The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-02-01

occupied by ySI.r Sacmy. Onuer such cir
cum SSances 1t cannot be expected that am
considerable part OF the war expcnces can
be betrayed BY any resource. IRON which
We now draw our revenue the greatest es-
tp0ate that can be made Is two m,slicns pc,
sinnum We must therefore look TO S me
tllsns else. lntera.I taxation will not an
swcr sne purpose, because there arc bu, few
objects which eau toe taxed 10 any cons.,iv.-
able am cunt In Il country like ours wi,noG;
being severely ieit. Every person must re
collect ,he direct tax OF two millions icrieU
during Mr.. .Adanis's administration though
tue sum WAS comparatively small, yct ii
pressed lard cn the people. IL MAS a lea
yjer tax thaa they mad been accustomed &c
pay to support their state gorernmcnts.--
Forty-hye millions winch is about enc fifth
OF the whole proceeds u. Our national indus
try, certainly cannot be raised in this coun-
try by any mode oftaxation tn 1t can be de-
sised, suppose g the people as willing rs you
could wish them. In England, where the
people have been accustomed to taxes in &
very shape and every necessary and SUI
pcrfiuty of life, & where they can bear moro
than in any other country, owing To the inn
mense capital continually in action, the in
come tax, graduated according t. the "a
mount OF tive income, was originally not
more than ten per centum on the highest
grade (until it was doubled by the ministr,
hat came in with Mr.. Fox,) and vet every
person must know the convulsed state OF
public opinion when it WAS imposed, and
the distresses which it produced III that coun-
try.
But it is stated that we may borrow. Sup
pose there is capital enough in the countr,
toJustliy our expectations. 1t will be ne
cessary to create revenue competent to
meet the ordinary peace cXpences of the GO
RI, fh..r,. x-rln.at f>f -,
terest and annuites & the ultimate retlemp-
tion of the principal. This will require tax
ation--aot much relished at any time, anu
which must be oppressive at time whe;
the people are necessarily subj ctcd TO many
privatons and deprived for want Of com
n,erce) OF the ordinary means opay. Should
~ However he practicable for the govern
mcnt to borrow even to the extent OF the
whole annual expenditure Including the
peace expences--at the end of three years
Che shortest period we can possibly suppose
tie warto last,) we shall be saddied with
debt of one hundred and thirty millions, a
much larger debt than that incurred as the
price OF orr independence. And if am not
much mistaken as u every other object
Il sc end where we began, the friends of the
country viii have great cause to rejoice.
Sir, see many dangers which nav fol-
low even successful war We have
been taught, ever since the dawn OF freedom,
that standing armies were dangerous tn IL
berty. The sages and heroes who laid the
Foundation of our Independence, and who
erected and supported the fair etiifice, not
eniy cherished this Jealousy, (handed down
to them from their forefathers) --during
their own times--but in their public acts,
designed FOR posterity, they endca vored to
inculcate 1t into the minds of these who
should 1--we after them. But there has been
OF late strange revolution OF sentiment
Standing armies are now supposed to be
constructed Of different materials. breathing
nothing but the purcst patriotism, and act
lag only for their country's good. Sir, stand
Ing armies are always the same--the ma
terials which compose them, and the subor-
dInation To which they are subject, fits them
70 become part of a machine regulated and
mcved ny those foho command them And
tneixintcrest generally happens to conflict
With the rest of the community. If ever
there were an army that possessed patrio-
tis'il beyond others in their situation, it was
the army of our revolution. And vet be-
iieHe, had it not been for the virtues of that
man TO whom, under Divine Providence,
we are indebted for our lberties---whose
Ike, fear, we shall never again sce-thc
army who fought the battles Of our indie
pendence would have been made the instru-
ment in conSigning us 10 a military despo-
t>S'n. " But the dark cloud which threat
ened to extinguish the beams Of liberty,
which Jest began to cheer aid warm orr
horisoD, was dssipated by the guardian ge-
mus OF anr revo!ution." There are, indeed,
times when the spirit of liberty is wide "a
wake--taen ohere is not So much danger.-
But circumstances h I'VE such influence over
us, that total apathy often succeeds the
most tempestuous contention, and a sense
OF torcign danger Is favorable to the cause
OF ambition. 1t is then that those who have
armies at their command, bind the people
hihd AID fcot--Nho awaken from their
siunbers only to sec thar they arc no longer
free. Such were our opinions in 1905
what has produced the change I do not
know-unless we were then onf, and now
we are in /; and, indeed, have seen enough
OF pubic mcn to- lead inc at least 70 fear,
tS'sst there IS no other substantial distinction
hEtween political parties. The Walpoles
9nd the Putneys, the Foxes the Pitts, and
tHc Grenviiles of England, all acted on the
same principle they did the very acts, when
IN, which they reprCbatel rs pregnant with
e.eIy cv.!, when out, leave to others to
say whether our American parties act moro
consistently
There is one consideration distinct from
all others, which ought to inspire us with
caution in entering into the contest between
the two great belligerents-EBglan is con-
teh'ing not only for her own existence, but
III ding So, she secures as from the attempt
20 subjugate It's to the power OF France, 10
winch IS e should be otherWise axnocod