The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-01-02
Modern Democracy.


We have been both amused and instructed
in watching the game now being played in
England by the late Secretary of the Treasury,
Mr.. WALKER, on one side, and the iron and
cotton arstocracy OF that country, and their
friends, on the other.
To aid his English friends, Mr.. WALKER
has Frustrated our own rapidly growing manu-
features of cotton and of iron, and, in token of
their satisfaction with his course, his Manches
ter constituents have complimented him with
dinner, the digestion of which was doubtless
greatly promoted by the knowledge of the fact
that our consumption of cotton had fallen to
i60000 bales, while our production Of iron
had fallen from $4,000, tons in 1876, to
little more than 100000 tons in 1851. In
returning thanks for this compliment, the
ex-Secretary gave his entertainers his views
Of the advantage that must enure TO the world
from carrying out the system Of British free
trade, which looks to securing 10 Britain
monopoly Of the power TO supply the world
with cloth and iron; and so perfectly satisfac-
tory were those views, that the London Daily
.Ntics endorses the speaker as another FRANZ
LIN To US, however, there appears to be be-
tween the original FRATrLrN and the copy
thus offered for the acceptance of the world
precisely the same resemblance that exists be-
tween muitun ia parro and pdrUul in multo-
the original having been quite as remarkable
for saying much in little space as the copy is
for saying little in much space. Beyond this
we can see, we must confess, little resem-
blance. We cannot now, at the distance
Of eighty years. study the writings of The first
FRANsLIS without being struck with their sound
sense and the prcpheiical character Of his
views; whereas it is impossible now, al the dis
lance Of only five years, to study the reports Of
iLe second one without remarking the entire
absence Of practical knowledge, and the total
failure Of each and every one Of his prophecies
Observation taught The original FRANrLIN that
productive power tended 10 increase in this
country far more rapidly than in Europe, and
common sense taught him that il we contin-
ned our dependence on Europe for articles Of
necessity. we should therefore be steadily Civ
ing more Of our products in exchange for less Of
theirs, for which reason he advised that we
should adopt the measures necessary for bring
ing the manufacturer 10 the side Of the agricul-
| iurist-the consumer 10 the side Of the pro-
Queer. Theory taught The ,econd FRiNr
.LIN that the people who produced little
and who had therefore little to give in e1
change, were the best customers, and that by
trading with them We were obtaining two days
labor in exchange for one; and therefore he ad
vised his countrymen TO adopt the measures re
qured for separating the manufacturer from th'
agriculiurist, and thus interposing the larges
possible number Of middemen between the pro
ducers and the consumers. We do not inten,
to deny that the ex- Secretary may be considere,
equal 10 FRANKLIS, or even 10 WAsmNGroN
if his English friends shall 81 require; but W
do insist that, If he is a very great man, the,
must have been very little ones, Cor they diIe
on almost every point
WAsmSGroS was opposed 10 "entangling al
lances" Mr. WALKER assures his nearer
2 that millions Of his countrymen will be read
! 70 take arms in aid Of "the breakwater VI free
dom;" in aid Of that country which accordin
e to the London Times, PROTECTS the Ne,
a World from the tyranuios Of the Old" and. i
s return for this. that journal thus dscourses
4 regard to the Manchester speech:
i There are no two States in the whole worl,
r and never have been, 20 bound to one another,
= mutually beneficial, and 60 able to work togethe
AZ the British empire and the United States.
u present il seems impossible but that the whole
) the continent Of Europe should fall into the ham
II Of military despots-it seems equally impossib
r. that We with our American brethren, should 10
lo,
then, are the two parties in the gres, cause tn
threatens 10 divide aud convuse the whole worl
Should any thing happen to us-should y
II ever be exposed TO unmeuted indignity aud o