Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-07-30
4 1T tIt I@HfHtTtIs
Mr.. PoLK'S ADMINISTRATION.

rs fopSio dUOul tue UiuiucIs anu ldulCdl
deiecls in the administration of Mr. Polk and |
hnd, loo, that there are many on iha! side who are
talking IN The same way, whenever conversation
turns on politics. lfone would read Wing papers
only, or hear Wing lattle oIiy, he might very ma.
lurally conclude, that there was no one act in all
Mr.. Folks administration that is commendabe,
or that viii not eventually prove curse 10 our
country and race.
NOW, am plain man, pretending to little
more than really am, and look at most subjects
according TO common sense, and cave though;
l would present my views Of SONG matters, con-
necied with this administration, 10 common sense
people like myself, as am sure there are many
more OF that class than all others together; and
sometimes common sense views OF matters sui
common sense people. | am plain farmer
have been reading newspapers for many years
and have read something on The subject OF poll
tics from other sources.
First-of The Tariff: contend, that Mr.. Poll
has done more 10 benefit this country than an,
other President. There are larger number 0
people engaged in agricultural pursuits than il
manufacturing. This all know. The policy o
MIR. Polk, then, has tended TO benefit this large
class Of farmers and planters, who till the soil fol
support. Take particular cases: A merchan
buys one barrel OF corn from farmer-this mer
a
and he carries il 10 New York or Boston, anc
there sells it 10 other shippers, who are sending
grain from this country 10 Europe. The MGR
chant in buying corn, is governed in his price
by The price for which he can sell il in Norfolk
Baltimore, or other place 10 which he may ship
The shipper who buys it in Norfolk or Baltimore
is governed by what he can gel for il in New
York, from the large shipper, who sends il TO Eu.
rope; and This last shipper is governed in his pur
chases by European prices, Tor he must pay al
expenses and make 4 profit. These sevcra
asents-merchanl, small and large shipper-are
dependent one upon the oIher-and, from this re-
lalion and dependence, The actual price which
the farmer gets for his barrel OF corn, from the
merchant, depends on the price in Europe. Blu
suppose Ike shipper 10 Liverpool can get is pei
barrel for corn, and has 10 pay 81 per barrel duly
ON H. il is manifest tha; he cannot give as much
Tor corn in New York ~ 81, II IL has this duty
10 pay, as il he did not hare il 10 pay--and The
man who buys corn 10 be shipped 10 New York
cannot give as much by 81, and the merchant
cannot give as much by $l-consequenlly, The
farmer, by The British tariff, loses 81 per barre
on his corn. Whatever, therefore, The duty on
corn may be-one dollar or one cent-the farmer
is the loser. We are told that The scarcity Of
breadslufs in Europe is the oiiig cause OF tie
good prices which our farmers are realizing fol
their corn. This adDiil, has much 10 do with
it-bui, from The above reasoning. all see that ne
inc0nslderable source OF the profit 10 farmers
must arise from the repeal vi the duty on corn.-
Corn might lie So or $50 per barrel in Liverpool,
owing 10 lis scarcity, and our farmers would lose
The duty 10 be paid on il, but Ter its repeal. These
are plain matters that no man can deny.
But, one asks, what has MIR. Folks admins
lralon to do with ,his2 Why, this: Mr.. Secre-
tary Walkers report set forth the principles Of
free trade, and advocated Them; and the British
nation, seeing the disposition on our partto repeal
our tariff and pursue more liberal policy, Ie-
gardcd that great report tavorably, as was seen
from The TACT Of lis being reprinted in England,
and laid On the tables o. the members OF Parla-
men and very soon repealed to great extent
their corn duty, and finally removed it entirely.
What can we infer from The reprining of Mr..
Walkers report, bul that it had made most ia
vorable impression on the British government
They said, The United States are disposed to all
nit our manufactures al low duties, and we will
admit their corn and provisions on The same
terms This is as il ought 10 be. We have
A dense population, and can manufacture on good
terms. The United States can grow corn and
wheat, and raise meat more iayo!ably than We
We will supply them with The comforts and ne
ccssary articles OF lie; and they may feed us
while we do it. This is great measure, that
opens new era in commerce, civilization and
the relations flhe nations Of The earth. We have
all heard Of millennia STATE, and il would seem
that il would be no great call upon The magma
ton, or despite 10 good sense anu reason, 10 re-
gard this mutual repeal OF duties by Two Of The
most powerful nations CT the earth, on either con-
tnen as great preparatory measure Tor that
event in the providence OF God. Ii will bind The
nations OF The earth closely together, ard, by the
dependence il creates, il will do away with war
and inspire all with desire for The general good
Of all. Who can think that other nations will
not follow the example sci lhem2-And when the
principles Of tree trade and uDlrammelled inter-
course between the nations OF the earth shall pre-.
vail, history NAV trace these mighty results To
Folks administration. But again; with the Ia
riff we farmers want sugar, coffee salt, and other
necessaries. Now, when the merchant brings
these things 10 US, he must pay all expenses and
make his profit. II he has 10 pay tariff OF two
cents per pound on sugar, and eight cents bush
el on salt, these become part of the expenses
which the consumer has 10 pay. Say man
uses 800 pounds OF sugar and eighteen bushels
of salt on his farm; al The above rates. by the re-
peal ofthe tariff, he pays $3.50 less than he would
have 10 pay, il The tariff were rot repealed; and
this $50 to farmer who uses that amount Of
sugar and salt, would go good way towards
paving his taxes. In The same proportion he
saves on other articles. And suppose The De-
mocratic principles were not in the ascendant
he would lose all this.
The fact is Just this turn about as they may
mys,ify and obscure il as they please, Mr.. Folks
administration has done two good things OF The
utmost importance-caused farmers 10 gel high
prices for what they have 10 sell, and 10 buy what
they want TO use in the way Of necessaries on the
best possible terms. say these two great ends
are undeniable, and must strike all common sense
people. They appeal toevery mans experience
they touch The pocket nerve, and are obvious
10 all. The people can desire no more than they
now haye-une1ampled prosperity. The Wings
see this, ard never speak O. The Tariff and other
Democratic measures. They only harp on The
Mexican war; have been an observer oil things
for some time, and can readily sec through this
cry againsllhe war. They cannot saw any Thing
against the Tariff and Constitutional Treasury
they see and know that, 10 attempt 10 drive De-
mocralic President from office on The old grounds
"a Bank of The United Slalcs Tariff for FRO
leclon. and other Wing measures won!d meet
the ridicue OF the nation. The leaders and edi-
tors, then, must gel up hue and cry against The
war, 10 save The party, and 10 give them any
ground whatever for presenting 10 The patton
Wing candidate for President in 1913.
They all know that the nations OF The earth
must frame other laws and adopt new regulations
among themselves, before they can say that there
was no cause OF war with Mexico. Mexico had
raised an army with the avowed intention OF in
vading one OF our States; she had violated her
treaty in not paying what was due 10 the United
States she had taken The private property oil our
citizens, and would mol compensate .hemi she
refused 10 receive an ambassador; she has re-
fused all oyelures for peace; and lastly, She
murdered onr citizens. say, then, there mus
be a new code of International law, before any
man or nation can say that there was no cause
OF war with Mexico. National law was made
10 regulate the conduct and intercourse OF ma.
lions, as civil law was designed 10 govern cili'
gems. II any man can say that a may lake the
property Of B, or kill with impuni,y, then may
he say, there was no cause Of war with Mexico
because, then, all considerations OF law and lish
mus, be disresaIded A PLAIN FARMER.
From The 81. Louis Republican. Jny2O
FROM CHIHUAHUA.
Letters were received in this city, Yesterday
from Chihuahua, dated some len days after The
departure OF Colonel Doniphan's command from
that city. They were brought by Mr.. Webb who
returned by way of FL. Passo and Santa fe.-
All along The route, between Chihuahua and San
la Fe, he was suffered TO pass without moeslatior