Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-04-27

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slate OF affairs.
Nnh startling emotions ofalnrm, they behold \
tho nucl Us or a great NATIONAL DEBT, which /
IN heavy expenses of the Presidents war had
already c., aied. and which threatened 10 reach
th;i rmounl which Hcrer could be liquidaled j.. |
Tie people saw the same dark and lowering
,lo which hanls over Englaud--in the form
Of a great National debt, so burdensome that
with all her edor she fails annually 10 meet lis
in'erest, and which must in consequence steadi.
ly increase until she is entirely overpowered--
last spreading itself over proud Columbia and
threatening TO bind them down under lis dar, and
uuerly hopeless influence. Aye, this was a
nj 'menious question! The fate o. The nation
seemed TO depend upon 1.-THE very existence Of
our Government. as an independent republic,
seemed to depend on the arrest Of this lrighllul
nucleus! What, in that case, could The people
DO but look TO Congress- for pro,ecionl That
power alone was capable Of ayerting so terrible
and lalal a calamity.
The people hod witnessed with restlcssness and
dissatisfaction the alarming increase Of Erecu.
tiUs Patronage in the country, aud already be-
gan 10 feel the pangs of its tendencies and er.
lects. At the scat of Government, waved the
regal Scepire of the President, who cried loud
and long for armies with which to oyerrun
ntighboring republic, already conquered by our
arms,-ior The double and doubly damning pur-
pose of attaching additional slave territory to
our borders, and that Of extending to hundreds
aud thousands Of unpOrihy aSpirants lucrative
offices ofpublic trust and honor, because of their
blind & rabid adherunco 10 THE rARTY, regardless
of rhe interests and welfare Of the country
This, TOO, was anoihcr evil which the thirlicth
Congress was expected TO at least cura.
l have here presented but very imperlect
outline oflhe condiri IN in which Congress found
the country. when its abors were commenced.
The public, however, were at that time intimate.
y acquainted with the nature Of the dal gers in
10 which the Ship of State had been launched
were in an eminent degree convcrSant with
the causes that brought Them about, and with
lh" degree Of danger into which our free inst.
tutors had been hurried. llwus lhtir privilege,
as intelligent (reemen, TO determine for them
i Ives what amount of relief was TO be reasuna.
lily expected from the solemn deliberations and
acts Gl their cprecenalives--,hcir duiy 10 de-
nand ii. II has also been within the power of
each and every intelligent individual to stand as
sentinel, and determine for himself, through
the medium of the newspaper press, whether his
just expectations had been fully or in any. de-
gree realized by saluory uc's of the National
council. And it is most certainly tie duty Of
every god CT l. en- unjer a rcEubl can form Of
government, to pay this much attention TO the
well, r. Of his counry.
That CJngrcss has in some degree checked
the former unbridled career of the President,
have no doubt all are salslicd bui that the peo-
pie lave seen many evidences of an opposite
character, am as well convinced. They have
seen much 10 lessen, AID even in many cases to
entirely destroy, confidence that may have been
placed in Their fuIers--they have seen their dea-
rest rights and best interests trampled in the dust,
by those Of whom they expected better things.
In the lower branch Of the national assembly.
where majority rules that is opposed to the
wickedness and extravaganza which brought on
the unhappy state Of affairs that all depore, and
which iavors in its might The proper reform, con-
sIiluency has met with some consolation and
comfort; but in the upper house, they have
seen illIe else with the majority. than DISPOSE
ton 10 carry out the unwhoesome coveous
measures Of an unwiso and wicked Executive.
They have observed, in short, that the House
has nobIy held in check the Senate; and that
the latter has had the power Of exercising, in
fatal degree, an unhappy control over the former.
This condiuon of things leaves US in about
the same channel that we were when Congress
asscmbcd-prevonIs us. from falling into a
worse, but does not enable us TO regain much
more favorable one. A final ratification Of Il
treaty of peace, the election of an honest, wise
and prudent Chief Magistrate, and radical
change in the general tenor oc sinking Gov
ernment are now looked upon as the only hope
Of the Republic. God speed the day on which
these ends shall be effected
The recent session Of the S.ate Legislature,
although considered secondary in interest, will
long be remembered. The wisdom Of Wing
legislation was made manifest at the opening of
the session, and like evidences continued to the
end the Message of the Governor showed
that The finances Of the State had been managed
in manner perfectly satisfactory, thai the long
looked for and anxiousIy expected period had
arrived which was to be noted in after time as