Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-03-25
Distinction between the Two
great Parties of the Country.


er,y, now oppressed and in exile, we
must not and dare not, forget that WE
have country, whose prosperity we
should guard, and whose safety we should
secure. 1t may be source of gratifi-
cation TO witness the enthusiasm Of the
people for liberty, a. personated by Gov
ernor kossuth now in oar midst, but it
is not less important, or less our duty,
to ponder well upon the causes of our
greatness and the dangers which threat
en- its downfall. However disposed we
may be to listen only to those sounds
which are pleasing 10 our ears, we can
not shu, out the stern and righteous muir
n.urings that go up from dismantled fur
naces and ruined factories, wrecked ves-
se.s and drowning boatmen We must
listen, think and act, for it is the fact that
we do think and may act independently.
that constitutes the difference between
us as people and the inhabitants of
France. However severe the duty may
be to perform. we must prepare for the
performance gass9anssst 3" ltag r5f tu
And now lei US see upon what ground
we stand, and examine well the position
of those who differ honestly, we ,rust,)
with US in our own views of govern
ment. The Whig party are, and have
ever been in theory and practice the
the friends of .,he American system.'-
The friends not only of an Independents
commerce; whilst the so-called Demo-
cratic party are the advocates of free
trade as principle. and are doing their
utmost to carry il out in practice. The
consequence of that practice. so far as
they have been able to proceed, are wit
messed and felt in all the motionless
spindles. idle trip hammers, and extin-
guished fires, from Maine to Texas, and
in the overilowing granaries, In which
are rotting the surplus millions of bush
els of wheat, throughout, the whole West.
l.is witnessed in the scarcity of the cir
cula,ing medium, caused by the export
of S60,000,O0O of specie in few short
months, and that, too, notwithstanding
the rich production Of California. And
should this state of things continue, the
bankru 2,cy OF our nation will be witness
ed in the bankruptcy of those who COM
pose the nation, unless they are willing
to come down to a level with, the serfs
of Europe, unless they are willing to
wear rags upon their bodies, and array
their minds in the tat.ered fragmen,ary
ideas, such as, the free trade writers of
Europe, and political demagogues of this
country are willing to dole on. TO them.
There is no doubt they can live, and live
perhaps free from debt, but such life is
worse than death. To an American,
death at once should be far more prefera.
bic than life Of degraded, unrewarded
toll. Il was not for this our fathers
struggled in weakness until they became
mighty The. blood and treasure and
suffering were not expended that we
should al last become, through the intri-
casies Of trade, hewers of wood and
drawers Of water 10 a nation that has
twice acknowledged our prowess in battle.
The advocate OF free trade is willing
that the manufacturer at Birmingham and
Liverpool. in England. should roll along
in his splendid equipage, and surfei.
himself with the earnings of the people
Of this country, but is unwilling that
those who invest their capital and time
in machinery at Lowell, Lawrence,
Pittsburgh aud Cincinnati. and other
manufacturing points, should enjoy even
competency. They insist that the
farmer shall depend upon foreign sup
ply of goods, and in mere mockery, Of
fer hia market for his glain, at a place
5000 miles distant, TO be there undersold
by the sert productions of Russia and
Poland. These are the principles, when
carried ont, of the so-called Democratic
party, in reference to free trade and the
tariti. And the only reason, il We are
to believe the leaders Of that party, why
free trade is no, put fully into practice, is,
because there is a, revenue TO be raised,
TO pay the war debt which that party has
contracted, and which can only be dis
charged in this way, OF by resort to
direc. taxaiion. II is idle then to say
that the-e is litsle il any difference be-
tween the two great political parties Of
the country, and equally idle and suici-
dal to indulge IN the apathy and bitter
ness which has characterised too many
Of those whose interest il 10 TO act and
act with promptness and effect. e
The. people Of Pennsylvania have
been cheated into the support of those
who, when seated in the Capito. at Wash
ing.on, have only laughed when they pc
titioned, and mocked them when they
were reminded of their solemn promises.
From recent developments, we begin to
hope that they are determined to be
cheated no longer; that they will trust in
that party only which has ever been the
constant advocates of the interests of the
whole country. That party is the Wing
party. and one of the great principles up
on which il rests is that of protection TO
honest home industry, against the pau
per labor Of Europe. There are other
great differences in the two great parties,
which we might notice and comment up
on; but for the present, we say let the
people look at these questions without
party bias, coolly and calmly, and, with
all the facts before them, Judge for them
selves, The time is a Dropitious one.