brisk than last autumn, accounts have come in from
the country which overthrow all such expectations.
The recent auction sales Of dry goods have been at
heavy sacrifices to the importers. A large sale of
French goods the other day produced about 100000
upon cost of $4,000. The sales within day
two have not been quite so bad. On English goods
the loss is less The importations of sugar
and some other articles of heavy goods have resulted
after the same fashion. AS to the great staple of
cotton, has been declining for these two years that
almost every body who has touched it has lost mo-
ruled last fall seemed to warrant the expectation Of
profit packing provisions. But prices have con-
tnued to give way and the expected profit has turn
ed into severe loss As to Bank stocks, State stocks,
and all sorts OF stocks, they have general thing
tumbled headlong and now even the Exchequer bills
of the National Treasury not paid at maturity,
and so the climax of pecuniary dishonor is capped.
1t is not strange that commercial should feel
unusual sense of encouragement, and be ready to
grasp at any things which affords the least hope of
even temporary relief. What shall we do' Stop all
trade by prohbitory Tariff What would be tho
price Of cotton, pork and flour, hen' Shall we Gre
ate National Bank of hundred millions' Who
would take the stock' and if it were taken what
could such Bank do but help us to get deeper in
debt' Shall we commission some Oliver Cromwell
to order our Congress of eternal takers out of their
halls, and seating himself in the Chair of absolute
authority command energy and punctuality to per-
wade all the departments OF government? Rather let
us wait one season more That, we are sure, will
return. 1t is part of system which never gets out
of ORDER for it is not within the reach of human con-
troll We are better off still, than the inhabitants of
any other land. Our great and free country will
eventually come into order in all her interests. She
has seen worse days than these, and risen again. go
as much too high she had been too low. She will
do just so hereafter. Never before in our country
were such means of imitation brought to act together
as grew up from 1880 to '36. First grand surplus
revenue was accumulated of forty millions of dollars
then grand National Bank was putting and blowing
like porpoise; then the sovereign States of this
Union were in such credit that they able to bor
row couple of hundred millions; and countless
towns and districts followed the example Most Of
those bubbles have burst and the scaolding has most
of it tumbed down. The shock is a terrible one, but
when the umbling is finished and the rubbish cleared
off, things will so we'll In the meantime the trade
Of the country must go on. The as they
volve, will produce abundant crops, giving scope to
industry, and covering canals and railroads with pro-
ducts and busy Merchants will still be wanted
in the great drama Of human affairs, and our good c
ty is not likely to be moved to any better spot than