The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-01-16
From the New York Tribune.
TIE STATE OF TIE NATION.

Nlf. C0Twtn' . tfuth-t0Illng and lucid lie
port on the National Finances is now farj,
before the country. fit could only be reae
with candid attention by our Whole voting
population, we believe It would suffice 81
itself TO secure beneficent change in ou,
National Policy. But how many Of our
Three Millions Of Voters really study and
take to heart these great topics Of National
concern which their votes are annually and
vitality affecting! This Report and the Ia
bles accompanying it enbody more facts
which should enter into and modify the Ma
tional Policy than were ever before presen.
ted in q space equally limited. No man
can vote in,olligently, safely, al the sp.
preaching elections for Members Of Con.
gress aud President who has not made him.
self master Of these facts, Whatever lie may
choose TO think Of the Secretaryfs deduc.
tions therelrom. And yet, how large a
share Of our voters will never read them at
all! How many will barely skim over the
more prominent statistics while smoking a
ciyar, und speedily dismiss them from their
remembrance! And--aias, that Il should
be so!-what vast majority Of those who
don't read and won't think will vote dead
against the Secretary's warning and rec.
concentrations, not because they believe
them unsonnd or mistaken, bu. because
they are told that il is sDemocratic' aud
regular 10 do so! just think Of the Five
Points and CorIaer's Hook sitting in judg-
nent on the differing theories Of Secreta.
ries Walker nnd Corwin, md what abomin.
able maior,ics ihev are certain to roll up
for the former! Whether there be or he
not any natural and necessary affinity be-
tween them, it is certain that those who oh
tain their livelihood from the practitioners
Of free gambling, free drinking and free
debauchory do give The great bulk Of their
votes for what j. SO speciously termed Free
Traffic. Their vocations do not immediate
ly, palpably suffer much from the competi-
tion Of similar establishments in Europe
and they are not addicted to forecastng
calculations. OF all The votes cas-, il this
City by men who would rather not tell how
they made their living, nine-ten,hs are
thrown steadily against the doctrines Of
Secretary Corwin's Report and the csndi-
dates who uphold them. And il is much
the same every where. II every man had
an honest, useful calling and ear..cd his liv
ing by il, we should have an efficient Pro
tectiye Tariff forthwith aud consequen,
and lasting increase Of the general demand
for and reward Of Labor throughout The
country. As il is, we must struggle, ex.
postulaie and hope.
MIR. Corwin shows that, with tho An.
nexstion Of Texas and the consequent Mex.
lean War, we entered entirely upon new
phase Of our National existencc. The
change thus effected has already cost ,is
One Hundred and twenty-five Millions oi
Dollars, and has eniailed upon us further
obligations TO the extent Of nearly One
Hundred Millions more Our Annual Ex-
penditures have been swelled BY those
measures from Twenty five Millions to For.
ty-eight Millions per annum, and almost
every department Of fbe Government re.
ports a necessity for still heavier outlaysin
consequence Of The vast and sudden exten.
sion Of our Territory and fhe obligations
incurred BY the Treaty which confirmed
that Extension. Indian Intercourse and
cessions Of Land, Indian HostIities and olr
bargain with Mexico to protect her against
The hard customers we SO largely bought ot
her aud promised to control--Dncks, De-
fences, Surveys, Judiciary, sc. on the Pa.
cifc--money, more money, here, there md
everywhere-sucl, is the universal chorus.
What Is TO he done?
The Revenue from Lands Is demolished
by the Military Bounty Acts, ms enacted BY
the last and present Congresses, and as Ger.
tain to be modified at this session. We
trust that the Lands arc soon to be made
Free, bu, whether they shall or shall not
be, they Can yield but a trifing revenue for
twenty years to come. Meanwhile, we
have TO paw nearly One Hundred Millions
Of Public Debt, including Mcxican indem-
nifty, Mexican Spoliatinns, Texas Indemni.
|ty, &c. Uncle Sam has everybody TO pay
--uobody hss to pay him. How il be to
raise the ways and means through the next
ten years?
Our Revenue from Customs has been
quite large for some years past; but howl
Simply by running 10 debt for a good share
Of ths Importations on which this Revenue
was paid Since the Famine Year IN Eu-
rope, we have been running ia debt TO Eng
land al the rate ofmany Millions per annum.
Our Exports for the las, fiscal year (nearly
all sent to countries which levy Specific
duties, and consequently prefer no tempta-
|tion to undervnlue) amounted to less than
One Hundred aud Fitiy-two Millions, while
our Imports exceeded One Hundred and
Seventy.eight Millions, at the Importers
Custom. House valuations to pay Ad Vnlor-
EN- duties upon, while the real cost Of these
goods was more than Two Hundred Millions
Of Dollars. r The difference was made' ,sp
by Railroad Bonds, Government Stocks,
State Stocks, City Stocks, SIC. sent TO En.
rope and now held there --by Mercantile
balance Of Indebtedness, and by Foreign in
vestmen,s among us. The very Eychangs