The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-01-21
THE PLATFORMS.

.
We this week present our readers with the
Platforms of both branches Of the professed
Democracy, adopted at their recent Conven-
tions in Columbus. Their objects seem to
be, to destroy the Banks, and to collect the
taxes in gold and silver. How this is to be
. done under free trade, which calls for all, and
more than all the specie we have, to foot the
foreign bill against us, is more than we can
telh With more than four hundred and twen-
ty millions of dollars against us now, and still
to advocate free trade, which would largely
augment that balance, is thing which can
not be advocated by wel-wisher of the A.
merican people. We have long seen the
tendency of the locofocos and professed free
democracy to this point, and have warned
our readers, from time to time, against them.
All disguise Is now thrown of, and they stand
before the country the real advocates of the
British, and the direct opponents of true A
merican interests.
Let every reader carefully examine these
Platforms. 1t is hard to tell which would, il
carried out, the soonest destroy our country.
True, both profess to be opposed to slavery,
yet both advocate measures which will con-
tinue that curse upon the country, by striking
down free labor-thus making them tributary
to the slaveocracy. No true Wing, no true
friend of the vital interests of the country,
can support either of them. Let the Whig
party, then, more hrmly than ever, adhere to
their principles and their party. 1t is the
only party in the nation which advocate mea-
sures that would make our country independ-
ent.
We may be in the minority, and not be al
lowed to direct the policy Of the Government
but that should not make US falter for mo-
ment The attempt of the locofocos and the
little handful of the professed free democracy
to distract and divide the Wings, must be de-
feated. That it will be defeated, we have no
doubt.
Matters are now in very similar situation
TO what they wers in 1897, only on larger
scaie--and the explosion Of the blown up
bubble is bound 10 come, sooner or later.
When that time comes--when the country is
totally prostrated-then the Wings will be
called upon to take hold of the helm, and
right the great ship of State, Such was the
case before, and such will no doubt be the
case again.
What does it amount to that we getting
millions of gold from California! Our
European Indebtedness calls for more than
we are receiving, and that Indebtedness is
rapidly increasing. 1t matters not who owes
The money to Europe. When it is bought up
by those who do owe it there, and sent away,
how nre the people to do business! Clearly
by the issue of shin-plasters. They will be.
come commercial necessity-and "necessity
knows no law" e.
These things were pointed out in 1887
and those who did SO were laughed to scorn-
Yet in ls4O, they became veritable history.
Like causes must ever produce like effects.
"Hard times'' never come upon the country
without causes producing them, and, if
the people had taken warning, would never
have occurred. Under all circumstances, let
the Whig party remain united and firm. Both
the parties have placed an impossible gulf
between them and US; and it behoves us to
keep ourselves in position to save the
country, when the crisis comes.