The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-02-19
correspondence 81 the Face Trader.
New YoaK Fen. Cd, ls47.

NEW YORK FEB. I'd, lS47.
| The increasing demand in Europe
for American produce, has had the
effect to turn the balance of trade in
our favor and relieve our money mar
ket. Specie has already begun to
flow into this country, and must con-
tinue to do so for some time. From
present appearances, money, in six
months, will be more abundant, than
it has been in this country since
1896. The resources Of the coun-
hy have been steadily developing
the people have been industrious
and frugal-the restrictions upon
trade, and the taxes upon the labor
of the country have been removed,
through the wisdom of democratic
administration and such an era of
prosperity is now beginning to dawn
upon the country as has never been
witnessed since the organization Of
the government. Considering the
causes which contributed principal
! ly to this result, we must see that
the West will be the greatest gamer.
By the change in the tariffs of Eu-
rope, the farmers of the west will
gain a better and steadier market
for their products. By the reduc-
ton Of the tariff in our own country
the farmers will buy most of their
necessaries at much cheaper rates
than formerly. Nor need they have
any apprehension that they can be
easily deprived Of these important
advantages. In this country, the
time has passed when any party will
be powerful enough, or any emer-
gency sufficiently urgent to again
burden the strong limbs Of the work
ing people with the francis of pro-
tective tariffs. Trade must ere long
be as free to the people of this coun
try as the air they breathe. a free
governmental confer upon those
who earn their bread by the sweat
of the brow-must, like the Deity,
make all things free alike to the rich
and poor. God made the earth to
yield alike to all. Equality is the
governing principle in all his laws.
And that government will become
the most perfect, that makes the
nearest approach in principle to the
divine government. special and par
tial Legislation must cease. The
wants Of the people, the whole PEG.
pie must be considered. The neg
lected laborer, the toiling million,
the suffering poor, must be cared for
as well as the rich and proud. Hith-
erto, legislation has in a great m e as
urc been dictated by the monied in
tercst of the country. Henceforth
the voices Of those who produce the
wealth of the country by their labor.
will be raised in defence of their
natural rights. Nor will any power
be ever again able to deprive them
of these rights. That great truth,
SO long forgotten, that the people
were the source of all power, is for
the first time beginning to be acted
upon. The people have forgotten
many of their lesser wrongs, in their
gratitude for dcliverance from the
greater evils they see inflicted upon
their fellow men by the rulers of
other countries. Their generosity
has been by the mercenary, the
proud, and ambitious, made to con-
tribute to the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the
few at the expense of the many
Under the pretence Of regulating the
currency, the most gigantic system
OF banking has been established,
which enricles only tile officers and
their friends, who immediately con-
troll these institutions; and as an in
evitable consequence, the people are
impoverished in the same degree
that the few are enriched. Under
the specious plea of prote ction, the
manufacturers have amassed prince
ly fortunes, by Indirectly taxing the
necessaries of the poor man. And
yet while toiling on, uder these mon
strous absurdities, the honest labor
err has raised his voice in gratitude
to Heaven, that his lot was better
than it would have been in any other
country. The time is approaching,
when it will become understood and
acted upon, that the peoples pros
perity and happiness are not to be
promoted by legislation so much as
ny their own exertions. The ele-
ments of prosperity are not within
the control Of the government. All
the people require, is the free and
unrestrained exercise of their natu-
raj rights. The efforts of the gov
eminent to stimulate trade by legis-
lation, are as injurious as it would be
to teach a healthy child to use a
crutch instead ofthe means provided
by Nature, for walking. When the
government learns to confne its eff
forts to the mere protection of life