The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-08-09

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would seem to be overwhelming, appealed
in vain. A change in the course OF the
government was inevitable; but the change,
ordained by the ruling dynasty, was not
remedy for the distresses Of the people,
They again shot wildly to another extreme
and for the most prodigal issues OF an un>
restricted and unregulated paper currency
they proposed, through the Sub Treasury
to sever the government from the people,
and restrict the business of the country, SO
far as the Federal Government was TO have
any conrtol over ii, to the meagre and un-
certain supply Of gold and silver. A circula'
ting medium of more than 500 millions, they
would reduce 10 less than S0--not more
than twice the amount OF the annual CA
penditures of the government
This measure was resisted by the people.
Again and again was it defeated by their
representatives, and that, too, when ma
joritv of them were the personal and Politi-
cal friends of the men IN power. But Power
triumphed over the People. and the deed
Mt last was done. Ii brought no relief to
individual suffering. Even the government
was forced to repudIate the very principles
which it urged upon the people. 1t was
obliged to exc out miserable existence by
the issue of bills of credit; and when on
the 4th of March, ls4l, the Wings took
possession, they found the national estate
covered with the wrecks Of twelve years OF
misrule, and its administrators burdened
with debt of "a million of dollars.
These disasters were Justly regarded as
the legitimate fruits of departing from the
old republican principles and policy. Such
was the deliberate verdict Of the people, rem
dered in the Presidential election of lS4O.
The wisdom of that policy, which had been
unanimously affirmed in the days of Mon
roe, was again stamped with the verdict OF
popular approval, by the most brilliant Po-
litical revolution ever recorded in the an
mails of our country or the world.
The people required substitution OF
this policy for that, which had broug hit up
on the country such wretchedness g. shame;
and to effect this change, they demanded
and enforced change ofthe administration.
Between the President elect and the repre-
sentatives of the majority, there was perfect
harmony; and the first act Of his admins
tration was, to call an extra session of Con-
gress-to bring the several branches into
effectual play, in order to grant the neces-
sary relief to the public distress, and remove
the embarrassments which were pressing
upon the government.
The representatives ofthe people at once
entered upon the task committed to them.
Among their first efforts, they attempted to
reform and regulate the currency. Seeking
wisdom from past experience, they endeav-
ored to frame system combining the ex-
celIencies, and avoiding the evils, of those
which had already stood the test OF time
and trial. The result of their anxious la
bors was sent TO the Executive but alas
it was not to the chosen and well-beloved
President of the people. In one brief month
from the Inauguration, by an inscrutable
net Of Providence, The venerated HARRl.
SON had been gathered to his fathers,and
in the Executive chair sat-d Traitor. The
first bill was strangled by the veto. A Sec
ond vas promptly framed, and with most
liberal spirit of concession to the views of
the Accidental President. His signature,
indeed, had been actually pledged; but
through treachery, alike to the principles of
the party which had elevated him. and to
his own pIighted faith, that signature was
withheld.
Though embarrassed by the pressure of a
reckless opposition, and the treachery of the
Executive and his followers, the Wings
were not faithless. True to the country
and to their own pledges, they sought that
country's veal IN all The modes left to them.
Having failed in one point, they turned their
energies into other channels. Abiding the
time unavoidably necessary to mature
Protective Tariff, they sought to relieve the
pressing necessities Of the government by
n temporary Tariff. 1t was based purely
on revenue principles but even this fell
under the Veto power. Anact was passed,
based upon the only Just and true prInci.
pie of representation in the House of Rep
resentatives--the representation Of the peo-
pie, not of state notwithstanding
the election of members of Congress by dis
tricts and even this was met qualified
Veto, which has stimulated portion of the
states TO defeat the law by disobedience,
amounting TO practical Notification. The
knife of retrenchment was applied to the
expenditures of the government fortunate.
iy. with success, looping off the monstrous
sum which had annually been wasted upon
n most disgraceful and wicked war upon n
handful of savages, and introducing more
just principles of economy into all the bran.
ches of the government. The majority of
Wings also sought, in common with por-
tion of their opponents, and not in vain. TO
afford relief 10 the multtudes. whom the en-
rors of the government had plunged into
irremediblc embarrassmeLts. 1t was done
by bankrupt act, which, however differ
emily it may be regarded by those whose
interests were differently affected by it was
founded in the purest principles Of mercy
and humanity the very principles, indeed.
nowrecognized by every state in the Union,
through either ITS non-imprisonment or re.
lief laws. In part through the accomplish
ment of its own purposes, and in part by
the efforts of opposers, that act is now at
an end. The great question of the Public