Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-03-22
To the Editor of the Picnic Gazette.

rerun' Is the only permanent ohe' -
-a,se2G1De
To the Editor of the Picnic Gazette.
SIR Some of the most patriotic and cOnstl-
tutional citizens. are of an opinion, the welfare
and sovereignty of the States, will be most ef-
fectually subserved by relieving the State Legs
latures from every pretence to tax the CITIZENS OF
the States. for any purpose except to raise rev.
enue, only to discharge the necessary expen-
ses of Legislation and to pay the debts contracted
for the exclusive interest of the States. Wise
men hold this opinion, because the right OF taxa
alton is used for purposes that are national; the
cause of drawing from the people of the States
much money not warranted by discretion, an
mprudence, attributable to the improperly of
the undertaking, to make State internal improve
ments. These labors, so arduous and expensive,
are the cause of numerous taxes nor have they been
so productive as to prevent contracting debts that
are constantly increasing in amount; IN some In
stances, exceeding the fiscal means of the States;
prelude, they will become to be "a permanent
incumbrance on the prosperity of the States,
without Congress shall assume to pay them. This
appears already to be the duty of Congress, be-
cause some of the States are at this time inVol-
we'd in debts too large to be paid by easy taxes,
and arc obliged to pledge their honor and resour-
ces to money lenders. If the profits Of the I'M
provements shall only pay the interest, and more
than that cannot be expected, the principal must
remain unpaid. without resort to immoderate
taxation. Had not the States undertaken the
making of internal improvements, they would ne
yer have been in predicament, out of which
they can only escape but by odious taxes, or If
Congress shall not relieve them by an assumption
of their debts contracted by an ofcious interfer-
ence with its authority. Had not this error of
State pride been INDUCED, they all would be hap
py and prosperous sovereigns. Independent Oh
the perplexities of debt, and not dependant for
relief on any superior. This uncomfortable con-
dition. should convince every State it is an er.
rOr not to leave to the paramount government
the uninterrupted right of providing for the gen.
eral welfare. If roads and canal navigation are
essential to the prosperity of internal trade, the
authority of the Congress should make them, be-
cause it has an unlimited right of taxation, and
paramount right to provide whatever will pro-
mote the general good. If respect to the FEEDER
al government could not, a knowledge of pecu-
MARY inability, should have recommended to the
Legislatures of the States the propriety of abstain
ing from doing what they know another would do
much better; because law gave the authority
and legal wealth made it easy. 1t was known
W ulcln. uttt every lSIuhCu W
promote internal intercourse and trade among
the people of the States, without any inconveni-
ence would be provided by the national treasury;
and they were not ignorant that the right of un-
limited taxation would always produce sufi-
cient opulence without a resort to immoderate du-
ties on foreign trade. to efectuate any purpose
Judged to be necessary to cherish and to protect
the common interest; and they might have
known the money expended in national improve
ments, made in the States for the common bene-
fit and use. could be no more, but that which
accrued from the moderate restrictive duty on
foreign commerce for the encouragement of ma
tive manutactures--nOr should any greater sum
be appropriated, as that will be enough to supply
internal trade with what is essential to its pros
perity. The average revenue accruing from the
imposts on foreign commerce has been somewhere
about % millions. What is so moderate should
never be reduced; and no foreign nation should
complain at tariff, productive of revenue SO
small. Before they do so, they should recollect
whatever is exported from the United States.
has not the incumbrance of any export duty, and
this admits every foreign government to raise a
revenue larger than they could do, if the prOduc-
tons of the United States were charged with
duty of expectation. Every foreign State can
tax whatever is exported and some do so, and all
of them tax the importadons at higher rate
than the United States, and they do it to protect
the industry of their own inhabitants. and for re-
venue. By Constitutional prohibition, the
treasury of this country can derive no revenue
from duty on expectation, and every nation it
trades with can. This is circumstance worthy
of the serious consideration of Congress, when
it shall be called on to modify the tariff, with a
design to reduce the duties on foreign merchan-
die; it may as it should have, an important in
Auence, and may as it ought to, prevent dimi-
mutton of the revenue.
A fiscal income, less than twenty two millions
of dollars, will be generally wanted to supply the
annual acquisitions of the general welfare, even
when the national debt shall be paid The COM