Francis Jackson Garrison, William Lloyd Garrison, 1805-1879; the story of his life told by his children: volume 1

[75] to divide parties and create lasting dissensions. While captivated by the protection theory and the plausible arguments in favor of the ‘American System,’ he sympathized also with the fears of the commercial classes that a high tariff would seriously cripple their interests, and so he rather vaguely expressed himself as strongly ‘in favor of commerce and against an exorbitant tariff’—an ‘equilibrium’ which he admitted the difficulty of maintaining. ‘The great desideratum, therefore,’ he concluded, ‘is to find that medium in national policy which shall whiten every ocean with our canvas, and erect a manufactory by every favorable stream.’

In a brief rejoinder to this letter, his antagonist ‘S.’ showed that he had not yet recovered from the shock caused him by the audacious interference of the young man at the caucus:

Under the head of “Representative election,” I observed a¹ communication in your paper of yesterday, to which I will make a few brief and final remarks, and then leave it to Mr. G——n's own conscience to say whether he can or cannot speak or write himself into notice, as I conceive this to be the young gentleman's object.

After the organization of a primary meeting of Federalists, on the evening of the 9th inst., Mr. G——n first arose and addressed the electors with much verbosity, until his ideas became exhausted, when he had recourse to his hat, which appeared to be well filled with copious notes, from which he drew liberally, to make (for aught I know) his maiden speech. An inquiry went round the room to know who the speaker was; with some difficulty I found out his name; but he shortly after discovered himself, by saying he had resided in this metropolis six months—six whole months. He proceeded on, and with extreme modesty took the liberty to designate a candidate for member of Congress, to take the place of Mr. Webster. It is very true that the gentleman he named stands high in the estimation of the public, and were not his opinions on the tariff not made up, I should be very happy to see him in the councils of our nation. I objected to him on that ground alone: was it so extraordinary that I should candidly object, as that he (Mr. G——n) should, with consummate assurance, take upon himself to make the first nomination to the respectable electors