Republican sentinel. (Rome, Floyd County, Ga.) 1843-18??, March 23, 1844, Image 2
and a stagnation in the whole business ol the
country results.
as society is, a sound currency |
!S as indispensable to the hapiness of a people, j
as a healthy circulating fluid is to the health j
of the individual man; anffail attempts to ele. I
viate the laborer withouf it will be futile.
From the Columbus Times.
Mr. Clay.
We refer the’ reader to the subjoined letter
of Mr. Clay, written as late as the month of
January just past. In it will be found an ex
planation of the terms “reasonable” and “mod
erate,” when used by Mr. Clay iti connexion
with import duties. Any amount of levies on
foreign manufactures, “short of prohibition,”
can justly, in his opinion, be productive of no
disadvantage, nor operate injuriously upon in
dividual interests, but must, on the contrary,
benefit the consumer “by augmenting the sup.
p'y*”
There may be some who have been inclined
to think the opinions of Mr. Clay on this vexd
question of the tardF, had undergone a change,
and that, looking at the matter himself in a
more expanded and liberal view, or disposed
to yield somewhat to the sentiments of no in
considerable portion of the people, he was wil
ling to mollify his former and long-cherished
predilections for excessive duties, and give the
country ease and quiet on this irritating ques
tion. It has been supposed, in some quarters,
that letters of Mr, Clay, written within the
last eighteen months, authorized such an in
ference; and anti-tariff men, disinclined to join
the democratic ranks, have satisfied their con
sciences, in their support of him, by the belief
.hat he was in truth and in fact the advocate ol
revenue duties, with incidental protection by
discriminations with that view, on n moderate
scale —employing the word moderate, in im
proper and ordinary sense. To such we com
mend the Charlotte letter.
For ourselves, we h ive been unable to dis
cover any inconsistency in the opinions of Mr.
Clay on this question’ or any contra* tely of
views, in the expositions he has made, from
time, for the public eve. It was alleged that
the letter addressed by Mr. Clay to the Editor
of the LaGrange Herald, (and it has been con
tended that other communications and declara
tions of this distinguished gentleman embraced
like sentiments,) evidenced a material change
of opinion on his part, and that a revenue tariff
with such incidental protection as it would ne
cessarily afford, would*be entirely agreeable
to him. We have discovered no such change
of opinion. We have understood Mr. Clay
uniformly to declare that the manufacturers
must have adequate protection—if one, and
that n moderate scale of duties did not secure
it, a different and a higher scale must be adop
ted; al.hogh he was content with the former, if
thereby the great object were attained, the
protection ofdomestic industry. PVe have un
derstood him likewise to assert, that the tariffs
of 1832 and 1842 met his approbation, as giv
ing fair and jus/ protection and as of a charac
ter to entitle them to public confidence and
support. The former of these measures
*jJjft^£^^^S^Hja^ee^onominate^b^our
tariff;” and
and the latter (the existing law) is known to
impose exorbitant duties on foreign imports,
and has been admitted by its advocates inCon
•rress to contemplate protection equally with
revenue. To these two measures, Mr. Clay
has, we think, invariably referred, when allu.
din l ’ to the tariff, in terms of commendation,
aid as conveying his conceptions of the ex
pressions “reasonable” and “moderate,” when
applied to this particular question. We have
therefore, esteemed Mr. Clay entirely consis
tent in this matter, and have seen nothing from
him, which, in our view, justified the declara
tion of a change opinion by this distinguished
statesman, or exhibited the slightest departure
from doctrines so long, so ardently, and so a
bly maintained by’ him on the floor of Congress
and elsewhere.
ffe have, however, in the commencement
of this article, and explicit declaration, tested
and squared by no collateral references, of the
precise notions, regarding taxing power, now
entertained by Mr. C'ay. Io that letter,
placed in our columns, to day we point the pub
lie eye.
From the New York Republic.
MR. CLAY AND THE TARIFF.
A letter having been recently addressed to
Mr. Clay by the Clay Club of Charlotte coun
ty, Va., the following is the reply of that
gentleman:—
New.Orleans, 23d Jan. 1844.
Gentlemen:—l have received your letter
addressed to me in behalf of the Clay Club of
Charlotte county, in Virginia, inviting me to
deviate from the route by which 1 propose to
return home from North Carolina, so far as to
visit Charlotte. I should be truly happy to
uccept it if I could, and meet my fellow citi
/.ens of Charlotte; but as you appear to have
anticipated, 1 cannot, without violating a neces
sary restriction, to which 1 subjected mysell,
prior to my departure from my residence.
If I were to go off the line of my journey,. 1
do not know where 1 might not be carried, by
the kind ivitationsofmy friends or the impulses
of my own feelings. There would be no limit
to my travels; and 1 should be embarrassed to
decide where to commence, and where to ter
minate them. I could not visit every place;
and it iwould bo invidious to discriminate be
tween various points, having equal claims to
mv attention, respect and gratalude. Ihe
rule which 1 have adopted, limiting myself to
the route by which 1 shall proceed on my jour
ney, is simple, and 1 hope may be satisl'uctos
ry.
It affords me very groat pleasure, gentlemen
to learn that the people of Charlotte and its
neighborhood, renouncing preconceived pre
judices and antipathies, aro candidly reviuw.
ing their former opinions adverse to a protec-
(live tariff; and that many of them are disposed
1 now to believe that reasonable and moderate
(protection, short of prohibition, is beneficial to
j the consumer by augmenting the supply. The
; nonexistence of manufacturer in the United j
| States would leave to foreign countries the;
.supply oF American consumption. The pro. J
hibition of foreign fabrics would transfer that,
monopoly to the home manufactures in the Un. |
ited States; but the monoply would be modified ;
progressively, by competition arising arhome.
The true interests of consumers are best pro-j
moted a by a competition between the foreign
and the national supply. Tho inevitable tent
dency ol that competition is to reduce prices
as all experience has demonstrated. A duty
never augments the price, to the full extent of
its amount, but in the case of an in adequate
supply of the article, on which it is imposed,
to the demand for that article.
But the reduction of prices is not the only,
nor the greatest advantage of the establishment
of manufactures in our county. They create
an ability to purchase those cheaper articles,
by the home market which arises for the pro
ducts of agriculture and of labor.
All these truths are susceptible, I think, of
the clearest illustration; but this is not a suita
ble occasion for more than briefly adverting to
them.
1 tender, gentlemen, my respectful acknow
lodgements for your friendly invitation, and
assurances of the high respect and esteem of.
Your friend and obedient servant.
H. CLAY.
Messrs. Clement Carrington, Richard W.
Gaines, and Henry Carrington, &c. &c.
To the People* of Georgia.
A friend has called my attention to a note
published by Mr. Stephens, of Georgia, as an
addendum to his printed speech in the House
ol Representatives, “on tho right of members
to their seats in tile House of Representatives,”
and to which I replied while he was present in
his place.
It is evident that this note is an appeal to
the public for satisfaction of his “private griefs;’
and ns he has thought proper to select that
mode of settling whatever questions of fact or
morals may have existed between us, I con
ceive • have no alternative left, but to vindi
cate myself before the same tribunal, by a
brief statement of the occurrences which elici
ted his abuse. Whether he has selected the
usual and proper “ method ” of satisfaction for
remarks deemed by him “quite personal” to
himself, was a question referable alone to his
own judgment; and his “discretion” having de
cided that question in the way indicated in his
public note, 1 proceed to refute, for the satisfuc.
tion of my constituents, such of his charges as
may seem to bear on the position assumed by
nte in debate leaving him sole master of that
bloodless field, wherein a “war of words” is
the only conflict. 1 did occupy my hour upon
the subject stated, and, in the course of my re
marks, commented upon the inconsistencies of
Mr. Stephens’s opinions and conduct. If mv
allusions to him had been deemed offensive at
the time it was uttered, he had the
etHMum the floor for either purpose. He was 1
furnished with another opportunity on the suc
ceeding morning, when he arose to correct
such parts of the reporter’s account of my re
marks as he deemed erroneous. On neither
of those occasions did he make any such effort;
but now, after the lapse ol a fortnight, would
palliate his neglect, and excuse his want of
resentment, by the insinuation that there is a
variance between the circumstances as detail- i
ed in my speech, and as they actually occur,
red in the House; and, although my remarks
were applicable to his position, upon which he
states in his note he does “not deign a reply,”
yet he seizes the opportunity to indulge in a
parade of vulgar epithets, which his loss of po
sition and unfortunate personal situation enable
him to use with impunity.
It will thus be perceived that the following
quotation from his note is the only portion ol
it in relation to which I am left at liberty to
offer any explanation. He states: “And 1 no
tice in what he reports me to huve said to him
in the House, in the progress of his speech, he
has represented me as saying what I can but
believe that he knew that 1 did not say, and
has entirely omiltee what lino equally confi
dent he must have known that l didsay.”
As to the correctness of the former part of
the charge —viz. that of misrepresenting what
he did sav—by reference to the subjoined ex
tract Irom my speech, (and which includes my
entire remarks upon the point of Mr. StepVens’s
position,(it will be observed that a singlj/ques- j
tion, whether I “would undertake to be the t
keeper or the judge of his conscience,” is the
only remark which 1 quo.e him as making.
Now, that this question, if not in ’those identic
cal words, was, in substanoe, asked me
by Mr. S., I can not only most (confidently
appeal for corroboration to every member of
the House, but indirectly establish it by that
individual himself. On the morning after the
delivery of my remarks, Mr. S. (as 1 have al
ready had occasion lo mention) called my at.
lerilion to the reporter’s account of vt hat occur
red between us, and the paper which he at
that time held in his hand wus a copy of the
I morning Globe, and from which l make the
j following extract:
“Mr. Stephens, on leave being given him
to explain, said: The gentleman had no right
to judge of his (Mr. S.’s) conscience.”
1 Here is the very idea 1 quote him as making
wanting only the interrogatory from, which is
as correct as the sketches of reporters gener.
, ally are; and, if erroneous, if he had made use
of no such statement; why was it, when he had
risen for the purpose of seeking explanation
: and of effecting corrections, thut he made no
allusion to it?
As to the second part of the charge, viz:
the allegation that 1 had omitted to stale all
that he did say. That there wore probably j
remarks made by him, which, from the dis
tance that we were separated, may have been !
lost in the confusion of the House, !do not pre- \
tend to deny; but oven bad they been heard, or j
known to me at the time of writing out my
speech, I am not sensible of any obligation res
ting on me to become the reporter of another. \
The labor incedent to the usual course on such
occasions 1 felt quite sufficient for myself—that,
is, to report my own remarks, and such por.;
tions of those of another as 1 conceived neces-,
sary to explain my own. But does this justify
his course? —excuse his low und tardy ven.j
geance? He does not pretend that there was
any variance between my own speech, as de
livered and as published, and it is that at which
his venomis directed, und to which he has under
taken to assign “the purpose of conveying a
personal insult,” and which, after a fortnight’s
deliberation, has at length elicited his niostun
gentlemanly repiy.
In conclusion, 1 have only to say, that the
object of this individual must be obvious to
my intelligent constituents; and I have no fear
that he can’ thus escape the consequences of
the position which lie has assumed on this
question, nor evade the odium of having failed
to vindicate his honor, when he chooses to
complain that it has been assailed.
WILLIAM H. STILES.
Extract from Mr. Stiles's speech “on the right
of, members to their seats in the House of
Representatives.”
It is to me a source of regret that the coutse
which my colleague has pursued on this ques
tion, has made It necessary to advert to the
unenviuble position which, in regard to it, he
has alone chosen to assume. 1 regret that he
should have thought it necessary, by a labored
jspeech, to have convinced us of bis want of
(title to his seat, when that end could have been
ko much more effectually and cosistenlly ac
complished, without the utterance of a single
ijvord, by his absence from this hall. But 1 re
gret, more than all, that, with a declaration on
ftis lips sht he is not entitled to his seat, he
Should still undertake to vote, act, and recicve
the emoluments to which a right to that seat
hlone entitled,him. There was a time when
sfltch assurance would have been considered at
l3t #. waotofdelicacy; whenwuch a difference
lietween opinion and action would have been
lleld at least a want of consistency; hut those
days, I Suppose, are gone, and the time arrived
wien such’ unblushing effrontery is deemed,
pwhaps,.an exhibition of “moral firmness,”
s jrpassing that which distinguished General
J icksor) at New Orleans, and equalled only by
tl tat.of the judge who pronounced the infamous
s< tntence upon him.
My colleague says that this is a question for
tl e judgment of this House: but let me tell him
ir all kindness, that he has, in my opinion, mis
ts ken the tribunal in which such a question
was properly cognizable. His position invol
v :d a question, let me say to him, not to be
tr led and decided in this Ho.tse, but alone to be
and( itermined in fora conscientice. Before that
T* bunal dq 1 arraign and charge him with the
B|mmission of two hjgh and enorinofcs offun-
c | Hk
Hrbut know, from the study of that
which he was educated, the r.n.
tuM and criminality of the offence; and I there
to e leave him to name it, while 1 charge him
wi th falling'that to which he says, and perhaps ‘
th nks, he knows that he has no right, or even
“c o!or of title.”
Again: he cannot but know, from the proses-;
sic n he has followed, that, to participate in the I
de iberations of this body, with no right to a
sent, is against the constitution; and 1 there up.;
on charge him with the offence, (leaving him
to name it,) which arises out ol the violation of,
aminstrument which he has sworn to support, j
|Mr. Stephens, on leave being given him,
aslaed if the gentleman would unkertake lobe
thej keeper or the judge of his conscience?]
Air: Stileireplied: God forbid that I should
vvifir he rtie'keeper of such a conscience!
Yes, sir, my colleague, with a declaration)
on his lips, and a feeling in his heart, that he
is lifot entitled to his seat—whilst, consequently
in ilhe very act of violating the constitution of
his country—lays his hand upon the word of
life, and calls upon God to help him, or not to
help him, as he may or may not suport that ins
strimer,ti If not before high heaven—if not
belbre the world, at least in the silent workings,
of his thoughts, he must plead guilty! guilty!,
Sir', 1 dismiss him; and, without presuming to .
be ins “judge,” I may say to him, with as deep
sinoerily as ever it was pronouced from the
bench to a condemned criminal, “may God Al
mighty have mercy upon your stiul!” ,
;
Another Bank failure.
From the Columbus (Go.) Enquirer, of the
13th, insl* we extract the following notice
in relation to the failure of the Phenix Bunk of
that city.—Look out for the next.
Bink Faihiuk.— We have the mortifica
tion io announce another Bank failure in Cos.
lumbts.—The Phenix Bank closed doors on
Monfay last. We have not become sufficient.
ly conversant with the facts to detail the cau.
v
ses, or probable amount for which it has failed
but shall probably learn more hereafter. Its
I bills ore now worth little or nothing in this
market. Most of the officers of the institution
are absent from the city at this time, and it
i may le that when they return things may wear
j a mote favourable aspect. We fear the worst
) howerer.
It it the custom, when things of this sort
happen, to visit the whole blame on the citizens
of this place. Now, we wish it distinctly un
derstood that the owners and managers of this
concern were strangers and adventurers, har
dly known to one man in ten among us, and
having no concern with this people, except
what has transpired. Such as may suffer,
therefore, will know from whom their wrongs
have arisen.
o^7“We charge nothing to the citizens of
Columbus, but call the attention of our readers ’
to the legislation of the Whig session of 1643,
on this system of rotten banking. That body
never doubted the efficacy of the ashes of any
old bankrupt concern, and would have exten
ded the charter of thirty years if it had
been asked of them. —Federal Union.
THE REPUBLICAN SENTINEL
Rome, Sa urdjr, March 23, 1844
00“0ur thanks are due Messers Lumpkin,
Stiles, Harralson and Cobb, for the reception
of various public documents.
OCrWe have received the proceedings op
the “Summerville Temnerace Society,” which
came to hand too late for publication in this
weeks paper. They shall appear in our next.
Wie are glad to see the cause of Temper
ance gaining ground in this section of the State.
It is destined to wield a powerful influence over
society, and we cannot refrain from bidding
the friends of the Temperance cause in Chat
tooga, a hearty “God Speed.” —It is a good
cause—a holy cause —a cause that will not only
give pleasure and satisfaction to its adveates
in this life, by snatching the inebriate from the
very verge of ruin and restoring him to a neg
lected and deserted family, but in the “life to
come.”
There ure lour different societies in Chattoo.
ga county, and we hazzard the assertion, that
there is not another county in the State, ac
cording to population, that can -boast of as
many members to the cause of Temperanee as
can this county—the number of members in
the four societies, amounting to about lico liun
dred and sixty. We are in hopes those socie
lies will, from time to time, send us for publi
cation, the action of their respective todies—
and giving a statement of the success which
may attend their efforts to bring about a refer,
formation in society. W'e know of no better
way of attaing this desirable desideratum, or
making our paper useful, than by encouraging
our fellow-citizens in so praiseworthy an ob
object.
OCrPublic attention is called to Mr Stiles’
defence against the attack of his colleague,
Mr. Stephens, in tile note appended to. his
speech. See defence in another column.
THE TARIFF.
The Globe of the 9th instant says:
The chairman of the Committee of Ways
and Means of the House of Representatives
(General McKay) made a report to-day, on
the tariff bill which the committee reported
yesterday. General McKay gave notice yes
terday, when he reported the bill, that he
would make a teport on it to-day; and we went 1
to the House to-day, with the hope of getting
the report in time to publish it in this evening’s
Globe. But it was near 2 o’clock, p. m., be
fore the House acted on the report; and there
are tables appended to it which cannot be set
up in less than a day. There are four tables,
marked A, B, C, D. The one marked A shows
the value of our imporis and exports for the
year ending the Ist of October, 1843, the a.
mount of imports that pay duty, and the amount
that comes in free. Bis a comparative slate
ment exhibiting the average value of merchans
dise imported in the years 1837, ’3B, ’39, ’4O,
’4l, ’42, and to June, ’43, paying ad volorem
and specific duties. Cis a comparative state- j
ment showing the duties upon imports imposed
j by the present tariff law, the duties proposed j
by the hill reported by the committee, and the
increase or reduction of duty upon each article
which will be effected by the passage of the
j bill now reported. And D shows the quantity
| and value of merchandise imported free of du- 1
ty, and the quantity imported paying duties,
from the Ist of October, 1842, to the 30th of
June, 1843; and gives the names, quantities,
and values of the articles imported, and the a
mount of duty colected from each.
Since we have examined these tables, we
fear they are so wide-spread that we shall not
be able to got them into the Globe at all. How
ever, we will exert our ingenuity to do so, as
they will be invaluable to all of our readers,
I except the few who are protected.
When the report was made to-day, the Hon.
Dixon U. Lewis moved to suspend the rules,
to enable him to make a motion to print extra
copies. The Whigs objected, and called for
the yens and nays, which resulied—yeas 108,
nays 00. The ycus not being two-thirdi of
the members present, the rules were not sus
pended. We have not the yeas and nays be
fore us, but believe it was a strict party vole.
The Whigs do not appear to be willing to en
lighten the people on the tariff.
THE NEW TARIFF.
The Madisonian of the 9th inst. says—The
Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means
reported their new tariff bill yesterday. We
understand that the reduction of duties propos.
ed is highly satisfactory to mauy of the ultra
free trade men’from the South. It is certain
the bill will pass the House, and we feel pretty
well assured it wili also pass the Senate. There
are several Whigs in the Senate who are in
favor of low duties on tho ad valorem principle,
which is the plan reported.
From the Macon Telegraph.
Another Battle of New Oorleans—a
terrible slaying of the Coons. De
mocracy Triumphant!
With feelings of no ordinary satisfaction, we
announce to the Democracy, that Whiggery
is cast out, root and branch, from the city of
New Orleans. The extracts below will tell
the tale. Read. Democrats, and rejoice. When
we take into consideration the circumstances
connected with this election, the mind is irre
sistedly led to the conclusion, that Henry Clay
is a broken-down politician, into whose hands
the people of the United States will never trust
the high desitinies of their country. —New
Orleans has long been considered a strong hold
of Whiggery. She gave Harrison a majority
of nine hundred votes:
Creat News from New Orleans.
democrats, Listen! Wiiigs — do yiu hear
that 1 . —At the special election in New Orleans,
on Monday, to fill the vacancy in the State
Senate, caused by the death of Mr. Hoa, on
the largest vote ever cast in that city. Tho
mas Slidell, the democratic candidate, was
elected over C. Roselius, the Whig Attorney
General by the extraordinary majority of four
hundred voles\ A great and cheering triumph
—under all circumstances a glorious omen of
triumphs to come —a cheering indication of
the certainty with which the Sober thoughts of
the people are preparing to repudiate the fac
tious excitements,’ shows, processions and
humbugs of whiggery. It is a hopeful be
ginning of the end of the boastings of whigge
ry.
Here are the first fruits of the first grand
wing demonstration for the campaign of 1644
Tho “magnificent” procession of uncounted
numbers —the boastful and boasting rally of the
inass whiggery of Louisiana.!—the out pour
ing upon the devoted city of New Orleans—
the intoxication of enthusiasm from the prsence
of the great leader himiself —cohorts of orators
from other Stales, crowding to a scene of an
ticipated exultation, summoning with impnss
iontd eloquence the zealots ol 1840, fora more
fervid exhibits ion of determination and tri
umph Prentiss and Poindexter, harranguing
after djjy. and crowds
after night, to overwhelm the democracy at
once and forever, by a furious and final on
slaught—the stimulus of pride to signalize the
visit of Mr. Clay by a splendid tirumph—
where are all these und what have they effect
ed? An ignominous defeat —a total and unex.
ampled route —the flight, discomfiture and pro
found mortification of the arrogant and boast
ing hosts, The cool and steady onset of the
unterrified democracy of New Orleans, pro
voked to a thorough and united rally, has scat
tcred them like chaff.— Mobile Reg.
“Glory cnoiiglc foroneday
“The Sober Second Thought.”— We have
the consolation of saying to our friends that
New Orleans is “redeemed, regenerated and
disenthralled. On yesterday our election
came off for Senator for the Parish of Orleans,
to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of
the lamented Hoa. This election was in the
midst of the whig convention, just after the
glorification of Mr. Clay, just after the vast pro
cession ol the whigs noticed by us before; just
after the speeches of Prentiss, Poindexter and
others, and just afler the speech and rufusalto
speak by .VI r. Clay. In one word, just after all
that could be done in the way of parade, a glo
rious victory has crowned our eflorls. THO
MAS SLIDELL is elected to the Senate of
the State by a majority of 406. Nothing of
importance occurred to detract from this vie.
1 tory. We feel and trust that the result of
! this election will be a signal and lasting rebuke
to restrictionisis of very class,
j Bui we have said enough. Let it bo told in
! Washington, New York in our sister city of
of Mobile, and in oid Georgia as well as every
where else in this widespread Union, that the
democrats of New Orleans have done their du
ty, and let them heed the admonition Go
ye and do likewise.”
l This result shows an immense increase in the
vote through the city, andetpcially in the se
cond municipality, where five or six hundred
’ more votes were polled than were ever given
before. Mr. Ruselins was acknowledged
! to be the strongest whig in the city; indeed he
is deservedly one of the most talented, popu
lar and deserving men in Louisiana.
The election yesterday furnishes another
and remarkable instance of the unaccountable
ill luck which seems to clog the very footsteps
of the great champion of whiggory. His pres
ence is the token of disaster to his friends, and
seems to inspire only his opponents, if wo
judge from results. His visit to Ohio last
i year was immediately followed by the great
est revolution of political sentiment ever
know in that, or perhups any other State of
the Union. His trip to this city last winter
was succeeded by similar results. And now
that his “business” in this quarter is concluded
by the meeting of a Whig Convention, he has