Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1844-03-09

cotton might just as soon-.wifh much great
er business be attributed 10 the passage OF
The bankrupt law, for this last did not af-
feet the price in any way, whereas the IA
riff was calculated to exercise upon it de-
pressing influence. Every one knows
that the present rise has been produced
solely by the shortness of the present cioP
and the opening Of a new market in the
East. If this sort of arguing is TO pass
why it ca: easily be proved that The rise
in cotton is owing to the arrest of O'COn.
nell. The argument is fairly made out
thus: Twelve months ago the great agl-
tator was uninterruptedIy carrying on his
plans for repeal; cotton was then very low;
but some two or three months since he
was arrested, and ever since cotton has
been blocking up"
Facts are stubborn things! Away with
your theories, and down with this unman-
nered and troublesome intruder called rea.
son! There is an apt and admirable "stub-
born fact" argument to be found in the
history of the renowned Sir John Mori-
mer alias Jack Cadc:
"Cade. Edmund Mortimer, earl Of
March,
Married the duke of Clarence daughter
Did he not2
Stat. Ay, sir.
Cade. By her, he had two children at
one birth.
w. Stat. That's false.
'Cade. Ay, there's the question:; but, !
say, It's true:
The elder of them, being put to nurse,
Was by beggar.woman stoI'n away:
And, ignorant of his birth and parenta ge,
Became bricklayer, when he came to age:
His son am !; deny il, if you can.
Smith. Sir, he made a chimney in my
fathers house, and the bricks are alive at
this day to testify it; therefore, deny it
not.
Now the existence Of those brick was a
stubborn fact" and put an end at once to
the argument. Dick, the butcher, could
point 10 the brick and defy denial; they
plainly proved all that had preceded. In
the same way it is clearly shown that by
the enactment of the tariff of 1912, the
present rise of cotton has been produced.
1t is true there has been great falling off
in the amount produced, and all CONNER.
cial men and political economists attribute
the rise TO that, but these facts are too tr-
vial TO mention; they are not stubborn
facts" which latter are never to be dishon.
ored by meretricious connection with
theory, or trammelcd with the empty pa.
rade ofreason.
Let US test this modern mode Of arr.
wing at conclusions. Suppose the present
arf should remain untouched, and Twelve |
months hence cotton were to fall so per
:ent. below its present price, what would
'ccome Of the "stwbborn fact" argument?
fit has The merit of the rise now, it should
lave The blame of the fall then. Like all
BAD reasoning, it is certain 10 get those
who practice it into difficulties. If the fact
should come to PISS next year,
the editor of the Southron would be in the
of the young Frenchman, in the
anecdote on the first page Of our paper; who
being student Of medicine in England,
once visited patient who was sick of
fever, and found him eating salt herring,
contrary to his expectation the man in
few days recovered. He Immediately put
down in his memorandum book: "a salt
herring cures an Engishman of fever"
After his return 10 France, being sent for
to patient in like condition, he immetl.
ately prescribed salt herring, but the pa
tient died; he then added to his mem. "but
kills Frenchman." So our young friend
of the Scuthron might make his mem. thus
this year, ga high tariff makes cotton rise
when the crop is very short" Next year
he might amend i, with: "but makes it fall
when the crop is very large"
We publish this week Mr.. Van Buren's
letter to committee in Pennsylvania, re.
,,l,,;nr 10 g, Latte. c,..... al 49,.