Newspapers / Highland Messenger (Asheville, N.C.) / Oct. 2, 1840, edition 1 / Page 1
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ASIIEVILLE, ftORTII CAROLINA,1 FRIDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 2, 1810. NUMBER n - mu " f - ' ' - - TrrjTosEITS, EDITORS. Mi.' -rr-! . - nublnheiUt Two Hie" "" .nnUm. tn advance, or Ha lobl'T-ntU all arrearages re Pld' PJZ".?r :!Lat Tone wm P "Li insnrtion. i j . .. . METAPHYSICS. ;-k Aristotle fight, when he Jt re- i',,e. n thnt nnvpr saw dy , . wittily said to a niece of 1BWnwi , i,- !. LA. who possess w f nv b rV A.jihn name opinion: but, Swv.tn acquaintance with pen fft .ndthinir.of that sort, fa very apt ".T : :S. . No sooner do we rrl.A- J-tHnhvaica. than we find -a iiiiu a mi iwiA . . HlDW"J " IT' V .;,!, JSg that "Master Parson is really L n .n " f nr narf, 4avcAJugh. JpiJU0ll0f UrAvMcal studies, think the science U Wul one, because it teaches peo ,.' hat ,heer bodies Uiey arc. The on- a' . J!AnnoA1 4 a Inv objection is, they are uiapv v sufficiently to heart, but continue I .k,..! airs, lust as 11 some p s"c :: i.-' m.i .... .- .i:--,nllv someioiKS. "iuj u"" jtasidis.thc minister of Humkinyffle, bere I lived in my youth, was onq 01 uiu ..-tanliVaieJII 111 V II K. 3 Ul Hfcviu i odd cavil upon the ninth part of a hair ond niiidditie," nominalism nd realism, free will and necessity, with t.lh mi nf jtrmflg te.U'--U V mm ins U1V.M W". ...... s i L humnkins. Tbev never doubted that it 1 1 r . . . ... ;.L .1 aS true, Mt. wre apt log'j '"' "'"S Id woman in Molicr : C i bicn que icn'entcnd groutte. I remember a conversation that happen- it mv crandfathetV,jn which the Doc khad some difficulty in mo king his meta. hvcs "all as clear as preaching. : i nerc mv erandfnther, vtdchetl my-grana. ther Uncle Tim, who was tlie greatest taodrfd raising; onions in our part of tlte ountrv. but "not knowing metaphysics, dad no notion of the true reason of his not Icing sod i" my aunL judy Keturah Titter. ell, who could knit stockings like all pus. lest, but could not syllogize ; Malachi Atuegs, our hired man, that drove the oxen, ad Isaac iurashcr, the district schoolmas. t, who bad dropped in to warm his fin. ten and get a drink of cider. Something jH-as under discussion, and my grandfather Irouldmake nothing of it ; but the Doctor a . . . - . .. ww it was "metaphysically true. "Fray, poctor, said Uncle Tim, "tell ne something about metaphysics ; I have Ilea beard of that science, but never for W life could find out what it was." "Metaphysics, said the Doctor, "is the pcience of abstractions." "I'm no wiser for that explanation," saw Uncle 1 im. Ittremts,5 said thfr Doctor "of matters most profound and sublime, a little difficult Ip.iiMp iur cuiiiiiiuu iiuciievi ur ou uii hooled capacity to fathom, but not the ,.0,0 t. :...n. .. imponani, on that account, to ail living beings." . ; ; w hat does it teach T" asked the school. master- "It iDot nnnlied an mnrh tn tlie oners. j I i - j Hon of teaching," answered the Doctor, "as 'hat of inquiring ; and the chief inquiry is, whether things are or whether they are not" I. don't understand the nnosllon." said Uncle Tim, takiriir the nine out of his mouth. ' . ' "Forexamnle. whether this enrth on which we tread " mid tho TWtnr Javy stamp on the floor, and setting hie; foot slap on the cat's tail, "wheithnr this "rth does really exist, or wliether it docs w exist." - That is a point of considerable consc. pence to settle "said "Especially " snid th anKokl ll.-.L L .. " - - , uw RoMera of real estate.111 u "Now the earth," continued the Doctor, "wj wc w . i AY ho lheqogs doubted-that r-asked Uncle Tim. A great many men." il Ko rw ind some very learned ones." Uncle Tim stared a moment, snd then bPgan to fill up his pipe, whistling the tune r"n Martin, while the Doctor "CHI Oil. , y The earth I n.. ' 'v. thop Barklev 1in. nJ k..' ,1 n . 55 gm41faying or enial, that it does not The case is clear ; the only difficul ty M n L .1 . .. J" .. J ' w wnciner we shall believe or not" . , i j i : . - ,1 . , "-" MTO yuuu X 1111, IS all Alia nniv " mt.t,tt TT 1 r: i? ti -"looe toundoutT". , i ; . , ni?5'"? down to first princt Pie," said the Doctor. 1 "J. inlpminlorf f (i.i ' . - f - 'um.ig, mere la equal to the spade and pickaxe." I hat ttrueiraid mffiirtT-- S Maiachr, way, " lis by digging for the foundat we th- if,rrfld exi8ta or not i for, if we dig ro u bottom of the earth and finA rA in. m . ' ' J ft-MS- , wn, why then we are sureofitBut if wn u '"wation, it is clear that the wor?.'?STllnothinS' or in o' forTil - ? a 001 8tand at It 5 there. ! iima io reason - - I beg your pardon," - interrupted tlie Doctor, "but you totally mistake me ; I use the word digging metaphorically, meaning tho profoundest cogitation and research in to the nature of things. , That is the h way inwhieheTnajrasccTHUjrwhcther things are , or whether they are not." , , "But if a man cant believe his eyes," said Uncle Tina, "what signifies talking about it 7" f : ". . "Our eves." said the Doctor, are no. thing at ail but the inlets of sensation, and when we see a thing, all we are aware of is, that we have a sensation of it ; we are not sure that the thing exists. - We are Sure of nothing that we see with our eyes." "Not without spectacles, said Aunt Jtr. Vl'lato, for instance, maintains that tne sensation of any object is produced by a perpetual succession of copies, images, or counterfeits streaming off from the object to the organs of sensation. Descartes, too, has explained the matter upon the principle of whirligigs." '. ' i', "Hut docs the world exist T asked the school-master. "- ."A good deal may be said on both sides," replied the Doctor, V though the ablest heads are for no existence." ' ' , X . n i tt i lTbe TetPran Oon. (inine uout in lonr letter, Inwrnmoivcases, aaid-UiwleTimrF-i.,, to (b. ;. of tki. Sute nd those who utter nonsense are consdered blockheads." ' . 'Rut in motnhtivaim.n an ill ttw Doctor. i.i : n " Now all this U hocus nocus to me," said Aunt Judv, siwpcndinc her knitting work, and scratching licr forehead with one of the noddles. "1 don t understand a bit more of the business tlmn I did at first. " I'll be bound there is many , a learned profisor,"said Uncle Tim, "could say the same after spinning a long yarn of nicta physics."" -J ' 1 he Lkicter did not admire this fine at may be," said he ; "this thing or that tlung may be dubious, but what then I Doubt is toe begining of wisdom. "No doubt of that," said my grandfather, j - beginning to poke the fire , " but when a map I has got through his doubting, w hat does he begin to build upon in the metaphysical way!" , . r. 'why, he begins by taking something for granted," said the Doctor. But is that a sflre way of going to work!" Tis the only tiling he can do,' replied the Doctor ,aftcr a pause, and nibbing his forehead a if he was not altogether satisfi ed that his foundation was not a solid one. My grandfather might have poised him with another question, but he, poked the fire and let hinrgo on- , : "Metaphysics, to speak exactly -"Ah," interrupted the .schoolmaster, "bring it down to vulgar fractions, and then ..u.ii i . i :. - - -v WIl'lll UIIUCIBL.1IIU 1U .. "Tis the consideration of immateriali ty, or tlie mere spirit and essence ol things." - . Uome,ome, said Aunt Judy, taking a pinch of snuff,' now I sec intoiu . " t hus, man is considered, not in nis corporeality, but in his essence or capabili ty of being ; for a man metaphysically, or to metaphysical purpo8esThath two natures, that of spirituality and tliat of corporeality. which may be considered separate. . " w hat man i:.' asked uncie i im. "Why any man ; Malachi there, for cx- ample, 1 may consider mm as maiacni spi. itual, or Malachi corporeal." "That is true, ' said Malachi, "tor when I was in the militia, they made me a six. teen corporal, and 1 carried grog to the drummer. ""T: : 4 That is another affair," said the Doc tor, in continuation, "we speak of man in his essence ; we 8peakslso i oflhe" essencej of locality, the essence of duration ."And essence of pepermint, said Aunt Judy. . - .'. '., ,?Pooh I" said the Doctorr 'the essencej mean is quite a different concern." - ," Something todrfine' to be T dribbled through the worm of a still," said my grand. father, "Then I am all in the 'dark again," re joined AutJudv." - : "By tlie spirit and essence 'ot things l mean things in the abstract." . i "And what becomes of a thing when it gets into the abstract V asked Uncle Tim.; .... . . "Why, it becomes an abstraction." "There we are again,-said Uncle Tim; "but what the deuctis an abstraction ?". "It's a thing that has no matter ; that is, it cannot be felt; seen, heard, smelt or last- ed ; it has no substance or solidity ; 11 13 neither Inrge nor small, hot nor cold, long nor short.: "Then what is the long and the short of it T" said the schoolmaster. !' Abstraction," replied the Doctor. "I suppose.for instance,"' said Malachi, "that I had a pictch fork "Ay.'" said the Doctor., "consider a pitchfork in general; that is, neither this one nor that one, nor any particular one but a pitchfork, or pitchforksf divested of their materialitv these are things in the ab- aitrs--u' They aro tilings leTUry-TOoW f said Malachi. "Pay," said Uncle Tim, "have there been many such things discovered V. "Discovered !" exclaimed the Doctor, "why all things, whether in heaven or upon the earth, or in the water under the earth, whether small or great, visible or invisible, animate or inanimate ; whether the eye can see. or the car can hear, or the nose can smell, or the fingers touch ; finally," what ever exists or. ia imaginable in rerum matu ra, past or present, or to come all may be abstractions, Indeed !" said Uncle Tim, "pray what do vou make of the abstraction of a red cow f ' "X red cow," snid the Doctor, "consid. ered metaphysically,; or as an abstraction an animal possessing neither hide nor horns bones nor flesh, but is the mere type, eido lon, and fantastical semblance" op these parts of a quadroped. Alt'!fias a shape with. out any substance, and nocolor at all,- for its redress is the mere counterfeit or ima- Eination of such. "As it lacks the positive so is it also deficient in the.ficcidental pro. Eerties of all the animals of its tribe fcr.Jt as no locomoUon, stability, ottnduimncev neither eoes to pasture, gives milk, chews the cud. nor performs any other function of homed beasts, but is a mere creature of the brain, begpttan by a freak of the Taney, and nourished by a conceit of the imagination.- - "A ;oog'a foot !" exclaimed Aunt Judy, "all the metaphysics under the sun would'nt make a pound of butter. "That's a fact !" said Uncle Tim. Dtibliabed in the St. Louis Era. in fa tot of the claims of hh old eompankm in mrjrw Gea. liar. rison, for the Presidency. We desire to re-pub- liah the enure letter, if we can find room in sea. on. Meantime, we extract two or' three of the closing paragraph : AoA. Whig. " I have often been naked my opinion a to the talent of Harrison at a statesman. I nply that many of ms letters are to be found in almost every reading room in the city or country, and at J am sure be wrote few himself every thing tha ap- pears as bit own production ; these, with his pub- lie acts, will speak for him and do him justice. Harrison, however, compared with either of the Presidents for the taut twenty-three years, may be considered eaual to the two first, and superior to a slute-Miian,; and Iprclei 'him because he is Htbre likely to follow the footsteps of Washington the only one of all our great Executive chiefs who proved nimteit lo De me rresiaeni oi uie unuea States,- and- neyer never tha Prcsiilont juf a rty, I e eome now to mv last reason why I wish Gen Harrison to be elected President of the United: States. I believe that he will not treat any man. nor any thing protected by the law of the land, as a monster ; iand I believe that be will' consider a Bank, retaining: all tlie rood, and rejecting all the evil properties of the late Dank or Uie Uiulea States, as necessary and proper for regulating the currency, collecting; and disbursing the revenue, and providing for the national defence, therefore as strictly constitutional at it ia now admitted to be constitutional for (congress lo pass laws autitor hine the employment of steam power to facilitate tlie movement of our vessels up the Mississippi river, or to expedite our military and naval opera tions against an invading foe. What do I say T That Congress may constitutionally pass laws au. tbonzinir the employment ol steam power to nas. ten tne movement oi our pnvaie ana pumic limi tary and Naval tliips and boats np the Mississip . . i l - pi river, or up the St. Lawrence or any other riverT I have known some few it the votariee of the spirit of party who would deny the Consti tutional riirht of ConBTess to pass such law, and I have no doubt but a board could be got up at the Federal eity, who would endeavor to put me wrong upon this point, by saying that the word Steam power is no where to bo fonnd in the- Consiita lion. "I can but reply that steam-power is neces sary and proper to enable us to move as rapidly as an enemy can move: and he Constitution ex pressly gives Congress power To mmke mil law " which thall be necessary and prefer for eatry. u ing into ereeto r fmrgmmg pmT netted -hy this etvtitutioa in tlte Government tha t Untied State; or tn any department or office "thereof." And as the constitution authorizes Congress to declare war, and authorizes the Pres ident to command the army and Navy and to re pel invasion, we cannot in the present state of the1 world, prepare for the full and perfect protection of the country without steam power, nor without a national Bank. I am often asked why I have always so strenu ously opposed theeyil spirit of party. T.,TJie histo. rr of the French Revolution will answer the question. It ia not true that I have cyer opposed that difference of opinion which has every where nrevailed unonr the virtuous and wise, in the free discussion of subjects depending upon well tested principles; such, for example, as tnose wnicn an imated our fathers of the Revolution. My oppol sitkm is continued to that eyil jspirit of party which my bla friend Jackson, in his best days, de nounced as " A moxstek, of such hideous mr-in, That, to be hated, needs but to be seen, - Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face Wa first endure, then pity, then embrace." That evil spirit of party which sanctifies all aorta of crime for the sake of the porty. That evil spirit of party which boy and sells presses and men who calf themselves free, bat prove to be slaves and pirates who combine in covering with the blackest detraction, iucn mm as James Madison, Do Witt Clinton, IM I. White, Pe ter B. Porter, and William H. Hrrrison. EDMOND P. GAINES. " I'ix voTauros a HOJtssT max." A sound hearted old Democrat in every resjpect, aavs 4lie Dn.knm U.tPluil fimnm.il inln tnn in that town the other day, and was immediately accosted by a Locofoco with " Well, Air. B. they say you have turned Whig." - , - " I know they do," replied Mr. B. "I never said so." '"' - wNo? I heard you did. - It it not true. I only said I meant to vote for an honest man next November." This answer. .was . a. .sufficient confirnintion of the report, and Sir. B. was quietly passed over to the Whig ranks. . Th CoNSWrncoT Mrrroa. A gentleman who hat just returned from Stratford, Conn., state that in the southern part of Trumbull, three miles from where he was, a fragment of stone fell to the earth, of the size of a peck, measure'. This stone frll in a private path, ploughing along for snMaA 1(savawsk s nl awmvKinv tK irrAM nil thr VayT NotherTraphemXEatf asyet been found. It M conjectured thai Uie ezplostuon oi uie ooay of which this was a part, caused the "earth quake" ft the 16th mlt. ' DCLaAT!i or IsoanejiDBScs. The Pliila. dclphia Inquirer states that the manuscript of tlie original Daclaratiofr of Independence, in the hand-writing of Jefferson, with the mterlinea. tions of Franklin and other members, ia in po4- nainn of the American philosophical society of that eity, and may be teen at their haJL .TIR. (JHAUAH'S SPEECH. SfEECH of Sr. GI1MI, of Nffrth Carolina, On the Sub-TreaturyliilljAeliverfd in the House of JirpresetUattteiJuneSOlhf 1840. ' , . x . ': r: Mr. Sfeakeb: I appear in.tliis debate, neither as the advocate of executive experi ments, iwr of banks that have suspended specie payment I desire good money for the government, and uioney equally good lor the people. 1 pc subject under discus sion involves very important consequences; it embraces the whole revenue of the (go vernment, and affects tlie whole currency of tlie country. . It is a delicate, difficult, and deep question: touching we -pockets and pocket-boi)kg, the prices and property, ot fifteen viiUimi of individuals.- The ning. nituuc ot the greut interests and the happu ness of tlie great - number of , persons in volved , should induce us to reflect and con sider well tb3 nature and, co'nseqteffices of this measure. We are asked, by tlie Pre sident, to throw away the experience of half a century, and to discard the opinions and laws of the purest patriots and wisest statesmen, who have administered this Uo verninent since the revolution. . Sjr, I am distrustful of too many experi mentswhen you try an experiment on a dog or cat, or some insignificant animul,' I nave no opiection : out wncn you senousiy propose an experiment ..upon all the money and property and happiness of fifteen mill ions of reople, 1 require strong arguments and convincing reasons to satisfy my mind that it should be adopted and tried Let us examine and analyze tins new . fi nancial scheme. Tlte Sub-treasury proposes two things 1st. No bank notes shall, after a certain day, be received, kept, or paicjjojrtby the United States but that all money collected from the. tax-paying people, shall be paid else. .. 2d. That all banks be discontinued and prohibited froni becoming the fiscal agents and depositories ol the public money; and that nereuner au puouc money simu oe coi .i . ' lt"'H': -v.Ll- ..I lee ted, kept, transfered, and disbursed," by officers appointed by the President, respo- sible to him, and removable at his pleasure. In short, that the United States shall, be a hard money government in all its Brian cialaffuirs; and that the President shall appoint all those who keep and handle the public money I cannot support this measure, and oplimillioiis. pose it because, in my jungemeni, . . i . i It is impracticallc ; the metallic money is too scarce. It will monopolise and take nearly one half of all the gold and silver coin from the people, and give exclusive privileges to the President and his federal officers and a irents. It -will operate injuriously upon all the banks and bank notes in circulation, which now constitute tie principal and actual cur rency of the people, the States, and -the ter ritories. It will wantonly impair and destroy credit and confidence. It will unjustly interfere with the. rela tions and contracts between debtors and creditors,, makings fly qwawa of late, the creditors richer, and the debtors poorer without any merirofthe first, or any fault of 4he Inst : and thereby the rich will be made richer, and the poor poorer. ,,Jt will diminish and reduce the price, of wages, of produce, of property , and of a articles of trade and merchandise made in our own country j wliile'forcign goods will retain tlieir present pricesahd thereby we shall be obliged to sell low and buy high. It will give two currencies-the better one for the President and federal ortice, hoders,and the baser for 4lie peopleand tax-payers. It will be unspfc. - It will be-dangerous to liberty, and give kingly powers to the President, and destroy the checks and ballanccs of the constitu tion.' - I will endeavor to demonstrate 1 the pro positions? and prove the objections I have niade to this bill- - -. 7 impeaciicable: Let us first enquire in; , relation to the rwnys and means, and ascertain, if U be practicable, where, when, and now, -snail we procure and command a sufficient abun dance of the precjous metal, to answer and supply the financial funds v and necessary d miuids for the use of the Government t nTrTFpeakerTTTlve lilTlteolcl-TCgiarr in North Carolina, and have the honor to re present one of the richest gold- mining dim frrci in the United States. I feel a deep solicitude for the prosperity of gold mines; and the profits of, gold mines ; and, there, fore, the first term I had a sent in Congress, (in 1833-'34) I introduced a resolution to establish a branch of tho Mint to coin gold in North Carolina. During that term, Congijess' passed a law to erect branch niints in North Carolina and Georgia, in the heart and centre of the gold region, Ho encourage and stimulate the miners to work hard, dig deep, and convert our na tive gold into American coin, that it might rircnlnte in our own country, and prevent its exportation to foreign countries. 1 he same Congress authorized the erection of another branch mint at INew Ur leans, to enable our Government and citizens to pro cure and command all the bullion, or bars (gold and silver they could from foreign countries, and convert that also into our constitutional coin. At the same time Congress passed a law, fixing the valde of, - : -.( v'. " certain foreign coins, and declaring the same a legal tender. Now, sir, I have been it faithful ,(tllow -laborer in all the, le gislation of Copgress, since I firsf took my seat, to develope the rich resources, and valuable treasures of our own mines, anil to convert pur native precious metals into coin,; and I have also cordially co-operated in trying to command all we could froin foreign countries. V ell, sir, you perceive my inclination, my location, and my duty, all prompted and conspired to stimulute die to seek and find all' the gold and silver we could conimand for currency and circulation. Now, after laboring and legislating diligently to get all we can find, and keep all we can com. mand, bow much. have we got? - After digging and washTitij the deposile minei ; af ter carefully searching all the rem mir.es at iiumc, buu uenving an uie specie we ran obtain from foreign nations; then, what is the whole aggregate amount of gold and silver coin in tlie United States ? After all our! toil and trouble, we have about seven, ty or eighty millions of dollars in specie. Many able financiers say less no well in formed man says more--though all admit we are indebted to Europeans for ten. or fif teen millions of specie, which is borrowed money. ' However, to. illustrate my argiK ment, and test the principle of this bill, 1 will take tlic( whole amount of specie in this country ai" eighty millions of dollars. Now, what is'the number of the whole pop. ulation of the United States and her territo ries 1 All will agree at least fifteen mill ions, and 1 take that number, thus we have eighty millions of dollars to be divided among fifteen millions of people. I hope no one, w ho is a republican in principle and practice, will object to ah equal division, equal rights, equal laws; and equal money. out, sir, in an courtsoi justice uuu equity, we are required to be just before we are . ywWMwJlAlllI, mil dalitffl hllfnrn ll l receive our distributive, shares, and take our proportion of any common fund. The afuiual expenditure of the General Govern. ment is a debt, and charge on this eighty millions so we-must learn subtractiou be fore we work equal division. What is,he aggregate amount of the annual expendi tures of the Federal Government! During the three years of President Van Buren's administration, the expenditures have been upwards of thirty-seven millions of dollars frery year, (and, indeed, during the year 1838, they were more than thirty-nine i ' I These charges and expenditures are ex fravagantly hiiih, ond look like giving one- half of a jinan's estate to manage the oth er but the account it as been so footed up and paid. I know the friends of the ad ministration say , they are going to reduce these extravagant expenditures but, ofler so many promises, and so few performan ces, " I would rather see than hear tell of that." To explain my views, 1 will reduce the annual tax , and public expenditure down to thirty-five millions, which is two millions less than it has been in any one of Uie lost three years. , Put down eighty and subtract thirty-five from it, and forty-five will be the sum re maining for division among fifteen millions of people. How often will fifteen go into forty-live, by fair-division 1 Three limes exactly, and no more. Mr. Speaker, I have, by facts and figures, been trying to test and analyze the Sub-trcasusy system, and see its practical operation and general bearing and alter counting more., spvcic man tliere is in the country ; aftr reducing the public expenses less than they have been during any one year of Mr. Van Buren's administration ;;nnd after estimating our population at a less number than the proba ble reality still there orebutfAree dollars in hard money left and allowed -to each in dividual in the United states. lurecool lars on7u is a small sum to support any hu man being for one year!! ! Eighty millions of money is, in my judgment, not enough for the necessary purposes ot the uovern ment and the people. It is not enougl), in times of trial and peril, for the Government alone. " .. At the close of the last war, whichxtcr minated in 1815, this nation had incurred a public debi omouiitiflgto about one hundred andthirtu millions of dollars, when there was not more than about twenty millions of specie in tho United States. To have paid that large debt with tliat Utile sum of specie would have been impossible, put it lias been satisfied and extinguished Jy the use and payment of bank notes. The friends of liberty-in our revolution never could have conquered the British, and achieved our glorious independence, by collecting and disbursing hard money only to sustain the cause of freedom. Our pure patriots of 1?76 could not have successful ly cbptended and continued their noble struggle for seven months, (instead of sev en years,) by the exclusive use oflhe me tallic currency. We have now no foreign war; still, patriotism! and self-security ad monish and warn us, lin 7eace to prepare for warand the very fact that we are ready and "pre pa red, may save us from ma. ny bloody wars. Money is the sinews of war: and you can no more defend the lib erties of tlie republic without money, than vou can without men ahaunltionSotwar. It is the duty of tlie' Government to be al ways ready for any event or conflict If our country were again engaged in a bel- ugerent contest with some powerful loreyjn foe, where would the President and the ad- Jvocates of this measure find the necessajy J way and means to defend the nation with hard money alone? Would they tell our ; : . . ' gallant officers and soklierslyou must not fight and defend the country, unless vou get hard money; and that it, ia mconstitu. tkmai to recede any kind of paper curren cy? Or, would they U?1I the people, the ."constitution is made of India rubber, and that it is unconstitutional to take paper cur- reiicy in ume oi peace, out that It is consti tutional in time of war? Suppose our fa thers in the revolution, and in the last war, had refused io fight the battles of liberty untihud unless They-weVe i paid in -silver dollars and gold coin; then the American eagle never would, nor could, have con. qu :red tlie British lion, and this free coun try would yet have remained colonies de. ; pendant on old England. Suppose, during tlie first or last war, some papcr-hating and hard money-loving statesman had serious, ly proposed to Congress to conduct and carry on the war by tlie use and medium of specie only ; how many advocates would nc naveiouadf IN one. in tae reoubl can ranks. Such a man would have hn marked and set down as the enemy of liber ty, who was plotting treason against this republic, oucn a man would not have been culled a whig, because it was impos. sible to collect from the people specitei enough to pay the army and navy and civil list.- i ne adoption ot such a policy Tvould substantially and virtually have struck our flag, and surrendered our .country, -to the government of a king; '' K'-tlife days that tried men's souls, the question was, will you nave uuerjy ana creau, or tyranny and no credit? When a great juestion"6T liberty was involved, our lofty patriots did not stop to count the cost, or to weigh dollars arid : cents in golden scales. No', indeed. If they had stopped fighting when the hard money gave out, and had not been permitted to uso credit, a foreign tyrant's hoofs would even now be walking rough-gliod over the rights ot ireemen. T i.l iyy ngnn n..rn p f..eta figarfifl, and ascertain the perrpteV-portion of the specie currency, and see how it will af fect and operate upon4he business, trade, ond industry of the country. After the payment of the public taxes, and annual de. mands of the General Government, (in timeof peSKCTTnind you,)1 we saved and retained, out of eighty millions, three do- lars in siker Or specie to each individual in the JUirited States. - Docs any reasonable man, not blinded by party prejudice, seri ously believe three dollars, and no more, will answer and transact the business of any individual! Will civilized freemen be con tent and satisfied with that small sum of mo ney t I answer for my constituents and myself, no, never. It will not buy food, or clothing, for one person. will not even pay taxes. It will afford no money to sus tain and facilitate -trade and commerce. Where are we to procure funds to purchase the necessaries and comforts of life, salt," iron, sugar, coffee, and many other articles? How is the capital and currency to be ob-. tained, to purchase tlie cotton of the plan- ter, the grain ol tlie tanner, the wares of the manufacturer, and the goods of the merchant ? Si r, f am- opposed to retro 7 gading and returning back to a semi-savage state of society, living on black broth, wearing rude undressed skins, and .using meta money as the only currency." Such notions jire too ante-dejuvian, too far be hind the improvements ,of the age. " We want more currency ; our share of eighty ' millions (without giving a dollar to support Government,) is still too little ; far less than the necessary wunts and just business of agriculture, -manufactures, and com merce.require and demand. To whom shall the people loot, if they do not look to Government ,for a good currency I In ev eryciviized country, it is the duty and high prerogative of Government to fix the standard value of money, and to control and reguTate the currency. Twoofthe 3 great obiwts for which Government was instituted are, to furnish a uniform, sound currency to the people in the transaction of their lawful business, und to prevent im. position and speculation by the circulation of a depreciated currency. - We have tried to introduce gold ami silver into more gen erol'circulution, still there is a great scarci ty, and not enough to .answer the purposes of flic Government and the people. -Now what -is to be done T'i will not wage war against a wise Providence, because the precious nu-tnls arc so scarce. and hard to find, and because we cannot fill the pockets of even' body with gold and silver. Mr: Speaker, I hold these propositions tliat Government is a a triwl to be admin istoJndftnpropgrfy to be enjoyed that tlie trustees are in duty bound to ad. minister it for the general benefit of the nin ny, and not for the particular interest of tlie few.j that we are bound to do some., thing fort the" people, as well, as for our selves ; "that we are bound to furnish a good currency to assist the just opera, tions of Government, and to aid the peoplo' 1 in their lawful trade and business ; and that they are entitled, to'the'saine kind of mo, ney with ourselves, whatever that may be ThBTrJio other invidious distinction be tween ofliceliolders and taxpayers should be tolerated. Let the Government make, or cause to be made, a sufficiency of good money, and use no more of it than is abso- lutcly ntcrfiriVano1 let theiwmiifldere; very same kind of money stay in the pock ets of the people to swell and fill the chan nels of trade and commerce, and whenev er we should become involved in war, then the pockets of the people would freely and fully supply the treasury pf the nation, just as the arms of freemen would defend the country. Is thrre a member here who is 1- L - M 1 V ' - .... ,1
Highland Messenger (Asheville, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 2, 1840, edition 1
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