The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-27
A ProGisa,e Congress.

inc materlaI interests OF the country, tneir
patronage Of. jobs of all descriptions, aud
their squandering of the public lands. Local
matters receive the undivided attention Of the
national legislature, but when the question Of
resuscitating the great commercial interests Of
the country came up those who took the sub
ject In hand showed themselves arrant bum
glars, devoid Of all statesmanlike views, and,
apparently, interested only In the success Of
our transatlantic friends, since not single
step was taken to secure portion Of that
trade which Ii enriching foreigners to degree
unparalleled in history.
| Persons of the most limited perceptions
could have seen the storm lowering In Europe
long before the adjournment of Congress, and
the American people will not readily forget
the precpitate haste in which the members Of
thct body left Washington at the very moment
when the golden opportunity was offered to
regain all that we had lost by the depredations
of the English Alabamas Who will forget
the almost contemptuous manner In which the
urgent message of President Grant, in which
he showed Congress the necessity of taking
steps to maintain our communications with
Europe during the coming troubles, was laid
upon the table2 There are, indeed, but few
mon in Congress who concern themselves
about the true interests of the country Most
OF the members cannot see beyond the length
of their noses, and know literally nothing
about matters of trade, finance or national
defence. They seem to think this great coun-
try an objectfor all to prey upon, and as long
as they can make large profits by lobbying
through fat jobs the United States and all its
best interests may take care of themselves.
The people are tired Of this, and there will
be terrible reckoning before many years
pass away. They are becoming aware that
the whole legislation Of the country is in the
hands Of incompetent men-small politicians,
whose only care is for their private ends; aud
while all our industrial pursuits arc over
looked foreign interests are protected in SO
shameful manner as to make it apparent
that the time has come for political tricksters
to give way to the brain and muscle of the
country. The Industrial classes are the
real sources of the wealth of the
vast domain which Providence has
given us. and in which we should find
larger share Of happiness than In any
other country on earth. The people can no
longer put faith in party politicians. II they
trust them again they deserve the shackles
which their tyrants are forging for them.
For nearly hundred years the politicians
have been running the machine in manner to
snt themselves and while constantly prating
of the necessity Of relieving the people of the
burden of taxation they have been loading
their subjects with weight which has taken
all the spirit Of resistance out of them. Like
an old horse that for years has been tied to
tho plough the oppressed have become too
feeble TO kick and find their only hope Of peace
and security Is In quietly dragging their weary
load without murmur. Talk Of Russian des-
potism, what is 1t compared to the tyranny
of Washington politicians? After q cen
tury Of this despotism the country finds
itself burdened with a debt of twenty
four hundred million dollars, with little hope
of any abatement Of taxes during the lifetime
of the present generation. On tho contrary,
every effort seems to be made TO increase still
further the load that the people must carry, and
the chances of increasing our resources, that,
if improved, would in few years relieve us
from our difficulties, are thrown recklessly
away. We find that in Congress the worst
men take the lead and do all in their power to
foment strife among a people already divided,
instead Of encouraging, by generous legisla-
ton, the return of the dsaffected portion to
their allegiance.
The American people will not readily forget
the injustice done them by Great Britain, and
yet they see in nearly every movement that ia
made to resusctate our commerce that the
feeling for British interest crops out in Con-
gress, quarter where we have the least right
to expect it. On occasions when discussions
take place concerning our great commercial in
terests British agents are as thick in the Hobbies
of Congress as jackals in the wilds Of Africa
Who can behold the decay of our commerce
and not condemn tho men who do nothing to
bring it to life again? Inactivity, when 80
much is at stake, would be dsgraceful, but to
be lifting up the commerce of a nation that
struck our own its most deadly blow is the
worst treachery that could be inflicted on
trusting people There are very few persons
who realize the extent of the injury inflicted
upon our commerce by Great Britain. We
will tell them that lO4, Cos tons of shipping were
captured or destroyed by vessels fitted out in
England SO1, 3O1 tons were transferred to
foreign flags to prevent their falling into the
hands of our enemies 215,978 tons were pur-
chased by the Navy Department and worn out
in the war, making total Of 1,l21.884 tons
decrease in our commerce at one fell swoop.
This statement does not indicate the decadencc
since the war, caused by the ignorant legisla-
ton of the Washburns, the Daweses. the Logans
| and the Stevenses, who have tri1ed with the