The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-01-04
TO THE EDITOR or THE MORNING HE.
RAID.

TO THE EDITOR OF The mphNlNu NE
RAID.
s,R. Tho subjects treated OF in my letters TO the
Tunes arc so important, that sm mol surprised 10
find them commented upon IN your respectable jour
nal bat regret thai you have attributed to me mo-
tises and purposes opposite to those by which am
actuated.
1 prefer the election OF Mr. Calhoun 10 that OF MIR.
CLAY, but you are misiniormed as TO Mr.. Calhoun's
character and principles. lie is certainly the advo
cate of State rights but not their author they exist
ed at the time of the adoption OF The Federal Constr
tuition and constitute the conservative principle OF
our Government and / venture TO say that, If you
knew Mr. Calhoun, and understood his political Prn-
cipes, youwoud no longer be opposed 10 either
so far from being opposed to uniform currency
and to the payment OF the State debts, no man IN The
United States or IN England has been more decidedly
in favor Of both, believe that the situation IN
which the country is placed requires that the Demo
cratic party should be united and that the candidate
who can best unite their support ought 10 be select
ed but il is well known TO Mr.. Calhoun himself that
in my opinion, Justice TO Mr. Tyler entities him 10
The preference.
You attribute TO me the purpose OF using Mr. sgd
nsy Smiths letter means OF sumula iDg me Dc
mocratc party in Congress 10 take military posses
sion of the Oregon territory. Now my purpose was
prccs the opposite. ! saw IN the letters OF The
New York correspondent OF the Tunes, IN the coma
ment of that journal those letters IN the remarks
of the Rev. Sydney Smith, and in the course ndlca
ted by the Morning Chronicle the Oregon question:
evidence TO satisfy my mind that there would be
concerted effort To prevent any modification oil your
tariff or of ours, and that desire To cmbarrass MIN
listers here would cause part OF the Opposition TO
treat the Oregon question IN such manner as 10 IN
1us lbp Ia
events TO take their course, whilo there was great
cause 10 apprchend that public opinion in America
would impol Congress TO take measures to protect
the American emigrants TO Oregon, which would
lead TO collision, and ultimately 10 war. | therefore
though, II my duty, appraised as was of the danger
10 the public attention, that those who are
charged with the adjustment of this and other qucs
tons may feel the responsibility which rerts upon
them. | believe that the present agitation OF the
subject will contribute to preserve peace, for can
believe that in this enlightened age the people OF
England desire TO make war on America. II they
can be induced TO Justify such measure, II will be
because they are msled by persons who have their
confidence, whose duty II Is 10 give them correct in
formation, but who abuse that confidence by inten-
tonally suppressing the TRUTH and wiliuily msrepre
senting facts. 1t is Of this that now complain.
The Tins not only suppressed my third letter, but
made il the subject of most unfair and uncandid
comment
The facts of the case are that the New York cor
addressed to me by Mr.. Hume, and published in the
United States, attributes the revival of American
commerce and the return OF prosperity TO the tariff
enacted during the last session of Congress, and ar
CUES that therefore, there will be reduction Of
existing duties. The Times endorses this opinion of
It's correspondent, and argues that there should be
further reduction OF duties on American products
brought into your market, because the American
Congress- having reduced the duties British MANI
iactures will not, os they insist, reduce those du-
NE. IA. tI.tl
that the shareholders Of the South have resolved TO
make war on England for the benefit of slavery; and
the Rev. Sydney Smith declares that the Americans
will have wars, and long wars, with England, not
account OF Oregon, or the right of search, but be-
cause you wear better clothes and ride in better
rlages and that the only reason why they do not
draw the sword is, that they have not the credit to
purchase II. These statements, thus published IN
the Times, were calculated, If uncontradcied, TO
produce most erroneous and mischleyous effect on
the public opinion OF England Ii is true that the
Rev. Sydney Smiths remarks were part Of his
mentary on Pennsy lyania dishonesty, but they have
reference 10 the whole people aud have direct bear
ing the national aud political relations Of the
two countries. They are apart from the payment
of debts. The issue here raised is not whether Penn
sylyania ought TO pay her debt but it is, do the
American people, and especially those Of the south,
desire to make war on England And is it true that
they would draw the sword against England If they
could command the means OF purchasing II These
are lnc maleflal pOluls III issue. Knowing as DO
that the relations OF the two countries precisely
in that condition when, with earnest desire on the
part Of the American Government and the great
body OF the American people, and especially Oi the
people OF the south, TO preserve peace there IS
yertheless great danger Of war, conceived II TO be
my duty, as friend Of peace TO present such facts
and arguments in nay opinion would, If published,
countersct the erroneous statements and opinions
thus presented through the Tunes II was no part of
my purpose TO controyert or comment upon the Rev.
Sydney Smiths remarks IN relation 10 Pennsy lyanis.
am as DESTROYS as he is, and ! do not doubt that
am much more interested that Pennsylvania and all
the American states shall pay their debts. That was
not the question in issue The questions are-hrst,
is the state of parties in the United States such that
reduction of duties on American produce brought
into this market will secure a reduction of duties
now charged by the American tariff on British manu-
factures' And next, arc the Americans disposed to
make war on England
have endeavored TO show that the state Of parties
in the United States is such that nothing will prevent
reduction of their duties but the apprehension that
the British Government will resort TO force as a
means OF maintaining your commercial and manufac-
turing superiority, and, that If So the first blow will
be struck at the United States, Brazil and other
sayehodng countries, because the abolition OF slave
ry would transfer the production of sugar, coffee,
cotton, &c. to your colonies and the East Indies and
thus, by enabling you TO monopolze these great sta
pies give you the command OF the commerce Of the
world. | endeayored to demonstrate that this would
be the effect Of your present by referring TO
the history of the past legislation of England and the
recorded declarations Of your most eminent states
men, and to show that there great danger Of a col
lision on the Oregon question, and that we, in the
United States are anxious that that question should
be adjusted, because we believe that II II is adjust
ed, the only pretence on which England ca - go to
war with us will be removed, and that permant MT
peace, on the basis Of reciprocal interests, will be es-
tablished between us. In doing this | have argued
that 1t is the interest of the United States to preserve
peace, and have given an extract from letter writ
ten by Mr. Calhoun TO me, in which he gives il az his
opinion that the decision the repeal OF your corn
laws, and the discriminating duty slaye-growu su.
gar, will go far TO decide this great issue deduced
an argument from your past legislation to show that
however dislnierested and benevolent your original
purpose OF emanc patton In your own COLONIES mnx