Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-10-17
Timely and Hopeful El0qUence,

Timely ana hopeful EE0qHenCe,
The f6nowing extract from the late speech
of Hon. Caleb Gushing, at the Agricultu-
raj Fair, at Newburyport, Mass, abounds
in the noblest and most opportune elo-
qucnce:
The United States al this moment, are
passing through what is called financial
crisis-a stringency in the money market
Ia panic terror in the ranks of business
mon which shocks and disturbs all the rola-
tons O. commerce ard of c4ei5aage Hap
Ply, at such time. are you, the cultivators
of the land, of that boon, mother earth
alma geaef1.ic which, SO long as the s1n
shines, and the refreshing rains OF leave
fall, and seca-time and harvest succeed one
another, is tho only certain and exhau8tless
source Of the prosperity AID greatness of
men aud e. nations.
One tie #ieest O. the present economists
of France, when rejecting on tie losses
which that country has incurred by calami-
tous river inundations by the waste Of life
and treasure in the war with Russia by
successive years of deficiency n the grape
and other crops; by the disproportionately
high price Of the neeessarics of life by the
tendency of the population to accumulate in
mischieyous multitudes in the great cities
like Paris and Lyons by the admitted
fphysical deterioration of the inhabitants;
and by the immense disasters Of revolution
airy commissions and sanguinary civil con-
tlicts oceasioned by the chronic struggle be-
tween traditional public institutions and
Utopian schemes of Socialistic change in
| fl,o e =.
ting upon all this, | say, he eonsolcd him
self by the further reflection that he might
look with uudoubting confidence for rene
dy to all this in TIE roenperati.o power Of the
soil and the agricultural population Of
France.
How pregnant with suggestion is that
thought to us of the United States az the
present time. Not upon our land, as upon
that of France, have periodical foundations
and failures of crops eo,ee to neutralize the
labors Of man; net for rs as for her has the
best of our blood and Of our resources been
Isquan9ered in sterile wars of pride, cap-
rice, or national jealousy not along cur
sky, as IA hers, las the avenging demon OF
domestic discord passed, shaking from be-
meath the thundereloud Of his black WINGS
the Lightning shafts Of revolution ard civil
war, in terror and dosolatioa npoA mems
devoted heads not among us, as there, is Il
redundant population pent up in oyer-erow-
dcd cities. and condemned 70 evtort from q
long -taslea soil is unwilling yield but in
stead Of al this. We have never.ceasing ter
restrial productiYeness, unbrotoa lomestic
peace, institutions s.rong IN their wei or
dered freedom, aud tAis rich country Of ours
to cultivate and 10 occupys With is glorious
forests, its fertile praiFies, Is flowing rivers,
its inland seas, its metal toeming earth-in
a word, this great land, in all its untouch-
Jed native strength, as it was on that first
holy Sabbath Of tie Creation, when, az #
bloomod and smiled in It's maiden charms
beneath His well pleased eye. it was de-
olarod to DC good by the Omniseient Mind
and 0nnipresent Voice Of the Almighty
, IF, then, it can be so truly said in
France, She has a sufficient remedy for all j.,
even the greatest ealaniites, in her agricul-
| tural resources, how much more confident
ly may we look to the same quarter Cor re-
lief, Tor whatever there is most unwelcome
in the commercial crisis, which, at the pres
ent moment atiiiets The United States,
do not hesitate, therefore, ta say, that IN
: you, the landed interest of the country, Is
10 be found the solid subStratum Of our ma
terial welfare, and now, as at all other
times, the sure salvation of tic commercial
prosperity Of the country. Banks may sus-
pend payment IN specie, but the sun does
not cease to shine ; merchants may fail, bat
the earth does not railroad stocks and
bonds may so down, but the harvest comes,
and IFS cotton, tobacco, sugar, corn, wheat
and rice, fill our storehouses and our gra-
, naries bills Of exchange may be protested,
) but the coal and iron Of Pennsylvania and
: Virginia, the lead of Wisconsin, the copper
: Of Michigan, and the gold and quicksilver
of California remain many weary mer-
: chant as he scans the pages Of his ledger
. may sink in dependency, .bet millions q
, strong hands and bold hearts viii survive
, to earrg on the business Of life promote
individual Well-beng, and work out the
) great problem of the growth and grandeur
: of the United States.
We, it is true, have our petty public af-
flictioiis, Gnd we make the most of them
n | feel ashamed sometimes to think how pet
ty are the political troubles which pre-oo-
cupy us, aud then again, rejoice and fee
' proud to think how supernal is the condi
I ton Of our country which enables us to en-
joy the satisfaction of grumbling and fret
/, ting about such trivial and insignificant
things.
If you were to heed the sensation para
graphs of thepublic journals, and the yagu,
declamations Of the hastings. you nigh
b conceive that millions of men here in th
: United States were in arms fer fratrieida
: combat, that mighty eitadels were lost ant
: won daily by contending hosts, that embat
: tied legions We're in the field pouring on
the deadly hail ofthe musket and rifle, TIA
our cities were undergoing capture and sacl
. at the hands Of infatuated enemies, snd tina
all the worst ealamties of war, pestlene
g and famine were now. and for years ha,
: been. raging throughout the Union. Al
these things unhappy England now has up
en- Der hards in distracted and devastated
I4dia. I;ut we--Whatis it that we have 70
political trouble? Why, forsooth, SOM,
/ petty frontier fquabble in Utah, Neosho
+ Dacotah, Nebraska, Kansas, Or some otke
y out of the-way spot, with Or without name
and of no more account any way in III
great current Of national welfare and happi
ness, than the bubbles which form and breal