The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-12-10

pine at the prosperity shared with themselves
by their fellow citizens of other Professions nor
denounce as violations of the Constitution, the
deliberate acts of Congress to shield from the
I wrongs of foreign laws the native industry Of
/ the Union. While the Tariff of the last session
o. Congress q subject of Legislative delibera
ton, was foretold by of its opposers, that
| one OF Its necessary consequences would be to
impair the revenue. 1t is yet too soon TO pro-
! noance, with confidence, that this prediction was
/ erroneous. The obstruction of one avenue of
/ trade not unfrequently opens an issue to anoth-
er. The consequence of the Tariff will be to
increase the expectation, and to diminish the
/ importation of some specific articles. But, by
the general law of trade, the increase of ex-
| portation of one article will be followed by an
! increased importation of others, the duties up
on which viii supply the deficiencies which the
I diminished importation would otherwise occa-
sion. The effect of taxation upon revenue can
seldom be foreseen with certainty. 1t must
abide the test of experience, AS yet no symp-
| toms OF diminution are perceptible in the re-
ceipts of the Treasury-as yet, little addition
of cost has even been experienced upon the
articles burdened with heavier duties by the
last Tariff. The domestic manufacturer sup
| plies the same or u kindred article at dimin-
lshed price, and the consumer pays the same
tribute to the labor of his own countrymen,
which he must otherwise have paid to fore ign
! industry and toll.
I The tariff of the last session in its details
| not acceptable to the great interests of any
portion of the Union, not even to the interest
J which it was specially intended to subserve
| Its object was to balance the burdens upon
native industry imposed by the operation of
| foreign laws but not to aggravate the burdens
of one section of the Union by the relief afford
ed to another. To the great principles sane
toned by that act, one of those upon which the
the authorities of the Union will adhere. But
I if any of the duties imposed by the act only
I relieve the manufacturer by aggrevating the
burden of the planter, let careful revsal of its
provisions enlightened by the practical expert
ence of its effects, be directed to retain those
which mpart protection to native industry, and
! remove or supply the place of those which only
/ alleviate great National interest by the de-
| preston of another.
4 The United States of America, and the Peo-
pie of every State of which they are composed,
are each of them sovereign powers The legls-
lative authority of the whole is exercised by
Congress under authority granted them in the
common Constitution. The legislative power
of each State is exercised by assemblies deriv-
ING their authority from the Constitution of the
State Each is sovereign within its own prov
ince. The distribution of power between them
presupposes that these authorities will move in
harmony with each other The members of
the State and General Governments are all
under oath to support both, and allegiance is
due the one and to the other. The case of
conflict between these two powers has not been
supposed nor has any provision been made
for it in our institutions virtuous nation
of ancient times existed moro than FIVE centu-
ries without law for the punishment Of parri-
eide.
More than once, however, in the progress of
our history, have the people and legislatures of
one or more states, in moments of excitement,
been nstigated to this conflict; and the means
of effecting this impulse have been allegations
that the acts of Congress to be resisted were
unconstitutional The people of no one state
have ever delegated to theirlegisature the pow
er of pronouncing an act of Congress unconsti-
tutional; but they have delegated to them pow
ers, by the exercise of which the execution of
the laws of Congress within the state may be
resisted. If we suppose the case of such con
/ f1ctng legislation sustained by the correspond
ing Executive and Judicial authorities, Patriot
ism and Philanthropy turn their eyes from the
ij in bh The e6e Ct boPR Which hi must
be its victims.
The Reports from the Secretary of War, und
from the various subordinate officers of the re-
sort of that Department, present an exposition
Of the public administration of affairs connected
with them, through the course of the current
year. The present state of the army, and the
distribution of the fotce of which it is compos-
ed, will be seen from the Report of the Major
General Several alterations in the disposal of
the troops have been found expedient in the
course of the year, and the discipline of the
T army though not entirely free from exception
has been generally good.
4 The attention of Congress is particularly in
vied to that part of the Report of the Secretary
of War which concerns the existing system of
our relations with the Indian tribes. At the
establishment of the Federal Government, un-
der the present Constitution of the United
States, the principle was adopted demonstrating
them as foreign and independent powers and
also as proprietors OF lands. They were, more
over, considered as savages, whom it was our
policy and our duty to use our influence in con-
vertng to christianity, and in bringing within
the pale of civilization.
vAs Independent Powers, we negotiated with
them by treaties; as propretors we purchased
ofthent all the lands which we could prevail
! upon them to sell-as brethren of the human
race, rude and ignorant, endeavored to
hiring them to the knowledge of religion and
letters. The ultimate design was to incorpo-
rate in our own institutions that portion of them
which could be converted to the state of civili-
zation. In the practice of European States
before our Revolution, they had been consider
ed as children TO be governed as tenants at
discretion, to be dispossessed as occasion might
J require; as hunters to be Unidentified by tri-
I fling concessions for removal from the grounds
upon which their game was extirpated. In
changing the system, it would seem as if a full
contemplation of the consequences of the
change had not been taken. We have been
f Far more successful in the acquisition of their
lands than in imparting to them principles, or
inspiring them with the spirit of civilization.
But in appropriating to ourselves their hunting
grounds, we have brought upon ourselves the
: obligation of providing them with subsistence
and when we have had the rare good fortune
of teaching them the arts of civilization and
the doctrines of christianity, we have unexpect-