Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1811-06-07

Ii is well known fact, that in g, Is where
frequent wars have demanded immense
revenues, that the duties on some goods
imported were so high as to occasion very
extensive smuggling, to the serious loss
OF revenue. And the government by low
ering the duties actually collected more
money.
have gone into this detail to give some
idea of the powerful reasons which induced
Washington's administration, at time when
our revenues from commerce were compa.
ratively small, and the public expenditures
unavoidablv great, to raise part OF the ne
cessary revenues by other taxes than those
on goods imported; lesr the increasing of
| the latter to the extent af the pIoiic ssGss.
should put in leopard, the whole system by
the temptation il would have given To spag-
giing.-And that this policy was correct.
is demonstrated BY its effects: for probably
In no country in the world were The duties
| on goods imported SO universally aud honor-
ably paid as in the u. States lhe s. s,t m
fairly established, and the habit OF regular
paving once fixed, the ssmc duties admitted
of gradual and moderate increase. And
not Mr.. Jefferson, with other views than
to save the persons and property OF the peo-
pie, caused the embargo to be imposed,
that honorable payment of duties would have
been continued.-Bu his total prohibition
| of trade, BY which hundreds oil thousands
of our citizens gained livelihood, being
long continued for temporary embargo
would not have answered the purposes of
Bonaparte, in forming his system TO des-
troy the commerce and the power Of Great
Brittany produced such general distress as
to be no longer tolerabls. The embargo
laws were broken, the practice Of smuggling
introduced, and the morals of the people
corrupted Indeed If WASHINGTON could
rise from the dead, aud devote snothrr for.
ty-hve years to the service OK his country
and administer the government with his un
sullied purity and pattiotism-he could no
repair the waste OF virtue, and Danish ths
corruptons of morals, introduced in MIR
Jcferson's ten-years administration.
But to return. When Mr.. Jefferson had
paved the way for his ascending to the Pre-.
sidency, by various arts, among others BY
encouraging or countenancing the popular
discontents respecting taxes i one Of hi,
FIRST acts as President was, to fpih' the cx-
pec,ation--generally and industrioosly ex-
cited to increase his popularity-of repeal
Of the internal taxes, which he accordingly
recommended and Effected. ~ Fortunately
for him, hr entered on the Presidency at a
time when the u. States were in the enjoy
ment OF peace, aud when they were Gas he
himself said) in the full tide of successful
experiment, under the government which
had so far kept US free and firm !" and when
our " Agriculture, Manufactures, Cont
MERGE and NAVIGATION, the four pillars
of our prosperity,"S we're in the most
Aourishing condition and, when our re-
venues rapidly increasing, rendered practi-
cable Elimination of the taxes. But whe-
ther such fatal repeal was correct--wfie-
ther sound policy, ia reference TO futuro
contingencies of war or essential reductions
of commerce, did not require some discri-
mination and reserve, Mr.. Jefferson did
not consider or ifhe did, every thing was
made to yield to his personal views at the
moment.
The very prosperous state Of our com-
mcrcc and navigation, when Mr.. Jefferson
became President, wbile IL roas ieff I'M
shackled BY our oron government, JUSTIFIED,
perhaps suggested his remark, that they
were then most thriving when left most
free to individual enterprize."H BonaParte
had little before entered on his political
career as First Consul of the French Re-
public: and commerce was still allowed to
thrive" 1t was not till November 1906,
after he had overturned the Prussisn mo-
narchy, that he formed his continental
System" for restricting commerce or an
Initiating it, directly for the purpose OF
Gripping or destroying the commerce of
Great. britain, which ne considered as the