Hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1843-1845, 1844-10-24
DANGEROUS CRISIS.

IN the 0emDfttion OF lnlS iaiT TepuOics dhu
yet many Of the professed lovers Of it heed
hem not. Instead Of holding up any bar.
'ior to counteract their effect they are ev.
Try day permitting and encouraging their
increase. The startling facts that are &C.
curing all around US have no effect in con.
vncing them that danger Turks in every
step Of their pathway. One quarter OF a
century has wrought wonderful change IN
The price Of Liberty among our conn'rymen
Then. the bare possibility of Foreign inter-
ference in any of our civil. religious or leg
islativc arrangements would tavo called
for;IA the loud anathcmas Of the whole ma.
ton without distinction OF party. Nop,
we can look upon the actual demonstration
Of such interecrcnce-we can sec the Gold
Of Britain, aye, hundreds of thousands OF
dollars Of it, subscribed with the avowed in
tcntion OF Gripping and destroying the la
Dor of American Mechanics and Manufac-
tureEs, SO that ws shall as nation be Fore
ed to patronize and enrich British Mechan
les and Manufacturers in preference to our
own-and oh, how feeble and few are the
voices that are lifted up against it.
The character o! the nation has changed.
Time was when we chung to the motto
"milions for defence but not cent for trib-
ute;" but now it seems to be reversed and
no resources are put in requistion for de-
fence against the palpable aggreseons Of
foes, while we are encouraging foreign
rival to lay US under the worst species OF
tributary vassalage. II is England's design
and it is for her interest to put stop to the
manufacturing of every species of handi-
work in the United which can be produced
on her own soil. Her plan was plainly il.
Illustrated by one Of her Statesman when he
declared that manufactures should be
so far crushed in America as rot to permit
our people to make even "hob NALL" for
themselves. They have not relinquished
their design, and their recent liberal sub
scriptions in British Gold for the payment
Of Agents and for the circulation Of British
J Free Trade publications in this country
plainly indicate that they have by no means
given up the idea of once moro reducing US
to colonial servitudc.
All these efforts on her part might appear
trifling, and we should have no fearful ap
prehensions az to the result, were we moi
aware OF the positive encouragement she
has already received from quite large por
ton Of those who dare to count themselves
as American citizens. They do so count
themselves, but they are the bane Of oul
republic, the canker that is eating up it,
vitals, the destructionists OF civil freedom
They may not know it, but they are the sti
pendiarics Of the British crown and will re
ceive a recompense commensurate with thei
unholy labors. The reward of the wicke'
shall be their reward.
England can wall afford 10 spend wha
= ab. s. now contributing to destroy our Pro
tective Tariff Not only are her funds EN-
ployed in the dissemination Of Free Trad,
Tracts, but her agents find that her gola
can be laid out to the greatest advantag,
in the procurement Of votes in carrying
forward her designs. Say what we may o
the value Of the elective franchse-prais'
the bal lot box as we wilt has been cor
ruptcd-its legitimate uses and object have
been used for the basest purposes by base
men-votes have been purchased freedom
and patriotism are held up to derision anc
are fast losing caste-and our connt ry, ou1
institutions, our all, are on the edge of .
fearful precipice.
But one event can save us. HENRI CLAY
election is that event. In him is emh odiet
the only saveable principles that can be- re-
lied upon to preserve our country and its
institutions unimpaired at such time az
this. We believe that this event will take
place. We cannot contemplate any other
contingency without the worst forebodings
for our country. The only other alterna-
tive offered to the american people is the
election Of JAMES X. POLK, who seems to
have been selected for his obscurity, his pc.
litcal pliablity to the behests of his master
at the Hermitage, his known hostility to all
protection of American Industry and his at.
tachment TO the Annexation-to-Texa
STANDARDIZATION adapted and only a.
dapted to produce political chaos. pcrpetu
tie slavery. dishonor us as nation, involve
us in war and in an enormous debt and scare
the very Genius of Liberty from the high
and lofty pinnacle which che has so long
occupied in this country.
There seem to be periods in the history
Of nation as we'll as in individuals, when
the conscience be comes scared, the percep.
tons obtuse and the sensibilities benumbed
Are we not now passing through such pc.
rioa in the history Of this nation? We think
so. The elementary causes which brought
it upon us npear to have had their origin
in the ambitions acts Of Andrew Jackson.
The people were olzzl Cd by his military a
clievements. lie saw it. lie discovered
their weakness, and made ,.'o L'ost OF It
Smarting under the disappoins. rent OF DE-
- ...l ooryf3