New-York tribune., 1870-11-30

imbuing them with intelligence and courage
Had MT you better devote your next tract
expressly to them '
MIR. VIM. C. Bryant felt impellcd to insult
those of his present compatriots who were
formerly Wings by this most mistaken incul-
patton;
until lately there strong party preiudces ar
rayed against The great whgparty. intelligent
and powerful adopted in Its day the douson OF Protec-
ton with party spirit 1t Is impossible to reason Those
who made point IA do, of following the lead OF
their party were not to DO convinced. That hinderao
the spread of enlightened opinions on this subject Is
now removed No man Is now withheld by mere party
considerations from listening candidly 10 the arguments
for commercial freedom. BE he Republican or DO ho
Democrat he finds men in his own party who take the
bodest ground for Revenue Reform, and who act him
worthy example. There formerly men OF great tai
ent and influence in political life. with train OF
devoted followers who gave all the aid OF their elo
ouence and the weight OF their character TO the pol
ICY of restrictions on trade Tor tho peheht
OF the mill-owners Henry Clay, man OF chVa-
rous and generous nature OF fascinating manners and
great powers of persuasion, name to this policy
of which he the champion, and called 1t tho Amer-
can system Webster at one time the able advocate OF
Free Trade went to the sde with all the fame
his great taents Thcse whigs but the eminent
statesmen OF the Democratic party In the North such a.
Van Buren and Sas Wright, called themselves
friends OF Free Trade and doubt whether they ever TOOK
tho pains master the question. Thus an immense per
sona influence aside from all considerations OF interest
was excrted in favor Of tho policy OF Protection That
state OF things no longer exists The public men who
have succeeded to the opinions OF these great ieaders
have not succeeded to their standing in the public
estimation, nor to their powe1 over public opinion
generation il rising up who never knew Henry Clay.
and who will adopt his merely because they
were his"
Mr.. Bryant is old enough to have learned
respect for other mems convictions. He is
quite aware that the Wings were the less pop
ular party, very rarely and for short periods
in power, and often for years hopeless
minority How could they control the policy
of the cOuntry' O, because Van Buren, and
Wright "never called themselves friends Of
" Free Trade, and | doubt whether they ever
took pains to master the question" But you
were their ally, Mr.. Bryant! you had voice
in the councils of their party; why did MT you
compel them to "master the question 7" When
you saw one or both Of them voting for every
Protective Tariff of their time-1824, 1928, and
1842-why did MT you threaten to bolt and
break them down, as you now threaten the
Republicansq Why did you support Van
Buren, flor Governor in '29 and Wright in A.
just after he had voted for a Protective Tariff
Why did you not bolt Democrats as you bolt
Republicans7 Why but because you wished
to keep the Democratic party in power, as you
now mean to drive the Republicans out of
powerf
Mr. Bryant is unjust TO the Wing party.
That party, even when minority, included
large majority of all the reading. thinking
men in our country. 1t had read and weighed
the arguments for Free Trade, as propounded
by its able and Jealous champions. Mr.. Web
sters Free Trade speeches have not been sur
passed and they were ably supplemented by
those of Calhoun, Forsyth, John Randolph,
McDufie, Hayne, &c. The Wings had read
these, and weighed their arguments against
those of Hamilton, Madison. Clay, A. j. Dali
las, George Evans, &c. &C., before deciding
that the latter preponderated. They loved and
honored Henry Clay mainly because he
was the champion of those principles,
that policy, which they believed most
conducive to the National well being: they did
not blindly adopt the principles because they
admired their advocate. Mr.. Bryant-thc bitter
adversary alike of party, policy and cham
| piOn-may never do them justice, but History
will.
| Mr.. Mahon Sands, after singing afTcsh the
praises of the League, gave us this avOHal of
its purposes:
"One of the charges brought againstl us IL THAT we
have common purpose cannot define our wants, nor
agree upon form OF tariff. Never charge more
false We have immediate and common purpose,
which, when attained will have 40 far demOralized the
M. 4.
the immediate and total abolition Of tho duties Coal
Salt, Lumber, raw Wool and Pig Iron"
When John Randolph was challenged to bet
on horse-race, with the assurance that "Col.
Jones will hold the stakes he demurred
"WhO will hold Col. Jones Yn-Mr. Mahlon
Sands is doubtless an important parsonage;
but the framing of a Tariff that piA 90 is en-
tirely beyond his strength. He will find quito
number of "Pig-Iron L" Democrats" in the
next HOuse-nOt nearly all of them from
Pennsylvania. He will find wool-growers
there represented who will not agree to Free
Wool without very decided equivalents. In
short, to frame bill which will free the arti-
cles abOve-named, yet leave the Revenue suf-
fcient for the wants of tho Government, is
not the work of day nor Of a dinner-table
We do not say that the task is impossible:
we do say it is beyond the caliber of Mahlon
Sands.
Mr.. VIM. NJ. GrosvenOr evinced the radical
knavery. of his nature az follows:
"YOur compliment, gentlemen, is to the people OF Mis-
souri, For the people regardless OF party dstnc-
tOns, who achieved this victory And IL great tri-
umph for the cause Of Revenue Reform. True, Mr..
Greeley says the Tariff question not issue.
and the reformers have nothing boast Of But when
the contest began he declared that the only real issue
about the TarG. Few other men, making two such
contradictory statements could succeed in being wrong
in both The truth Is that three distinct questions were
involved and each contributed to make the victory