Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-03-04

the rates proposed by the manufacturers
! themselves: ipr Its provisions are calculated
to reach prohibtiun. Wemust presume. land
that without intending any disrespect to tie
gentiemen,) that the manufacturing members
OF ms itouse-probahly some fhv or sixtyE
nave furnished to the committee the very rates
which are specified in the bill and thus has
the bill been framed without consulting The
interest of our Treasury, or the rights or wei.
'are OF any other interest. Indeed, if we arc
Judge by this formidable specimen Of its la
Dor, the committee must have framed this tax
bill without regarding any interest but the one
to which it 10 devoted.
Such, said Mr.. G. is the practical operation
OF these our modern principles of Legislation
II we are to adopt these principles-if we are
10 act upon this unequal plan government
we may expect to 60 on from age to age, re-
ceiyiug petitions for privileges, (tor they are
absolutely nothing else,) generally from one
section "four country, where a large accumu-
latIon OF moneyed capital is seeking new EN-
Pioyments We shall continue from session
TO session, granting our Legislative contracts.
WITHOUT responsibility, TO our capitalists in one
section, while the other sections, and that vast
community nt men without carital--the bo-
dy of society m every country-inust forever
ENJOY no other privilege but that of submit
ting quietly TO the government contracts, and
CON r'buiing portion of their annual income
or Labor, 10 increase the capitals of the CON
tractors. And is tins lcgslating. in the spirit
oi our Federal Constitution Are these our
moderH principles of Republican Govern
men: is II not despOtIsn Ard vet, we
nave heard the exclamation, What, are we
threatened with dsunion
trust, said Mr. e. that the American pennle
Mi ever bc animated by the spirit of their
ancestors. When they we've threatened with
flln.l atI.,-f III.
they were shackled with restrctions-it an
pears our ancestors had other principles rhan
those now In fashion-they thought it was
patriotism to resist. When lheir property and
rights were violated by lawless power, they
made IA determined stand for the libeities Of
IN anklnd, aud solemnly appealed tn the Nigh
" Arhlt+r OF nations-rrjecting, with indigna-
non, All parliamentary sophstrIes, they broke
the chains with W, CHI subtle ingenuity. and
usurpatiOn would have hound them
When we see measures rf this character
advocated here upon principle; when we see
such principles sanctioned by the names of
some oi The most distinguished men ip our
country when we see gentlemen claiming n
constitutional right 10 impose on the agricul-
'urhl and Atlantic States asystem Of perpetu-
al 'assaage, we must lament that, i'm our short
history, we may read-a melancholy lesson
for mankind--that even here, AS elsewhere.
tn the statute book, we are TO look for the
Character and principles of government. We
may READ that, under the name aud sanction
oi ii ifre constitution, private rights and pri-
vate property may be violated with as much
c""l inditi'rence as il this government were
armed with the proud authority OF the law
ttSs OTTOMAN. We may read In the zeal with
wheh inns measure IL advocated AN evident
indication oFfhe grow In of power: we NAV
he ,til t;t
al mankind, is destined II dssoutlon We
may even rapPrehcnd that this government 10
n"sHh+9 tn TALL, like Other human institutions
through lts adaptations, and an abuse of its
powers. The accumulation of power seems
under every form of government TO be neyi-
table. The people may OCCASIONALLY Use in
their majesty and dissolve these accumuIa
tons; our country may feel the saIutary in
huence OF such reactions but power will
ultimately triumph-these Alpine accumuia-
Tons will ultimately bid d. fiance 10 the sum,
meridian splendOr-let us beware of the ava
lanche.
Our conied"racy nov rests on a rock of adj
amant-on our pollt.Sei Ta6raty-on an i'm
Vlncible atisc 5mrnt of an enlightened ppople
10 III DIST constitution in the world. But we
must not feaTlessIy calculate on the immortality
OF our UnIonif we adopt measures like this for
no Tree government can stand firm where il
becomes principle of legislation n.iuiually
ana without an Imperative political necessit,
Ia violate property and natural rights. No
irtr people " ~ ever submit In Il government,
winch substitutes such rules for the essential
principles ut constitutional liberty. LII us
not, 81, retaining he forms of free, act IN
On me principles of an absolute government.
ana render II, through the tyranny of laws.
drtrs'abiefo any portion of this country.
me MEASURE proposed by the committee
can be- supported Oh no ground. Our indus
try' ~ every branch, is probably destined to
r"ach premature perfection; while into the
channel OF manufactures the ACCOMMODATIONS of
raar ana navigation are naturally and rapid
~ lowing. The general question is not the
protection and encouragement of our domes
tic industry il is absolutely nothing but a
contest between small portion of our large
inontyed contractors, who solicit munopolses
on tie one hand, and multitude of CON
suneis, OF all classes, on the Other
The bill reported Ivy the COMMITTEES ON
Manufactures, and the system upon " hIch IL
IS founded, cannot I've defended They ara
both repugnant tn the sUundest principics of
political economy; they consume our rsve-
nue., v'iIiate our Irgslation, and sap rhe foun-
dH'ions OF our Union: while, IN reference 10
the measure proposed, the state of the nHtinn,
whether We look at hume or abroad, exhibits
u" political necessity to sustain il. Were the
question limited To this solitary bill whatever
may he Us character, whatever its fsne--my
Tears would be ~ sUme degree diminished but
viewing ms inrasitrc ~ part Of permanent
system, cannot look forwards without ap-
Pr0hrnsi"ne, lest, excited by our sectional jpai-
"tisIcs and ptriudiccs, we should he hereafter
persuaded iha TIE moth has n distinct inter
rs. from the sou'h--the east from the west
lest unrestricted pOWrr should. at some 70.