Weekly miners' express. (DuBuque, Iowa) 184?-1849, 1848-12-26
DUBUQUE, IOWA, DECEMBER IS. ls4s.

rate Of five cents, withou. any interior
ence with the principle which has been
constantly and properly enforced, Of ma
king that department sustain itself. a.
A well-digested postage system is the
best means Of diffusing intelligence among
the people, and is Of SO much Importance
in a country 80 extended as this Of the
United States, that | recommend, for your
favorable consideration, the suggestions
Of the Postmaster General Tor its improve
ment. ',- gag a'h f..s... -.-#
Nothing can retard the onward pro-
gress of our country, and prevent US from
assuming and maintaining the first posi-
ton among nations, but disregard of
the experience Of the past. .
The introduction Of the new policy was
for time favored by the condition Of the
country, BY the heavy debts which had
been contracted during the war, by the
depression Of public credit, by the deran-
ged state Of the finances and the curren-
cy, and by the CONNIE rcial aud peculiarly
embarrassment which extensively pre-
vailed. These were not only causes
which led to its establishment: the events
Of the war with Great Britain, and the
embarrassments which had attended its
prosecution, had left on the minds of ma
ny of our statesmen the impression that
our government was not strong enough,
and that, to work its resources success
fully in great emergencies, and especially
in war, more power should be concentra-
ted into its hands. This increased pow
err, they did not seek to obtain by the lie.
climate and prescribed mode-an amend
ment of the cons,itution-but by conslruc-
ton. They saw governments in the Old
World based upon different orders Of So
ciety, and so constituted, as to throw the
whole power Of nations into the hands OF
few, who taxed, uncontrolled, the many,
without responsibility or restriction. In
that arrangement, they conceived the
strength of nations, in war, consisted
There was, also, something fascinating in
this luxury and display OF the higher or.
der, who drew their wealth from the toll
OF the laboring millions. The authors o.
the system drew their ideas Of their pc
litical economy, from what they had wit
messed in Europe, and particularly i,
Great Britain.-They had viewed the en-
ormous wealth concentrated in fe,
hands, and had seen the splendor of tn
, overgrown establishments of an aris,ocra
cy, which was upheld by the RESTRICTIVE
policy. They forgot to look down upol
the poorer classes of the English popula
ton, whose daily and hourly labor in thu
great establishments they so much ad
mitted, and was sustained and supported
They failed to perceive that the scant,
fed and half clad operatives were not on
4 " in AFFECT poverty, but were bound il
1asl' ovr7ressive servitude, for the be
nefit Of the favored classas-x~.Ss exclusiv,
objects of the care of the govern int.
1t was not possible to reconstruct socl
ETY. in the United States upon the Euro
pean plan. There was written consti
tuition, by which orders and titles were
not recognized OF tolerated. Asystem oil
measures was devised, calculated, if no,
intended, to withdraw power gradually
and silently from the States and the mass
Of the people, and, by construction, to ap
r proximate our government to, the Euro
pean models, and ins'ituting an aristocra
: cy Of wealth for that of order and titles.
Without rejecting upon the dissimila
rity Of our institutions, and Of the condi
ton Of our people, and those Of Europe
, they conceived the vain idea Of building
up in the United States system similar
to that which they admired abroad
8 Great Britain had a National Bank, with
large capital, in whose hands was con
i. centrated the monetary and fnancia
power Of the nation; an institution WELD
ing almost kingly power, and exerting
vast influence upon all the operations O.
trade, and upon the policy Of the Govern
! ment itself. Great Britain had an enor
nous public debt, and it had become {
j.. part Of her public policy to regard ,hi!
:. as "public blessing.'-Great Britain
, had a contracted policy, which placed fet
: tters and burdens on trade, and trammell
ed the productive i:dustry GA The mass o
r the nation. BY her combined system O
-, policy, the landlords and other property
= holders we're protected and enriched, b,
the enormous taxes which were eviet
i upon the labor Of the country, for thei
advantage.
: Initiating this foreign policy, the frs
step towards establishing the new sys
: tenn, was the creation Of National Bank
> Not foresceing the disastrous power ant
countless evils which an institution Nigh
entail of the country, nor perceiving tn,
connection which it was designed to form
between the bank and the other branche.
Of the so-called "American system,' bu
feeling the embarrassment OF the Trea
sury, and of the business Of the country
consequent npon the war: some Of GU
statesmen who had held different ant
sounder views, were induced to yield thei,
scruples. and, indeed, settled conviction:
Of the unconstitutionality, and to give i,
their sanction, as an experiment which
they vainly hoped might produce relief
1t was most unfortunate error, as the
subsequent history and final catastrophe
~ tho do 70 o0I o1...,.A