The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-10-29
WHAT sKALL B / rHr ISSUES.

lne Notaonot Intetttgen fT seems 70 thlnk tna
sectional disputes must gov give place to the ole
issues of Finance and ,arif, which have beer
revived BY the recent me aetarI1 reyulsioDs. Tbs
Philadelphia North Am rican rejoices heartily
that any cause has been potens enough to with
draw attention from the ectio lal issues which
have for so many years s4akeD the Union-tha
the present calsmities in she buliness world have
forced upon the People le iss' ,e of Protective
Tsriff; and, it adds-"So thi, issue we stand
pledged, and we prefer it TO all forms of section
al agitation, as intended to promote the wei
fare of the country and be he emouy of all it,
varied interests"
The Herald, which 81 pport ID Col. Fremont
is now champion of Mr. Bucl anan, and affect:
to point out the true pol cy of his Administra
ton. The Intenigencer is always Quietist
favored the election of n :. Buchanan, but cher
ishes tender longing 70 the resurrection of the
Wing Party. The NoaA american was for
merly leading Wing p& per; On the dissolution
of its Party, became So ,porter of the Repubh
can movement, withouts disay owing its Wing
doctrines, and now, as W. perceive, rejects thai
movement, and thanks 5eavea for the revival
of the Tariff Issue, which is to shut out the dis
cussion of the Question of Slavery. They al
agree that the Country is more deeply concerned
in. the reorganization a. the Banking System
and the Revision of the lariff, han in any other
measure. The fate of Kt$nsas hey consider set
led-henceforward, thet3 is nj controversy be
tween the Slave Power and is opponents-o
course, there ought to he, AM viii be, no Re
publican Party, no ProSlaver;' Patty.
These papers forget that the whole Opposition
from the Free States in the mkt Congress has
been elected upon the issue of slavesS, raised by
the Sectional Party which finds Representative
in Mr. Buchanan. Their views about Finance
or Protection had nothing to do with their nom
ination or election. The People were not
dreaming of a revision of the Tariff or Nation.
al Bank. They had been aroueed by the usurp.
atoms of Slavery-alarmed by its bold preten.
sions and its abhorrent doctrines-rendered in.
djgnant by the subservience Of the sc-caled
Democratic Party to its policy Of extension and
aggrandizement-and they elected representa-
tiyes pledged to resist and put down that pol
icy. There is not Republican Senator or
Representative in Congress who stands there in
virtue of his views concerning Tariff or Bank
not one who could have been ell cted on those is
sues, had they been presented il place Oft the mo-
mentous questions which, for tie last few years,
have determined the form s4d objection OF
Parties.
The Commercial and Trading Interests, al
ways sufficiently selfish, may frget everything
else in the necessities Of the no lr. Cities, where
Mammon rules, distracted, irri ated, desperate
from bank-suspeasion, mercantile ia lures, uni
versal distrust, and fear of impending fuin, may,
for time, think of nothing bu stoc! s, rates Of
exchange, and discount. Newpape 5, depend.
ems upon the Grading community, m ~ become
totally absorbed in questions OF mere material
values, and imagine that the only duty incum
bent on the American People now is, to bewai
the fall of the great Babylon, As if the end O.
the world had come.
I. But, we must remember that these none
tary troubles after all do not affecs deeply tn,
masses of the People, cut of the cities; are o
transient duration, and so obviously the result
of causes over which legislation has little con
troll, that they cannot. change the organization
or policy of political parties. The broken mer
chant, the suspended banker, the ruined specu
lator, may devote themselves to the restoration
of their fortunes, utterly regardless Of the pub
&c welfare, but there are still plenty Of citizens
%ho cannot be seduced into making pecuniar,
issues paramount. They will not neglect thei
,,Wn interests, but they will find time to watcl
oyer the good of the commonwealth.
In 1897, when general bankruptcy swept owe
the country, we were great deal poorer thar
we are now afflicted with abort crops anC
scant supply of specie. Aud yet, withou
the aid of a United States Bank, without Pro
tective Tariff, in fact, under Tariff with dutie
decreasing from year to year, without any legis
lative help whatsoever, the People worked them
talves clear of all embarrassments, and became
l. two or three years, more prosperous thar
ever. Now, we are far richer-our resources
fncomparably greater-we are Astounding il
hll the necessaries of lfe-with gold and silve
enough in the country for all She purposes o
Grade, without need Of papef currency. Al
tae evils we are suffering, we hive brought upor
ourselves; and by our own energies and gooc
conduct, we must extrieate ouraelves. This VI
Gre beginning to do: we shall be rapidly pro
crossing by the time Congress shall meet ant
re shall have accomplished the work before tha
s,ody could agree upon any measures of relief
Is they are called.
We do not wonder shat the French peopl
expect their Government to do everything fol-
them, and when starvation threatens, that the
l,etake themselves to revolution. Such ha
cen their training. The Government, what
ger its form, has been in the habit of treatin,
Them as children, too stupid or vesk to TAX
,are of themselves and it ha' assumed to de
ermine and regulate all the FIRMS Of their in
,ustrial as well as political Rfe. This is no
sAe American idea. What We want from ,
Government is, securit5 TO thu rights of eaci
Aitizen, and then, generally, to be let alone. /
here be any works necessary to the develop
pent and prosperity OF the CT liens, to whicl
eneir means individually or collectively are in
tiequate, then they desire the. inteyposition @
Government. But this true coiception of Gov
eminent is rejected by that class of men VIII
would leave no freeS pm to the individuaI
They want laws to di ect where the Peopl
shall buy and sell, htW they shall use thei
capital and labor, how much farming, and trs
ding, and manufacturing, they shall do, an
What shall be their hak is generally.
Too late I've have utgrown this antiquate
lystem. As well may re expect d resurrectio