The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-08-08

| eminent.
The representatives of the people at once entered
upon the task committed TO them. Among Their hfst
efforts, they attempted to reform and regulate the
| currency. Seeking wisdom from past experience
they endenvored to frame system combining inc eS-
cecnccs, and avoiding the evils, of those which had
already stood tho test Of time and trial The result
Of their anxious ubors sent to the Executve but
alas! it was not the chosen and well-beoved Presi'
dent of The people, In one brief month rom the IN
auguration by an inscruable act Of Providence, the
yenerated HARRISON had been gathered TO his ia
TIERS and in the Executive chair sat-a TRAITOR
The first bill was srangled by the veto. second
was promptly framed, and with most liberal spirit
of concession 10 the views Of the Accidental Pres-
dent His signature, indeed, had been actually
plcdged but through treachery, Mike TO the princ'
pies of the party which had elevated him, and to bis
own plighted faith, that signature was withheld.
Though embarrassed by the pressure Of reckless
opposition, and the reachery Of the Executive and
his followers, tho Wings were not laithess. True to
the country and TO their own pledges, they sought
that counry's veal in all the modes left TO them-
Having failed in point, they turned their energies
into other channels. Abiding the time unavoidably
necessary TO mature Protective Tariff, they sought
relieve the pressing necessities of the government
by temporary Tariff. 1t was based purely on rev.
enue principles; but even this fell under the Veto
power. An act passed. based upon the only just
and true principle Of representation in the House of
Representaves-the representation Of the people not
Of state ignes-requrng the election Of mem
bers of Congress hy districts; and even this was met
by qualified Veto, which has stimulated q portion
of the states to defeat the law by disobedence, n
mounting'to practical Notification. The knife Off
trenchmenl was applied to the expenditures Of govern
ment; fortunately with success, looping Off the
strous which had annually been wasted upon
most disgraceful and wicked war upon handful Of
snvages, and Introducing just principles of econ
omy into all the other branches Of the government
Tho majority of the Wings also sought, in common
with portion Of their opponents, and moi in vain, to
afford relief 10 the multi;udes, whom the Of
the government had plunged into irremediabe embar-
easements. Ii done by bankrupt act, which,
however differently it may be regarded by those
whose interests differently affected by it, was
founded in the purest principles of mercy and human
ity; the very principles, indeed, now recognized by
every state in the Union, through either its nonn-
prisonment relief laws In part through the accom-
pishmcnt Of its purposes, and in part by tho e
forts of opposers, that act is at an end. The
great question of the Public Lands also grapped,
and Distribution bill passed in accordance with
the deeds of cession, and for the first time carrying
out the long pIshted faith Of the government to the
several states. 1t fortunately received the sanction of
the Executive, and the results Of its Temporary exs-
tence when but 1.-THE Of the ordinary sales Of
the public lands could be made, conclusively proved
the wisdom of the measure Finally, through
wearied labors and amid all the embarrassments Of
conflicting nterests-o(the persevering and all but
unanimous opposition of the Locooco party, from the
North the West, the entire, and the South as well
as of argo-portion of the Southern Whigs-a Pro-
tectire Tariff passed, and received the approval
of the President. An approval, however, which
could be secured only by sacrifice of the Distrbu-
ton act
From this hurried survey of the course of the
Wings since the election of 1910, two things are ev-
ident: first, that they honestly and faithfully sought
to redeem their pledges and thus restore the old
republican policy; and second, that, in all points
one, they were prevented by the treachery of the
President. The Tariff forms the only material ex-
ception In these facts is to he found the key TO
the of the present condition of the country.
The Tariff alone could not, at once, restore universal
prosperity; alone, it never can do this. We have,
therefore, depressed prices and unsteady markets
still; and vast amounts of capital yet lying utter
| ly dormant infinitely more than enough to infuse
strength and stability into a sound system Of nation
| al currency. Yet there has been improvement
There has been great decrease Of foreign mporta-
ons there have been largely increased expectations
of domestic manufactures and produce, giving in
creased activity to agricultural and mechanical labor,
to manufactures, and to our immense inland and for
eign commerce; all resulting in two important
things immense reduction of the foreign debt and
| un immense influx Of gold and silver.
Such have been the effects of Tariff, whose pow
er for good was diminished by those imperfections,
which actual experience alone fully deveIope,
and future legislation may correct; but vastly more
diminished by the ruthless cry of "RepeaI Repea!''
with which its passage instantaneously greeted
| by powerful and hostile party. The strength OF
this party, in the Congress- threatens to be too
great to permit the friends of Protection safely 10
count upon the permanency of the Protective Sys-
TEN. The mischevous effect of this want Of conf
dence cannot be overruted. Its powerful and perni-
cious tendencyswas not too wildly described, in a