Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1849-10-04
To the Freeinen Of Pennsylvania


The Whig State Central Committee address
; their fellow citizens of Pennsylvania at period
OF unusual interest, and amid events and tenden-
ces of uncommon Importance. 1t is period Of
crises, in which the fortunes Of the State, of the
Union, of the worId--or at leas. the world of Eu.
rope-are all deeply involved. In Europe, the
crisis Of liberty is, perhaps, alreadypast: Rome,
Venice and Hungary have fallen France is false
or derelict; Switzerland is threatened and the
last shattered relics of republicansm struggle but
feebly against the vengence of kings and the pow
er of their rnercenary armies. In our own fair
Union where Locofoism assumes the attitude and
breaches the doctrine Of despotism, we have the
crisis of free soil; and in Pennsylvania, where the
same evil influence is arrayed against the freedom
of territories and the rights of citizens, we are
called to our duties in the crisis of the protective
policy. Shall the unsettled territories OF this
broad republic be given up TO the unresisted en-
Pire of slavery Shall the free laborers of Penn
sylvania be robbed Of their rights and adequte re
wards, be reduced to the condition of Eur opean
serfs These are questions which are to be an
swered in the coming election In the Keystone
State; for nothing is now more certain than that
according as her people cast their suffrages OH
the side of the Whig or the Locofoco party, they
vote for or against the principles of free soil and
for or against the doctrine of protection. In
these two particulars there can be no doubt where
the two parties respectively stand. Locofocoism,
in this State, no longer conceas its alliance with
and allegiance to the Southern fanatcism of the
school of Calhoun, which claims the unlimited
right of slave holders carry slaves and plant the
institution of slavery wherever they choose, and,
at the same time, to equally unlimited privilege
of taking away the employments and markets of
our workmen, to give them to foreign workmen
in England and other distant countries. Loco
focoism, in Pennsylvania, is now openly presen-
ted as free trade and slavery extension party
/ The Wings have ever been the true, and they NOW
remain the only consistent reliable friends of the
principles which reserve free territories for free
men, and give all the lucrative employmefts. and
| profitable markets Of our own country TO our own
citizens the principles which would consecrate
the broad unsettled lands Of North America TO
the uses of freedom, and prefer the interests of
American industry over those of any and every
foreign people. How many thousand stawarth
laborers in Pennsylvania depend for their bread
upon the prosperity of the great coal and iron ill.,
teresis, which now latguishing SO miserably
under that bitter gift of Locofoco love of the peo
pie, the death tariff of 1916; and how many har-
dy farmers of Pennsylvania, of whom these labor
ers bought their food, now suffer in the poverty
of their customers! One third of our iron works
thrown out of use have entailed loss of not less
than seven Or eight millions of dollars year, ev-
cry cent Of which is taken from the pockets of
Pennsylvania workmen and farmers to be given
10 British workmen and farmers. 1t is or.y Whig
protection and Wing tariffs which can pus an end
to this runous state of things and bling back the
prosperity enjoyed under the Whig tariff of ls4s.
Pennsylvania needs wise AMI economic sys
tenn Of finance aiming TO incres Sc the productive
ness of The State improvements, and diminish the
burthen Of public debt. Can any man of any par
ty in the Commonwealth fail to contrast the
change in the State affairs, accomplished within
the brief period in which they have been admin
istered BY a Whie State government, with the
posture they occupied SO long under Locofoco
tnisruie and mis- management Within this peri
W, Iic O'ac credit mas Deen feStOred--tn6 Inter-
est on the public debt is paid in hard money-and,
while the completion of the North Branch Canal
and the Columbia Rail Road (for what is the road
to avoid the inclined plane but the completion Of
tha'. great work. has been embarked upon, Sink
ing Fund has been established and Is already In |
operation: the work of paying the State debt hav-
ing actually commenced, and commenced in such
away, and upon such system, that it is calcula.
ted. that if no fatal change be made, no less than
ten millions of dollars, or one fourth the whole
debt, may be paid off in six yeafs and the entire
Indebtedness of the Commonwealth be wiped out
within fifteen or sixteen years. What glorious
this for every Pennsylyanian who loves
his State and feels that he ought to disregard all
politics, and all parties, whicha are not based upon
The first principle of entire devotion to the honor
and interest OF the State and the happiness and
prosperity of its people. I,
To realize this prospect, the full infusion-the !
entire predominance in fact-of Wing princi-
,les is necessary. To ensure economy and idel-
sy in the management OF the State works--nay, u
O guaranty barely check upon profuson and L
Wing at least ought to be b