New-York daily tribune., 1857-10-06

and stagnatiOni, and who hnd tnelr comiorI anu
credit diminished BY contractons, the present nan-
cal cri.i, must be mystery. The laborins man
who learns that half dozen bank notes have been
thrown out elsewhere before they have been thrown
out to him, should be venture to inquire intoa
phenomenon so disagreeable, 10 answered in the
jargon Of the Stock Exchange, which, like the
flash dialect Of thieves, seems to have been eI'
pre,sly devised for the concesment Of IDEAS. The
operative who is startled at seeing all the spiudss
standing suddenly still, or who is required 10
digest the unpalatable and tough problem OF " bali
time" finds that all the talk about overtradng and
expansions does not put anything into bis pot and
bread basket The working classes in this country
have been content to let others do their thinking
for them and although they appreciate most de-
cidedy the difference between "hard times " and
what we suppose must be called soft times
vet there is also dim notion that these things are
regulated either in heaven, Wall street or the bank
psrlors. No people under popular form Of gov
eminent ever undertook such gigantic industrial
aud financial experiments as We have upon trust.
There is very little well-diffused and accurate
knowledge of Political Economy in the country.
We have made some valuable contributions to that
science, but all Of them may be carried under the
arm In the colleges the subject receives very
little earnest attention, and in the schools almost
none at all. The people make all the laws regu-
latng banking and imports. That is to say, the
people make them in theory. And yet this same
people seem to be willing to ago up, up, up" and
"down, down, down." now with mad merriment,
enjoying an imitation and anon writing with the
collie of a collapse.
The Sham Democrats have, indeed, given TO their
deluded victims few wO,iu-eaten formulas which
inculcate the exceeding wisdom Of Hard Money
and of Free Trade. These heir.lOoms Of the party
ore much uied by its supporters. whenever there
has been crash; and are also ungratefuly disre-
garded by these same admirers when public pros
perity has returned. We have noticed that
the most bulliony Democrats are frequently
Bank Directors, and We hear Of them, now and
then, doing little something in stocks
not particularly substantial. So, too, your
Free Trader in theory is very likely to own cot
ton.mill and be a Protectionist in practice. The
.um.total of information concerning banking pOpu.
larly diffused by the Democratic party is that
bank note is " rag" and that it can never, BY the
remotest possibility, be worth specie dollar.
This doctrine being easy to acquire and not difficult
to retain is much aired, particularly in hard times,
by porter.house politicians whose times are never
very easy, and whose pockets equally devoid of
paper and Of silver.
The mechanics farmers and traders of this oOuu-
try are not by any means an ignorant class. They
read end, what is better, they think. They know
something of history, and something of the practi.
cal arts and sciences. But of that branch of learn
ing upon which their prosperity depends; of those
principles without recognition Of which all their
labor is in vain; of that economical policy, the neg
lect Of which may bring ruin and starvation into
their houses, they know or seem to know very lit
tie. They appear to think that Political Economy
10 one of tbose extremely abstruse sciences which
can only be mastered by cabinet secretaries, mem.
bers of Congress- bank directors, hard headed men
who can draft ship or grapple successfully with
the most intricate problem in mechanics, shrink
from looking into such puzzles as those Of supply
and demand, usury, and the medium of exchange.
They pick up now and then hint from the news
papers; but for the most part they content to
leave the adjustment of such matters to rsrty lead
ers, glad to receive good wages, and bearing as
best they can the sudden cessation Of all wages
good or bad. This 10 very absurd. If the people
make the laws, they should know little OF the
principles upon which laws are made. We shall
find out, before the next six months are over that
the farmers and artisans Of this country are quite
as direty interested in the economical questions Of
the day as the merchants and manufacturers.
During the coming Winter, many Of the prOduc-
ing classes will not probably be called upon to
produce anything There will be plenty of time
for reading, and instead of squandering it in the
perusa of wishy. washy novels, those who are wait
ing for Spring and the work which we hope Spring
will bring with it, should read the most approved
works upon Trade and Currency. We have pur-
posely avoided recommending any particular course
or doctrine. Read all you can lay Jour hand on
Smith Jacobs, Bentham, Mill, Cobbett, Congo,
Carey Read the Hard Money men and the Paper
Money men, tie Free Traders and the Protection
ists. ChOOse between them, guided by your own
good sense and experience fully convinced that as
to such matters every American o~es II To himself
and 10 his family not to stand batting between two
opinions. No topics will be more fully discussed
for some time to come than those of Banking and
Corporations, and be will be great way behind
the times and hardly fit to vote for the Town Con-
stable who does not know something about them
You may find the nut little bard to crack but
YOU viii find il worth cracking In pursuing your
investigations, you viii be furnished, in events daily
occurring within the sphere Of your own obserya-
49,, - hroroht IN vonr attention by the neWsna