The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-01-21

by the gentleman who has assailed her Why, sir
the State Of Tennessee does not manufacture cot
ton cloth enough to make each nhabitant pair OF
shirts year; nor enough of wooden TO give quar-
ter Of yard to each Of their backs! The gentle
Hen usk, What has New Hampshire to trade up
On!" With how much force can | retore the in
quiry, "What has Tennessee to trade upon'"
have, sir, little knowledge of the commerce OF
East Tennessee, the particular from which the
learned and enlightened gentleman comes, to
whose attacks upon the State Of New Hampshire
am replying. am tod by fncetions gentleman
from the West, that, before the generol introduce
ton of steamboats, upon the Mississippi, that noble
stream was nayg gated by fat-bottom boats laden
with the produce Of the country, and that a boat
was always known to come from East Tennessee,
from the Fact that it was laden with dogs and hoop
po;es. The gentleman can answer whether or not
those commodities still constitute the principle hr-
tlces of commerce in East Tennessee.
l will now call the attention of the House to the
state Of education in the two States, which shall
exhibit in CONTRAST
Here MIR Burke gave minute and accurate table
from the Census in the two States exhibiting the
state of education in each and then remarked
How proud the contrast to every SON of the
noble little granite Sta,e And will take this &C.
cason to remark, the authority of the late cen
sus. that no State in the Union had so many COM
mon schools, in proportion to her population, as
New llampshire--a State which has been stigma :
lized as the most benighted and as sunk in ignor-
ance, by the vile and dirty defamers of the Feder-
al party and press But ! have not done with the
subject ofeducation. will institute comparison
between the genteman's district and my own.
1t appears that the counties Of Sullivan and
lao.
ton of 46, 769, have more than twice as many stu
dents attending them, more than twelve times ms
many common schools, more than twenty five times
as many scholars attending them, than the district
represented by the gentleman from Tennessee,
which contains population of 80, 1919. In my dis
rict there is but one person 90 years ofage in
773 who is unable TO read and write, and in that
gentleman's district there is one in every 3-4.--
The town of Newport, in which reside--a small
township OF six miles square IN Sullivan county,
containing population of 1858, has more than
half as many common schools us the district rep
resented by the gentleman from Tennessee, and
mole scholars attending them, there being 10 COM
mon schools in the town, aid $50 scholars atten-
ding them.
But the gentleman says New Hampshire has
nothing TO trade upon but her politics. ! admit,
sir, that she has driven prosperous trade on poll
tics, and, like all honest and faithful merchants
she has gained high character for her political
morals and integrity. Yes, sir, her political fame
is cO-exensye with the Union. Sterny and glo-
riously has she stood by her principles in the dark
est hour of treason, treachery, and deusion. She
has held the glorious banner Of liberty and democ-
racy aolt when it was stricken down in almost
every State, and when she was deserted OH every
side. But, sir, she has been the polar star of the
nrtl, on1o has toI a., - har
sisters, and led them to victory and glory. Her
history is full of stern devotion to patriotism and
democracy. Such, sir, is the political capital on
which she has 10 trade.
But what has Tennessee 10 trade upon ? 1t
would seem sir, from the view have presented
of her internal resources that ignorance comprises
the largest share of her stocks in trade and that the
district Immediately represented by the honorable
gentleman possesses the greatest share, in pro-
portion TO its population, of that commodity.
And, sir Judging from the state Of education and
hterature in Tennessee, can it be matter of Won
der, that that State should be so far behind her
democratic sisters, in the march of political reform?
Why, sir, have no doubt the gentleman processes
to his Constituents, that in voting for him. they still
helieve that they are voting for the glorious prin-
ciples Of the Old Hero of The Hermitage.
| am aware tina, have trespassed long upon the
patience OF the House, and l beg lis pardon Tor
the time have occupied. felt called upon to
gay thus much in defence of the little State have
the honor in part to represent, which Ind been so
rudely and wantonly nssailed by the gentleman
from. Tennessee A State, sir, small in its territory,
hut second to none in this Union for her COMPARE
tive wealth and enterprise, for her equal laws, her
free institutions, her progress in the mechanic arts
and civilization, and for the morality, virtue, in
tegrity, intelligence, and energy Of her hardy and
independent yeolnaary. know, sir, she is revil-
ed even by her own recreant sons, vile worthless
dirt, who breath her, aud draw their nour,shmenl
from her bosom and who turn upon their mother
and spit their venom at her, because of her I'M
ninching devotion to her sterling principles. But,
sir, | know them well they are contemplate, aris-
tocralic upsiarts, few in number, and scorned by
al Her good name is revered and cherished by
her pr,rioc sons Of all parties, in all places, and
hnder all circumstances. Sir, have done.