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SERPENT HUNTING.
AN ADVENTURE IN SOUTH AMERICA.
Business connected rather with pleasure
than profit had ke|h me roaming for some
months among the West India Islands, that
land of magnificence and discomfort; and
from all that l had heard there, and more
particularly from what came under my own
observation, I can truly atlirm that to Eu
ropeans in general it is a land replete with
novelty and- interest, and to Waiters, both of
fiction und truth, a field in which they may
reap an abundant harvest of reputation.— j
I at length fouftd myself at Barbadoes,
without any fixed resolution either to return
or proceed farther on in my wanderings.—
In such a wavering and unsettled state of
mind, a little matter will sometimes turn
the scalo. I had carried a letter to a gen
tleman of the island, with whom l formed
a most agreeable acquaintanceship ; and in
consequence of the description he gave me
pf the coast of South America I was imlu
ced to form the resolution of visiting, at
least a part of that country before I should
think of bending my course homewards.—
Being furnished by him with letters to one
or two individuals who might be of service
to me, I took a passage in a ship bound to
Demerara, and after a voyage in no degree,
remarkable for shortness or novelty, I land
ed therein safety. I will not stop here to
describe all I saw. Suffice it to say, that
having viewed ail I considered worthy of
being noticed, I set off across the country
to deliver one of the letters I carried with
with me to a gentleman from whose atten
tion and knowledge I had. beer, assured I
should obtain much information. After a
journey of some days I reached the place :
and considering that I had been previously
an utter stranger, I was received with a
degree of warmth and kindness I could
scarcely have anticipated. The estate, or
rather plantation, on which I had been so
kindly invited to take up my residence for
sometime, and where I had resolved to
spend a few weeks in examining the local
seenerv and curiosities, la v upon the banks
of a river that conies down from the moun
tains of Ghana Mr Heinvault (the pro
prietor) although th’ superintendence of
his r.vates occupied a great part of his time
r.■•rived m devnie no inconsiderable por*
• • r,v amusement- Accompanied
>•’ .prvants, and Caisar, a
• ■ • ivv negro who held the post
nonage no’ only useful, but
. to those who reside on colo
. distant from any town, as many
loaees of the table are furnished
we made frequent excursions up
mf.ry, and committed occasionally
! : .'V ,e among the quadrupeds and feath
ered tribes with which that region abounds.
At other times we manned a couple of ca
noes, and descending the river, we employ
ed ourselves in fishing excursions, or in ta
king a shot at such birds as unfortunately
came within range of our pieces. Those
who are acquainted with the general ap
pearance and topography of the northern
coast of South America, know well that
from the flatness of the country as it ap
proaches the sea, many rivers of consider
‘ able magnitude divide themselves into nu
merous streams or canals, before mingling
their waters with those of the ocean. The
deltas or islands formed by these streams
are sometimes of great extent, consisting,
like most of that coast, of marshy or savan
nah land, partly hare and partly overrun
:r. 1 eds and canes, or other aquatic
in thethiek and almost impervious
if these, reptiles of various kinds
und a retrdat, from which they occa
merge in search of their prey.—
’ steams are in many places frequented
-■ -es of the most variegated and beau
t':: plumage, and the waters afford sever
, hinds offish, which from their delicacy
. j flavour, amply repay the labor employ
i and i. taking them.
I-t * 4 keen informed by Mr. H > :>d Cie
.vtl serpents of a ‘treat si/,. ‘•• (
fr ~ : nity seen by them res’ ?*. - “• j
r'r ..i ..>• island,toanothe ,a* ••
c.\e. and not without diffio . -
’r.'v-out'd in destroying a few •
• bad . ecu for some time anxtm . .
r one of these reptiles; not that. 1
a close connection with it—far from it j
. .■■ littb 1 had seen of them had giy< n me i
an aversion to them, and this feeling was!
mm:!; hoighened by the numerous stories !
had h aid of their fearful powers of deglu- :
tilion. 1 had no objections, however, to j
view one at a distance, “dragging its slow :
trembling length along.” Butin ail our
excursions nothing of this kind was to be j
seen, and I had begun to conceive some la- i
tent suspicions that Mr. Heinvault and Cue- |
had a little exaggerated the number and j
size of the reptiles they had seen and de
stroyed. But an adventure soon after this
befel mo, which made me entirely change
my opinion of their veracity at:d convinced
me that their account rather fell short ■>(
than exceeded the truth. Occasionally
when pressing businees detained Mr. li ,v
his plantation or called him to . distance,
arid wfien-I found time hung liea\ ; unon.m ,
hands, Caesar was a! ways willin;: t > vri-|
untcer his services as my guiui a. :- .
tant in any rambles which I ms!,
dertakr ; and a clever and activi • ■
indeed found him. He was a cap: ..
and unequalled in the success with
he contrived to hook his fish when r.
of them would look at the bait belonging n< 1
another.
One day, about two or three weeks after
my arrival, Mr. Heinvault informed me
that he was under the necessity of going to
a plantation distant about ten miles, and as
the way lay partly through tiie woods and
trackless savannahs, he was obliged to take
Caisar with him, he being the only one on
the estate who had a thorough knowledge
of the way, and who from his dexterity and
address proved a useful and agreeable at
tendant. fie added, that he should be back
early in the afternoon, and that if I wished
to take a stroll, or go ott the water, any of
the rest of his people should be at my dis
posal. After Mr. if. had rode away, 1
strolled about the plantation an hour or two
‘rjfUnsr at “very thing to amuse myself;
hut getting wearied by doing nothing. 1
told one of the people to get the lines ready,
for it was my intention*to go put a fishing
for some time, the day being rather warm
and sultry for enjoying a shooting oxgtJft
sion.
These being soon ready, 1 likewise
sent for my gun, and declined, the olTor he
made me, I pushed out intolho stream and
dropped slowly down the river. 1 guided
my canoe into one of the streams in which
I had formerly been along with Csesar, und
where onr sport had been very good. The
| stream was not above eighteen or twenty
feet in width. I “paddled my light ca
noe” up t?nd down this, trying to get a shot
at some of the beautiful birds which often
frequent these lagoons. But the birds were
scarce and shy. I set the lines, and pad
died about for some time. 1 drew them up,
but whether they had not been baited as
well as Caesar used.to do it, or whether the
fish were as shy as th” biids. I cannot tell ;
but after a few trials J got tired of this
sport likewise.
Thinking I would be more successful
elsewhere, i proceeded about a quarter of
a mile farther down, and set lines. By this
time the day hud become exceedingly sul
try and oppressive. Seeing there was no
prospect of a shot, I took off my stockings
and shoes and bathed my feet in the water,
and working my canoe to the other side, I
laid my gun ready loaded for a shot upon
the benches, and stretched myself along
side of it, waiting till it was time to draw
the lines which 1 had set. In this position
I fell asleep, overcome, as I suppose, by the
heat ofthe day, and the fatigue I had un
dergone.
1 know not how long 1 may have slept;
but 1 was roused from my slumber by a
curious sensation, as if some animal were
licking my foot. In that state of half stu
por felt after immediately awaking -from
sleep, I cast my eyes downward and never
till my dying day shall I forget the thrill of
horror that passed through my frame on
perceiving the neck and head of a mon
strous sarpentcovering mv foot with saliva,
preparatory, as immediately flashed upon
nay mind, to commencing the process of
swallowing it. I had faced deatli in many
shapes—on the ocean—on the battle-field ;
but never till that momeut had I conceived
he could approach me in a guise soterrible.
For a moment and but a moment, I was fas
cinated. But recollection of my state soon
came to my aid, and I quickly withdrew
my foot from the monster, which was all
the while glaring upon me with its basilisk
eyes, and at the same moment I instinc
tively grasped my gun, which was lying
loaded beside me. The reptile, apparent
ly disturbed by my motion (I conceive it
had previously, from my inertness, taken
me for a dead carcase,) drew its head be
low the level ofthe canoe. I had just suffi
cient time to raise myself half up, pointing
the muzzle of mv piece in the direction of
the serpent, when its head and neck again
appeared moving backwards and forwards,
as if in search ofthe object it had lost. The
muzzle of my gun within a yard or two of
it; my finger was on the trigger; I fired,
and it received the shot in the head. Rear
ing up part ofits body with a horrible hiss,
which made my blood run cold—and by
its contortions displaying to my sight a
great part of its enormous bulk, which had
hitherto escaped my notice—it seemed rea
dy to throw itself upon me in its monstrous
coils. Dropping my gun, by a single stroke
of the paddle I made the canoe shoot up the
stream out of his reach. Just as I was es
caping, 1 could observe that the shot had
taken effect, for blood was beginning to drop
from its head. But the wound appeared
rather to have enraged than subdued him.
Unfortuately all my shot was expended,
otherwise I would most certainly at a res
pectable distance, have given him a salu
tation of the same kind as I had just be
stowed. All that I have described passed
n 1 much shorter time than I have*taken
I >u recounting it.
. I went up the stream with all the ve
n.’ y 1 could impart to the canoe. I heard
i • ‘ ads, among which the animal was ap
• ■ t'• y taking refuge, crashing under its
1 never once thought of the lines
■ . bu, hurrying as fast as the ca
-o through the water, I was not
he landing place before
11 ‘ • ■ use. Hastily mooring
• 1 ashore, and hurried
!up to the housr where ! found Mr. Hein
| vault, who had jus! arrived. You may be
certain 1 lost no t me In communicating to
,;m tin ■■■'%■■■ : ji .us escape I had
ma le, and tn<- wound I had inflicted on the
I animal “In d.a ’ said he “it cannot*
( scai- : v.e must en v diately go in search
ot it ; and im tantly summoning'Cesar, he
told him logoi th guns ready, and to bring
two of bis fellow., with him If ydu choose
to assist us in finishing the adventure you
have begun, and to have a second adven
titia with your novel antagonist, wo shall
- r.v you ‘-i.me ofthe be:-’ and most danger
j uir ‘p >r. • 11 r country affords.” I protested
j -hat nothing was farther from my intention i
j than staying behind, arid ‘added, that had
| i.d’ my shot ■be -n expend and, \vc should no’
i ‘..iv parted on so eusy.terms. ‘ln goner
! al, he • aid, ‘-it is very dam-V: ous to attack
■ a nrnccs in which
’ and try doing so. But
h precaution in approaeh
)ie< them, thi- 1 it is next to impossible that
any accident can happen.”* Just as he fin
ished-saying this, Cesar re-appeared, Idm
self armed with a club, one of those who
followed him carrying a weapon of the
same kind, while the other was armed with
a weapon similar to a bill.hook. This Mr.
Heinvault told me was to clear a road a
mong the reeds if the animal should have
retreated among them ; the club being reck
oned the best instrument for a close en
counter. We were soon seated in the ca
noes, gliding down the stream as fast as a
couple ofpairs of brawny arms could urge
us. In a short time we reached the spot
where my adventure had happened. The
small part of the bank not covered with
reeds. bore from its sanguine hue, evident
proof that tho wound the animal had re
ceived could not have been slight. Exact
ly opposite this the reeds were crushed and
broken, and a sort of passage was formed
among them so wide, that u man could with
little difficulty enter. Mr. Heinvault com
mrtnded a halt, to see that the anus were
in proper order. All being right, we lis
tened attentively, in order to hear if there
was any noise which might direct
enemy. No sound however, was heard.—
One of the negroes entered first, clearing
with his bill-hook whatever obstructed our
way. He was followed by Mr. Heinvault
and me with our guns ; while Cesar and
his fellow-servant brought up the rear.-*-
The reeds were in general nearly double
our height and at the same time pretty close.
However, we easily made our way through
them, partly assisted by the track which
the serpent had evidently made.
We had penetrated, I sheuld suppose, a
bout thirty yards, when the fellow who was
in advance gave the alarm that we wore
close upon the animal. Mr. Heinvault
ordered him behind, and advancing along
with me, we saw through the reeds part of
the body of the monster coiled up and part
stretched out ; but owing to their thickness
its head was invisible. Disturbed, and ap
parently irritated by our approach, it ap
peared from its movements, about to turn
and assail us. We had our guns ready,
and just as we caught a glimpse of its head
we fired, both of us almost at tho same mo
ment. From the obstruction of the reeds,
all our shot could not have taken effect;
but what did take effect, seemed to be suffi
cient ; for it fell, hissing, and rolling itself
into a variety of contortions. Even yet it
was dangerous to approach it. ButCsesar
who seemed to possess a great deal of cool
ness and audacity, motioning his master
and tne not to fire again in the direction of
the animal, forced a way through the reeds
at one side, and, making a kind of circuit,
came in before it; and a few repetitions of
this gave us the victory. We could now
examine the creature with safety. We
fround that a good part of our shot had lod
ged about its head and neck, and would
probably have proved fatal to it, even if we
had left it to its fate. I confess it was not
without a shudder that I handled and ex
amined it, when I thought how nearly I had
escaped from furnishing it with a meal.
We set ourselves to work, and not with
out difficulty did we succed in dragging
the huge carcase to the edge of the stream,
and in embarking it in one ofthe canoes, to
which I found it a pretty fair loading. It
was not far from sunset wheathe expedition
landed on the bank near Mr. Ilcinvault’s
house. He soon got sufficient assistanoe in
conveying the carcase up, and in deposi
ting it in a place of safety. On measuring
it, we found it to be nearly forty feet in
length, and of proportional thickness. Mr.
Heinvault informed me that it was the lar
gest he had seen killed, althoitgh he had
often seen others under circumstances
which convinced him that they must have
been of a far greater size.
It was not until I was seated at late din
tier, that I felt myself a little overcome with
the unusual exertion I had undergone on
so sultry and oppressive a day. But as the ’
evening wore on 1 completely recovered ;
and never do I recollect spending a more
agreeable one. The adventure, however,,
and the consciousness of my escape, must
have been deeply impressed upon my mind;
for, during some months after, I often star- j
ted from my sleep with the cold sweat upon
my brow, imagining myself crushed and
expiring in the embrace of a horrid reptile.
LETTER FROM MR. CLAY.
We find in the Nashville Banner of the
9th instant the following letter from Mr.
Clay, addressed to the Editor ofthe Tennes
see Agriculturalist. It is justly character
ized as expressing, in a condensed form,
the views of public policy in regard to the
great interests ofthe country, to the main
tenance and diffusion of which so many of
the illustrious orator’s greatest speeches
have been devoted. It breathes also the
spirit of enlightened benevolence nnd com
prehensive patriotism which distinguished
his private and public character :— Chron.
and Sentinel.
Ashland, August, 1843.
To the Publishers of the Tenn. State Ag
riculturalist:
Gentlemen: —l duly received your let
ter requesting my present views as to tho
station that the Mechanical portion of our
population should occupy in tlie United
States, and also as to the subject of.Home
Industry and Manufactures. Although I
have often had occasion publicly to express
my opinions on these matters, I take pleas
ure in communicating them to you.
It has always appeared to me, Gentle
men, that the task of administering our
common government would not he very dif
ficult, i( honestly, liberality and reasonable
information were carried into the public
councils. It was instituted to promote the
genera! prosperity, by a faithful exercise of
; ‘ . powers granted by the Constitution.—
I 1 parts ofthe Union, and all the great in
terests ofthe country,should, therefore, re
ceive the parental care'and attention ofthe
Government. No ene section, and no one
interest should desire or expect to engross
its exclusive regard.
I he main pillars of Society are Agricul
ture, Commerce, including Navigation, and
Manufactures, including the Mechanic
Arts. Owing to the peculiar position of
the United States, Agriculture requires but
little protection, and that confined to but a
few branches of it. It is otherwise with
the other two interests.—They require
some protection against the selfish legisla
tion and rivalry of Foreign powers, which,
to make it beneficial and effectual should
possess two qualities, moderation and sta
bility, intimately connected with each oth
er. Without moderation, other interests
would feel that they had been unjustly dealt
by, dissatisfaction would ensue, and that
stability in legislation, so desirable it) all
business and pturgtiifs/'would not be served.
Protection to Manufactures and Com
merce is in fact, whatever it may be in
form, encouragement to Agriculture. The
cultivator ofthe soil is conscious of the
great advantage of having alongside of him
the Blayhsmith the Wheelwright, the Sad.
dl*r and Harness maker, the Tailor, the
Hatter, the Shoemaker, the Cabinetmaker,
and Masons and Carpenters. His comforts
and their’s are both increased by sucb
proximity, and they are enabled to augment
their respective productions. But of what
avail would it be to multiply them, without
Commeruejpb reign and domestic, whose of
fice is to distribute the surplus produce of
Agriculture and ofthe fabrics of the Me
chanic and Manufacturer ?
1 atnso far a friend to free trade as to
think that, within the limits of the Union,
it should be entirely unfettered and per
fectly equal between all interests and all
parts ofour country. But to that free trade,
which would throw wide open our ports to
Foreign productions, without duties, theirs
remaining closed to us our admission al
lowed only upon the condition of high du
ties and severe restriction ; which would
compel a resort to direct taxation, instead
of the Customhouse, to supply the wants of
the Federal Treasury ; and which would
leave our domestic industry unprotected,
and exposed in an unequal contest with the
rival productions of Foreign powers, 1 am
utterly and irreconcilably opposed. 1 had
hoped, and supposed, that all would have
cheerfully rallied around a Tariff which,
I seeking to supply the treasury with an ad
equate revenue, for an honest and cconomi
| cal administration of the Government,
should at tlie same time incidentally, by
I proper discrimination, extend reasonable
protection to such bl anches of our domestic
industry as needed it. That is all which
!is now asked or insisted upon. But even
j that moderate and equitable basis, for the
; final settlement of this great and vexed
! question, encounters strong and decided
I opposition.
The Mechanic Arts, from the commence
ment of the operation ofour present Consti
tution, have constantly enjoyed some degree
of protection from Government, in the form
of duties imposed on fabrics of foreign Me
chanics ; and I think it ought to be contin
ued.
With respe’et to the station which that
portion of our population engaged in Me
chanical pursuits ought to occupy in the
United States, I think that all citizens, na
tiveand naturalized, without any regard to
their respective vocation, should enjoy such
consideration in Society, as is due to their
virtue and intelligence, their industry so
briety and general deportment.
With cordial acknowledgement, Gentle
men, for the sentiments of esteem and con
fidence, which you have done me the honor
to express towards me,
I am your friend
and obedient servant,
H. CLAY.
Messrs. Cameron & Fall.
TO THE PEOPLE OF GEORGIA.
At a meeting of the Whig mdftibers of
tho last General Assembly, a committee
was appointed to address you ; as members
of that committee, that duty has devolved
upon us.
In order rightly to understand and ap
preciate a part of the legislation of the last
General Assembly, it is useful and proper,
that we briefly advert to a portion ofthe le
gislation of tiie last ten years, commencing
with the condition of our affairs when the
present dominant party were entrusted with
the State Government. From this review,
it will appear, that the legislative history
ofour State whilst under the control of that
combination of citizens, who choose to call
themselves the Democratic party, is strong
ly marked with blunders and disasters,
weakness and wickedness,, unsteadiness of
purpose and vacillations in policy, waste
ful extravagance and timid temporary ex
pedients, a disregard ofthe public interests
in official appointments, and contempt for
the sanctity of private contracts and the
public faith. Their most recent demon
strations seem to confirm these leading
characteristics ; there seems to be an in
creased tendency in their policy to substi
tute the will oiltrie legislative majority for
the constitutional barriers which fence a
bout private rights, and protect them from
invasion ; to squander the public funds in
accomplishment of partizan ends, and then
to supply the deficiencies thus created in
the public revenue, by the most odious and
wrongful sequestrations ofthe accumulated
labor of particular classes ofthe communi
ty who are believed to be weak, and sought
to be made odious, by a system rather de
serving the name of legislative spoliation,
than legitimate and just taxation. The dis
regard of the public faith by these people
has been evinced in pledging particular
public funds by legislative enactment,tothe
security and redemption of public contracts,
and then diverting and appropriating these
funds to other and dissimilar objects, or
dissipating them in public loans. We have
but little cause to complain that the world
esteemed but lightly pledges which we
were so little earefyl to redeem.
Dnring the long and disastrous reign of
that party, millions of public money have
been expended in a public improvement,
not yet completed, and therefore worthless;
and which they are afraid either to complete
or abandon. Other millions, the accumu
lated savings of their predecessors during
many years of prudence and economy,
have been consumed and dissipated by them
without advantage or benefit to the public.
The ordinary means for raising money for
public use were abandoned, and loans were
resorted to as the means of paying the or
dinary expenses of the government. These
were the principles which they carried into
the State Government; we purpose to trace
their progress and expose their results.
In 1833, these gentlemen, under the
name ofthe “Union Democratic Republi
can Party,” obtained a majority in the State
by the popularity of General Jackson, and
unpopularity of Nullification, our fi
nances were in a most prosperous condi
tiurs—ouY treasury was overflowing—we
owed no debts, and owned between two and j
three millions of money,, good bunk stocks, j
and oilin’ sbfvont securities for motley— j
oUr credit was good— -■our good faith was |
spotles ? --oui’ currency was sound, ‘abun
dant butjiot t'edilndani--our poor school and
academic fundswere efficiently aiding in j
tile education of the people—our peopled
were prosperous, virtuous and happy. On- !
ly four years ot power by this party were |
sufficient to reverse tho picture. At the!
, end of that period we saw onr State without
money, without credit, her good faitli dis- :
honored, our good currency exchanged for
a redundant, worthless, fraudulent one—
our individual prosperity and happiness
crushed beneath the overwhelming weight
of our national calamities.
Before the meeting ofthe Legislature in
1837, within four years after these gentle
men obtained power, under the reckless
policy which they adopted, tho accumula
tions of-former years, together with above
a million of dollars received from the Gen
eral Government, were exhausted. And
at that session they were driven either to
borrow three hundred thousand dollars to
pay the ordinary expenses of the govern
ment, or tax the people. A tax might pro
duce inquiry among the people how their
money had been expended, and endanger
their power, they therefore resorted to bor
rowing. The loan was effected through”
the Central Bank, on 12 months time, und
it was expected to be paid from the collec
tions of that Bank during the year 1838.
But the legislature of 1838 making no pro
vision for the support of government during
the year 1839, used the funds collected by
the Bank for that purpose, and left the debt
under protest; our credit was annihilated
almost as soon as our money had been
squandered. Bv this act of State degrada
tion, they were enabled to hobble through
the year 1839, but at the end of that year
their difficulties were formidable; their
wants were great and urgent; they were
unable to borrojv and afraid to tax. Out
of their desperation at this period sprung
that desperate and disastrous scheme ofthe
Central Bank to continue its suspension of
cash payments, and supply them with its
bills to carry on the government The bet
ter to cover the real nature offtlie transac
tion, they also directed a loan of tlrese bills
to the people, to an amount limited only by
the discretion ofthe Directors of the Bank.
This was done to induce the popular belief
that the measure was intended to relieve
the people and not themselves from diffi
culties.
In litis state of affairs, the political revo
lu'ion of 1840. which was scarcely less for
tunate for tin rn than the country, swept
them from the publiccounsels, and the State
Government was committed to the Whigs.
The Whigs found the treasury without
funds—no revenue law in existence to re
plenish it—the poor school fund swallow
ed up in the Central Bank and unavailable;
nearly a million ofCentral Bank notes in
circulation, with nothing to redeem them
but tiie notes of its customers and tho small
remaining portion of its capital stock—a
public debt to be provided for of nearly a
million and a half of dollars, arid about six
hundred thousand dollars of that debt due,”
and pruv-lng ihe treasury for immediate
payment —sh? three hundred thousand dol
lar loan of 1*27 still unpaid and under |
protest —an general suspension of cash
payments by the banks. To add to these
difficulties, and further to embarrass* the
government, his Excellency Gov. McDon
ald recomm o 1 Legislature to bor
row enough money to relieve the people
from the consequences of a bad crop, and
loan it out to them through the Central
Bank,.
How did the Whig party meet these diffi
culties? They reduced the appropriations,
confined them to their legitimate and ne
cessary public objects ; levied a tax to meet
their appropriations and pay the debts left
by tlteir predecessors; restrained the Cen
tral Bank from father issues of its bills;
provided for the redemption of those alrea
dy in the bands of the people ; ordered the
sale of such of the ungranted lands as had
been drawfi over eighteen years, after a
limited time allowed to the drawers to grant
them; provided for the sale of the Bank
stock, and the collection of the debts due
the State, and the application of their pro
ceeds to the discharge of the public debts
then due, and of the interest on those not
due; passed an act compelling the resump
tion of specie payments by the Banks, and
providing for the forfeiture of the charters
of such as might refuse ; considered and re
jected Gov. McDonald’s electioneering pro
ject for popular relief, as wrong in princi
ple, and utterly impracticable in the then
state of our affairs, even if right. Experi
ence has confirmed the wisdom of all
their measures. But immediately upon
the adjournment of the Legislature of 1840,
piteous, hypocritical lamentations for the
sufferings of the people (which they had
greatly contributed to produce, and so con
ducted our finances as to render it impossi
ble to alleviate, even upon their own prin
ciples,) were forthwith heard from these
gentlemen throughout the broad limits of
the State. The Whigs were denounced
by them for violating pledges which they ‘
hud never given, and for insensibility to the j
general pecuniary distress. The tax law j
was represented as imposing “odious, n in- ■
tolerable and unnecessary burthens upon
the country. Semi-official statements were
put forth to deceive the people as to the a
mount of money which the tax bill would
raise. The condition of the Central Bank
was grossly falsified, and the people were
taught to believe that hut for Whig opposi
tion to that prostrate concern, a never fail
ing stream of golil would have flowed from j
it into their pockets. Humbuggery was re
duced to an exact science and demonstrated
by figures. Distinguished democratic poli
ticians entered into arithmetical calcula- !
tions, proving to a cent how much each vo
ter had lost by the cruel, perverse opposi- I
tion of the Whigs to McDonald’s relief!
measure. The act compelling cash pay
ments by the banks which they had faitii
lessy promised the people for years to car- ‘
rv out, was represented as a wanton, unne
j cessary contraction of the currency and jv i
j gratiuilous oppression of the people. C J
i executive order suspended the act disposit\ j
ofthe ungranted lands. And this iinwailj
I rantable, monstrous usurpation, utterly aixfl
; war with popular liberty and free govern -I
I m. pt, was sanctioned by those who ealUidw
i iliyin- hi". Democrats. ‘ Their efforts sue-|
■ craved, the uraiul result ws accomplished. 1
‘1 licv ■ afrapd tliot'lrciauis. Tlt'dr triuniph I
jwas di id.-, v|, m erw helming, it was bo- )
set with difficulties. They had excited ox- i
pectations in the public mind which were
doomed to disappointment. They Wd giv
en promises nnd pledges which could not
be redeemed. Nothing but a bold series
of impositions could extricate them. Em
boldcncd by their recent triumphs by the
same means, they did not despair ofsuccoss. ,
Some simple hearted gentlemen among
them were in earnest in their cry for relief.
They had been dupes themselves, they be
lieved in the “great measure of deliverance
and liberty.” Hence an early adjourn
ment of the Legislature became a grading
object with the managers of the party.—
They speedily set about preparing “a tub
for the whale.” They saved a few thou
sand dollars by curtailing the salaries of
the judges, and a few other public
that they might have a pretext to talk and
retrenchment; substituted (or the whl *
prohibition of further issuqs by the bank, A
delusive enactment of their own, intended!
to deceive ; which provided that it should
not “relieve the people” until it could pay
its own debts in coin; a period, it is true,
sufficiently remote for all practical purpo
ses, and crowned their financial labours on
this subject by the magnificent project of
authorizing the bank to issue 300,000 dol
lars of small bills, to be exchanged for
large ones, and giving it the monopoly of
the shinplaster trade ! In their address to
the people recounting their Herculean la
bors, they demanded the approbation of the
country for repealing the whig law, and
restoring the bank to “public usefulness ;”
affected to believe that they had reanima
ted their favorite paper machine when they
knew that their quackery had produced
and was intended to produce but galvanic
distortions when life and vitality were ex
tinct.
Relief, the great test of democracy in the
elections, they remembered to forget.—
Twenty-five per cent was voted off of the
“odious whig double tax.” To veto that,was
their Governor’s part ofthe responsibility.
He performed it w ith commendable fidelity,
reserving his reason therefor, (which .stam
ped with falsehood every statement with’
which it had been attacked before the peo
ple,) for the next session. They did not
disdain to pocket the proceeds ofthe “odi
ous double tax law,” and adjourned.
They carried the elections of 1842 by
diminished majorities, and assembled to
meet n w difficulties. The financial crisis -
had arrived, the truth could ao longer be
concealed—the necessity seemed
to vindicate the Whig policy of 1840, ana
to record their votes fora series of meas
ures, the unjust condemnation of which had
brought them into power. Many and dis
creditable were the shifts and devices to
which they resorted to avoid it, the most
prominent and discreditable of which origi
nated with the executive. His excellency
represented the public necessities as ur
gent, pressing, brooking no delay ; the “o
dious double tax law” brought in coin too
slowly (or t lie wants of his retrenching de
mocratic administratration ; the banks were
suspected of having the necessary supplies;
their owners wore few and feeble, and their
wrongs were unlikely to enlist public sym
pathy—hence they were marked out as vic
tims. He recommended that the specie
paying-Banks be forced to convert Central
Bank notes into exchange at a rate not high
er than five per cent premium, or in default
thereof to tax them two per cent upon their
nominal capital, which amounted in some
instances to as much as six per cent on their
actual capital, when other property was
taxed at (averaging) not one twentieth of
that rate. Those ofour fellow-citizens who
by legislative authority, if not invitation, had
invested their money in a business which
proved to be unprofitable, and in which some s
of them had lost tho gr&ater portion ofthe
investment, were required to pay that enor
mous tax or submit to still greater exac
tions. This measure was sustained by a
large number of Democrats in the House of
Representatives. Other financial expedi
ents were suggested and introduced with the
same objects, which if less atrocious were
equally unsuccessful, and the majority fi
nally affirmed the “odious Whig double
tax” of 1840 by voting to increase it twenty
five per cent. They sanctioned its princi
ples and details. They virulently opposed
it before the people in 1841 on the ground
that it was oppressively arid unnecessarily
high ; after trying it two years with the
Government in their own hands, and boast
ing of their economy and retrenchments,
their then only objection to it Was, that it
was too low ! We leave them to escape
the dilemma that they were either ignorant
ofthe wants of the Government or wicked
ly and wilfully deceived the people to get
into power. They retraced their steps of
1841, touching tho Central Batik and fell
hack upon the Whig policy of 1840. Hav
ing passed an act, placing the Bank in li
quidation, free from objection except that it
dues not go far enough ; they ratified the
Whig policy of 1840 concerning the un
granted public lands, even after they had
extended the time for taking out grants un
til December 1843, for which reason many*,
of the Whigs, deeming the public faith im
plicated, were constrained tooppose the act.
What they did was chiefly in affirmance of
the policy of the Whig party. That which. >
they attempted and failed in was all their
oivn. To this part of their career we pro
pose now to refer. It was chiefly charac
terized by efforts to replenish the exhaus
ted coffers of the Central Bank, without ref
erence to justice or right, and to arrest the
ordinary administration of the laws.
The depreciation ofCentral Bank notes,
resulting as it did, From the most uniform
and obvious laws of trade, was attributed
to Whig brokers. It suited their purposes^
