Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1843-12-16
From the Daily Gazette, Nep York.
WHAT WILL THE FREE TRADE
PARTY DO?

Il II L DSs
This question is daily asked, and now
that this party has an official organ' one
that can at least speak officially for the
New York portion OF it, it seems urgent
10 give it an answer. And we answer
that one of the first things this party has
10 do, seems to be to attack the domlneer'
ling influence of party over principle; to
spulI down those privileges which are now
Susurping power over the renson, d claim
Aing to be preferred to the pubic good. Par
&ty in this country has now arrived at
4point where it claims n supersede patriot
ism altogether. Wings and Democrats
talk of each other rs the " enemy" and
each would persuade you that loyalty re-
Ia lires YOU rather to do wrong by his hands
,han to look for any good through the
help of the other man. Now, we DO look
Nor some good through the help OF Mr.
sClav, should The present contest terminate
lin his favor, earnestly as We nope It VIII
not. But if the wings do succeed in pa.
cling him in the presidential chair, in 1914
there will be a rally on the free trade
ground to GUST him; and all the now adhe.
rents to the "facing both ways system"
will be forced to show their hands. A mis-
cradle temporizing and corrupt system IL
Island miserable politicians it brings forth;
men who speak, instead of sense, a sort
of party Latin, in which caucus stands tor
conscience, and policy signifies their best
honesty. And if you ask them tor their
party creed they sing you rlgmarole
about discussions long since dead and gone
Rrowinq inarticulate as it touches upon the
4pics of the day, and finally losing Itself
jn chorus of o! King, live forever, and
usages alter not" But why notl If
fley are bad. For they are bad, and the
ffee trade party aims at altering them, and
fhat is the first answer to the question
from which we set out
The object of the war we are wogng
lies deeper, spreads wider, and will last
longer than any squabble about this or that
man as candidate for an office, or TWEEN
BY per cent. or two hundred per cent. as q
duty on cotton. We defend freedom OF
trade as we would defend freedom if il
@ere attacked on any other point; and
the reforms we mean to propose, will have
IA larger scope than to effect merely a
modification of the tariff. We wish to get
all power out of distant centres, that can
tslfey be safely be brought home to the
Immediate people; we wish to break up
those organizations of masses in which To-
cal maiorities are enabled to use not their
own power only, but also 10 usurp thai
of their mnoriies, TO overwhem m1jorl.
ties elsewhere. We wish for universal
district system; both for our party actor
and for the action Of the whole people in
their elections and legislation; in opposi
ton TO all those general ticket systems, &c
dear to the graspers at loaves and fishes
who are now attempting TO ride over N
with usages. The general ticket system
is federalism; the district system is democ'
racy; and i, does not require much sagac'
ity to guess what the Free Trade party
mean to do about that.
We are a party; that comprehend
another answer TO the question stated
and we mean to act together longer thar
this Presidential contest will endure, ant
for greater objects than it embraces W,
may win or lose this contest; but we vii
tlmper with no principle for the sake c
1t: we care nothing for Mr.. Calhoun i
comparison with them; and certainly W
have no reason shown us for carlngl 70
Mr. Van Buren,. Our great aim and fur
damentsl principle is TO decentrdlise pow
er; to allow NJ power, fot instance, TO re
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