The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1847-12-13

however, perfect prodigies. Perhaps, he is
to be excused for his rapturous encomia upon
these two principles Of policy, seeing that he
is so welded to them, but in proportion to
this, his undue love for them, does our faith
in his stated results abate. There is no con-
fdence to be placed in his statements, for Il
he fails to command it on any given subject,
and he does SO fail, more than once in the
course Of this very Report, there can be no
trusting him on subjects to which his pas
sions endear to him, and Of which he aspires
to be the hero. The results Of the operation
Of the tariff Of 1876 are not fairly stated
He does not give the famine in Europe its
due weight in its effect upon the results Of
the tariff, He sneers at it. He endeavors
to escape from its presence by throwing dust
in the eyes Of the observer, and by enter
tanning him with disquisition upon. the ma
ture and laws Of trade. In the same way,
the escape Of our merchants from the eff
fects Of the commercial ruin in Eng
land, he has the efirontery to ascribe to
the constitutional treasury. We say eff
frontery, because the argument by which he
attempts to sustain SO extraordinary posi-
ton is bold and baseless assumption, and
nothing morn. He assumes that the specie,
which Europe sent to US to buy our bread
stufs with, would have gone into the banks
if the Government had been connected with
them, and that, consequently, expansion, con-
traction, and ruin would have followed, but
that, because the constitutional treasury ex-
isted, it went not into the banks but into
general circulation Was ever such reason-
ing' What has there been to hinder that
specie going into the banks, and what to
hinder the banks from expanding upon it I
Nothing whatever. The truth is, Mr. Wal
ker does not understand the first principle of
the cause Of. the commercial ruin in Europe.
He has pressed the subject into his report for
the purpose Of deceiving.
What shall we say upon the homily in ia
vor Of Fourierism among American laborers
and artisans, in order to enable them to COM
pete with the whole world , Because the
whalemen are Fourierists in their adventures,
Mr.. Walker is for every other calling adopt
ing the same principle. This is certainly
the most amusing part Of the report, but the
introduction Of such q doctrine IN sober
state paper is more sign Of madness than
anything we have yet heard Of in Mr.. W.,
though he has given frequent symptoms of
this disease on more occasions than one.
But, to cap the climax of absurdity in
which this report abaunds, the author grave
y declares that cue are not inferior to other
nations in the arts or sciences" We are a
boastful people, disgustingly so, but we have
never before heard or seen ourselves placed
on an equality with other nations in the arts
and sciences This is the height of vanity !;
nay, the supremest folly, and a most palpa-
BILE falsehood, That we are equal to other
nations in some one or two of the arts, or
perhaps excel them, may be admitted, but
that we even approximate to them in the
other arts is an honor that we can hardly
claim for ourselves. As to the sciences, we
are ages behind France, Germany, and En-
gland; and Mr.. Walker has made himself
the laughing stock Of the world by his silly
declaration. And when we say we are ages
behind Europe In the sciences, we mean no
disresPect to the many scientific men Of our
country. They are an honor to themselves
and their country, but they are children to
the scientific giants Of European nations.
Can we boast Of an Agassiz throughout our
whole land 7 Not one Yet Europe has
her hundreds of naturalists and philosophers
equal to him in every particular.
Indeed, throughout Mr.. Walkers report
the worst feature Of it is its unblushing boast
ing. There is no consciousness Of greatness
about single line oft. He walks on stills
throughout. According to the author, there
is no other nation on the globe but the Unit
ed States. Harmless vanity this in private
persons, though exhibiting in everybody a.
want Of good taste but in public man, it
is an injurious trait Of character, because it
subjects us as nation to ridicule
Reserving for another time our structures
upon the other parts Of this notable report,
we except from our general condemnation Of
its style and substance one passage in it, and
that is, where he speaks Of the Union as a
moral and physical, a political and com
merciai NECESSITY which neper can or ,ciN
be dissoired. In this declaration there is
philosophic truth. 1t is most happy an
nunciation Of the truth, too, and the whole
people will say to it, Amen!
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