The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-12-19
From the N. Y. Tribune.
T h e M e S 8 a e e :.


In the frs; paragraph of Mr. Folks Mes
sage we are told that 'Ihere has been no pc
Rod in our pasr history when all the elements
of national prosperity have been so fully de-
veoped," as at this time, and that Labor, in
all it's branchcs,i is receiving an ample reward"
&c &c Before he gets through, however,
he tells us that the Tariff of 1912, (which has
been steadily in force up TO last week. sim
posed taxes not for the legitimate purpose Of
raising revenue, hut To afford GGUGftGgCs to
farore6 classes, Mt the expense ola large major
ity of their fellow citizens. Those employed
in Agriculture, were compelled TO contribute
from their substance 10 S1cel The profits end o.
reYgyoacn ,rediM oflhe comparatively few who
had invested their capital in Manufactures"
&c. Sc. &c. Now without here disputing
that the "lahor' on Mr. Folks Tennessee and
Alabama plantations has been 'receiving an
ample reward we should like 10 know how
he makes his preliminary fiourishes conss-
tent with the nurrow-sOuled fabricH,ions by
which. near the close of his Message, he At
tempts 10 excite jealousy 81 hostility between
our Manufacturing and other departments
of Industry. The pont-blank unirtlth of the
assertion that the Tariff of 1912 fostercd Man
uihctures only as distinguished from Me-
cftanical aud Agricultural labor, can be COM
tyadictcd by every wool-grower, every ma
chinst every tailor and house-carpeEter in
the land. Abundant and unquesiionable STA
,istics have demonstrated beyond cavil that
while the gass-blower for example has
had more work and higher wages under
the Tariff of $40, the prices of Glassware
have been greatly reduced. So OF most Of
the articles and the products Of articles pro-
tectcd 1v the Tariff of'42. The facts are on
record, aud cannot he gainsayed-sholl they
he put down by sheer inpudence and peril
nacity of ialsehood? Shall exalted station
shield the wifiil calumiator of the acts ard
the motives of majority of his fellow ci;i-
zens from the rebuke and the ignominy he
merits: These questions have heen iorcihy
answered 10y the People in the recent Eiec-
tons. I'D ..
Mir Polt is not content with giving n single
example of the truth that politicians of his
stamp should have good memories. Our
Government once found it convenient to as
sert that Louisiana (not Texas extended 10
the Rio Grande. France authorized us 10
make no stch claim in cedng us Louisiana.
In 1906 Spanish military force was noto-
riously in possession ofTrHas, and advanced
eastward nearly or quite 10 the Sabine. MY
Jefferson did not modest them there, though
Gen. Wilkinson was sent 10 observe them
and see that they did not cross over into the
I,ouisiani,tn territory. Six ycurs aftcrward,
Texas was the theatre of sangunary strife
between certain PATRIOTS and the Spanish
military force stuiioned there; but oar Gov
ern,ncnt never nerdlcd in HE matter. So
Al later ugrod when,Galvesion Bay had he
come n notorious resort of smugglers, Tree
hooters and nscrehnts generally What
were we uhout for those sixteen years. Tex
as really belonged 10 us as Mr. Pnckney and
MIR Adams diplomatically asserted? WHY
was our fling never raised and lis authority
maintained there during the long interval be-
tween our acquisition of Louisiana in lSO't
and our formal aud solemn abandonment Of
all pretensions to Texas Ivy the Florida treaty
ofiS19? Does any man seriously believe
that we were the real owners of that vast and
fertile region for sixteen years with no eo,iI-
ter-claimant, but feeble, distracted, over
whelmed Spain, yet never sent a platoon of
soldiers or even a ship ot'war there mot n
weeks sail from New Orleans) down 10 our
surrender Of orr pretensions in 1919. y sI.
But lei us sec how Mi Polk puts his foot
in il. Louisiana, he says, extended 10 The
Rio Grundc; thretore Texas has tile satne ex-
TEN; and he cites as authority the act of the
Texan Congress, Dec. 10Th, 1886, declaring
that the Rio Grande from its mouth 10 It's
source to he the Western boundary Of that
Repubc, and triumphantIy adds: "Ihis was
the Texas which, by the act of our Congress
ofthe 20th Dec. is45, was admitted as one
of the States of our 7Ueion." Very good,
Sir! hold ON this, will youp while.we turnover
q, few pages and fiudyoi asserting that "By'
rapid movements, the proUi,'cc Of .Ne,D icrioo.
with Santa Fe, its capital, has been odptncd
without bloodshed." Captured, has it? Why
that was ours long before, and not New Mex
leo at all, but Texas, if your former ossI'n,p-
ton was well founded! Amy man who has a
map Of N forth America. can see that nearly
all that isNew Mexico" including that very
sSsanta Fe, its capital, lies east of the. Rio1
GraIdc, and within that very State of Texas