Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-09-03
For the Enquirer.


History teaches, thai in all free governments,
at almost every period, there has been opposi.
lion 10 The existing administration There have
been periods (as witness a part oil The admins
tration OF Mr.. Monroe, in our own country, and
a part not long before The American Revolution
Of The administration OF Lord Chatham in Great
Britain } in which The voice of the Daiion was
unanimous. or nearly SO; and these periods have
been called breathing timts 10 The nation, mas
much as all party strife was, pro temporc, al an
end. At times, these epcchs were brought about
by so total a change Of affairs, either domestic or
foreign, that the principles which one party adj
vocaled-suitable enough in common times
became perfect foolishness, when a peculiar
train oil circumstances no longer existed. Asan
instance CT this, we may cite Sir Robert Feel.
who changed his opinions IN toto, when cifcum-
tances rendered such a change necessary. In
other times-aIihongh SO invelerate is the spiritof
party, that but few instances OF this kind are on
Tecord-the spirit OF compromise see ms TO per-
wade both parties, and in that spirit they Unite ON
measures not exactly agreeable TO either party,
but partaking Of The nature of both. The present
may be regarded tuly an epoch in mol only our
own history, but in the history OF all free govern
menis, as we ha &c seen one party discard lis
hitherto fendly cherished opinions, and remain
silen! ON a subJeci, which, Twelve months since,
was its slogan in many a hard.iousht battle,
while, in fact, there has been u or no change
in Ike attendant circumstances calculated 10 oBcct
that suIJect-i. C., The TarG, as a principle.
Judeinso of the future by The past, TO what cause
are we TO assign this remarkable change2 Can
ii be, that the tremendous expectation oil bread
slufs from this country has produced III We are
willing to belle We, that the unprecedented success
that has attended The Tariff of '46, has been ina
measure produced by this scarcityi but that this
has been The sole cause, il is presumed The most
ultra Tarifile will not avow. No, this cannot be,
for il would, indeed, be an odd train OF reasoning,
which would adduce The famine In Great brl-
tain as The cause OF our unparalleled success IN
our domestic affairs, when this success was pro-
duced by the action oil The lale Tariff on our DO
mestic as well as foreign relations. So far from
the manufacturing interests being injured, we
perceive that they are f1ourishing, with unexam-
pied prosperity. Thus with but little change in
our foreign, and none in our domestic affairs,
from their condition, a short year since, we per-
ceiye that The Wing party have ceased TO croak
about the Tariff, and those sources from which
we were wont 10 hear so many arguments against
iii. e., The one at present eIis,ing-are now 81
lent, and thus assent 10 it We say this is an
epoch which has no precedent in history; Tor
there has been, as We have endeavored 10 show,
but little change in our condition as a nation,
from The lime when the Wings were so warmly
in favor oil a High Tariff, 10 the present lime
when they approve-tor their silence is an I'M
piled approval of the Tariff OF 46. In history,
whenever we see W parties merged into one,
The cause is generally found in a change of its
condition, in lis foreign or domestic relations: this
age, however, presents the novel spectacle oil a
party rabidly opposed to a measure al one time,
when nothing has transpired Git we may except
its unparalleled success, and even this does not
affect The Tariff as a principle, if we view il as
the Who's d0. thar &c II vp aSrrlhP lS hP enc
influence solely 10 The foreign demand 10 make
them view il through a different medium, silently
acquiesce, and, il is p%resumable, approve OF it.
The same train of reasoning applies with equal
force 10 The Bank question, as there has been no
change in The circumstances connected with 1t;
and here, also, our opponents are silent. There
fore, sir, we not illosically arrive at the conclu-
sion, that, save their opposition 10 The Mexican
Warwick may be considered as local and
transilory, and on which they are by no
means unanimous-our opponents are with
US. We have, in view OF all The circum-
Stances, come TO The conclusion, that il, al
The end of The war, new issues are not
brought forward, or there does not occur a con-
siderable change in our condition, either in our
domestic or foreign affairs, We will have a polili-
cal millennium, or a breathing lime," which so
seldom occurs in The history of free governments.
But, perhaps our Wing friends may say that this
is premature, and that they have not forsaken
their views on the Tariff and Bank. Perhaps
this may be the case with some Of them; but,
judging BY the signs of the times, we should say
their opinions were rapidly becoming "obsolele
ideas" 10 The great body OF The parry. In fact, al
present, The Wing party is in this dilemma; i,
has either changed its opinions, and will evenlu-
ally come over TO The Democratic party, or, ii is
employed 10 getting men into office by raising a
hubbub about the Mexican War, and keeping
still ou the Bank and Tariff, and, after thus
smuggling them in, they will play The game OF
1910 over again, and Turn out red no, Bank and
Tariff men, Which horn choose ye, brother
Whigs7 In my ne1,-ii you will admit of a
%"nexl," Mcssrs. Editors-I will speak of The
claims Of Gen. Taylor for The Presidency.
Fl. B..