The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-08-27
W A S H | N G I @ N.
TUESDAY EVENING, AUG. q, 1914.
THE PROSPECT.

THE PROSPECT.
No one, who can read the signs of the times,
doubts for one moment that Mr.. Clay will be
elected President of the United States by an
overwhelming majority. The Locofocos affect
to doubt it, but every one can see that in their
heart of hearts they are resigned to defeat.
In the first place, they will be defeated, be.
cause they have no common principles to rally
upon. They are not agreed about what they
wan. or what they don't want Has any one the
bardihood to gainsay this assertion! We will
prove it. The Locofocos of South Carolina in
particular, and the South in general desire to
abolish the tariff, which they denomnate most
niquous system of oppression and fraud, and
for which they wish to substitute horizontal
tariff-'hat is 10 say, tariff which lays equal du-
ties upon all articles which are imported from
abroad, and allowing no determinations in order
to favor domestic products and manufactures.
Such are the avowed objects of the Southern
Locofocos. But the Northern Locofocos advo-
cate policy the very reverse of this; and though
some of them attempt to disguise their senti-
ments under some "vague generalities" about
free trade, they all at bottom in favor Of the
tariff. Their great leaders, Wright, Buchanan,
Sturgeon, and c. J. Ingersol roled for it, and
and dared not vot. against it-dared not vote
against law which their Southern brethren
threaten to nullify. Tyler also, with his pack Of
official friends, who have been greeted with open
multiplying, anti-tarif Locofocos, is the open advo-
cate of the existing tariff, which he signed, and
which the Madlsonan, but the other dey, boasted
of as a measure of Tylers administration. As
for Polk, he is the most consistent enemy of the
tariff which that measure ever had. He always
voted against protection to home industry. And
yet this incongruous mass affects to call ,her,-
selves party, and pretend to be united in the
pursuit Of a great common end. What end
What end beyond the grovelng one of obtaining
Office! Is it the acquisition of Texas! Let us
see. The Locofoco convention which assembled
at Baltimore in May last was composed chiefly of
the friends of Mr.. Van Buren,, who had declared
himself opposed to the annexation treaty. Not
wlthstanding that his friends comprised the ma
jority of the convention, they suffered the mi
nority, who were the friends of annexation, to
override, conquer, silence, and subdue them,-
they suffered themselves to be driven from the
support of their favorite candidate with whom
they concurred in opposing annexation; and
then, 10 make their own debasement, pusilla-
nni,y, and slavery complete, they assented to
the adoption Of resolution in favor of annexa-
ton. This was The work of the white slaves of
Walker, McDuffie, and Rhett; but the people
whom they were sent there to represent have re-
pudated the cowardy traitors, and refused to adj
here to their resolution. Thousands have de-
serted their ranks forever, while all who have
spark Of honest, manly independence, have re-
fused to acknowledge annexation as party mea-
sure.
The Locofocos, therefore, agree in nothing
they have no great common principles upon
which to rally, and they are now, as Calhoun
described them to be few years ago, SHIELD to-
gether by the cohesive power of the public plum
der" Here, then, is one great reason why they
will be defeated.
But, in the second place, they have no cand-
dates. The names Of Polk and Dallas will never,
no matter how loudly or how often repeated, in
spire one enthusiastic feeling They are very
ordinary men, in every point of view. They ne
yer have rendered, and never render, any
great service to their country. Instead of lend
ing strength to their party, they hang upon it a
dead weight. Neither of them will carry their
respective States. To expect to stay the torrent
OF puol'c sentiment which is now strongly running
WITH The Wings, by the feeble hands Of Polk and
Dallas is therefore, too absurd for serious cons-
deration.
II any one wishes 10 form reasonable coniec-
turc as to the result Of the Presidential election,
let him take IN review the elections OF the present
year. In epery case the Wings have recovered
ifem their reyerses of 1912 which resulted from