The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-03-14
From The Journaief C,nmerce
plan.

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 some years before Throughout this State the de-
mands for goods from CONSUMERS was quite lively UNI
til about November, when it suddenly fell of, 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 dsap-
pointed IN their crops and the merchants were dsap-
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 cover up the real state OF
the case The grocers whose business is always less
interrupted by commercial revolutions than the bus-
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 or
two have not been quite SO bad. On English goods
the loss is less severe. The imporatons of sugar
and some other articles of heavy goods have resulted
after the same fashion. As to the great staple of
cotton, has bccndeclnng for these two years that
almost every body who has touched 1T has lost mo-
ney. The very low prices of beef and pork which
ruled last fall seemed to warrant the expectation of
profit on packing provisions. But prices have con
tinued to give way and the expected profit has turn
ed into severe loss As 10 Bank stocks State stocks
and all sorts OF stocks they have general thing
tumbed headlong and now even the EXchequer bills
of the National Treasury are not paid at maturity,
and SO the climax of pecunary dishonor is capped
1t is not strange that commercial men should feel an
unusual sense Of encouragement, and be ready to
grasp at any thugs which affords the least hope of
even temporary relief. What shall we do; Stop all
trade 10y prohbitory Tariff What would be the
price of cotton pork and -four then; Shall we Gre
ate National Bank of hundred millions Who
would take the stock and if it taken, what
could such a Bank do but help us to get deeper in
debt Shallwe 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, II 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 to go
as much too high as 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
grew up from 1880 to '36. First grand surplus
revenue was accumulated of forty millions of dollars
then grand National Bank putting and blowing
like porpoisc; then the sovereign States of this
Union were IN such credit that they able to Dor
row couple of hundred millions; and counties,
towns and districts, followed the example Most of
those bubbles have burst and the scafoldng has most
of it umbled down, The shock is terrible one but
when the tumhng finished and the rubbish cleared
off, things will go well. In the meantime the trade
OF the &C tntry must go The seasons as they re-
yolye, will produce sbundant crops, giving scope to
industry, and covering canals and railroads with pro-
ducts and busy men. Merchants will still be wanted
in the great drama of human affairs, and our good CT
y not likely to be moved to any better spot than
the one she now occupies