Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-05-14

POLITICAL VIEWS.

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RICHMOND, F$IDaY. My IL.
POLITICAL VIEWS.
An intellis et friend says truly, that "The Tariff car
notbs kept up. II the Treasury overfows; and tia, the
Treasury must rua over. unless some ian can be de.
vised, 10 wa. te or to distribute is surplus Some are
Tor wastinr-some for distributing IL. The object Of
both /, nearly the same. And il il 10 dcfcat this ohicc,
Ito pay the public debt-.o lessen the public bur,hen,
and to preserve inviolate the principles OF Madison.
Report-ot his Speech upon the U. States b mk-oi
h' veto upon the question OF Thermal improvements
to which the exsrtions OF every true hearted an pub.
hest iri,ed Patriot should be directed. To contribute
etfec,ualy to these ends, it is necessary that there
should be ''cOncer, and union in the Republican ranks
Such Is the general course which augh, to be pursu.
ed. Is the Federal Government; to be narrowed down
&c The purposes tor which IL was origin sly designed. or
IL II to be extended to every object, which may be sun
posed TO promote the general w~liare!" Are its pow
ere to become a source of vigilan, jealousy, a, when the
'Consti u'ien was iorme =, or are we 10 permit. its now
es TO increase, beyond the necessary wants and the
specified purposes Of the confederation. Are we TO cav,
as MIR. Madison said in the Virginia Ccnven ion of 'SS.
that" she powers OF the Gen Government relate TO erteh-
nal objects, and are but etc; but that the powe s in the
States relate to those grra, objects. which i'm nediately
concern the prosperity of the people; and also that the
powers in the general government are hose which will
be exercised mostly in time of war, while those of the
Safe Government will be exercised in time of peace''
or, shall we permit the federal government 10 en-
croach by degrees upon the internal affairs Of the states,
until there is not a subjec Of roads or canals, of schools
or Of literature, of free colour or slave population, no art
useful or ornamental, no employment OF capital or of la.
bour. which does not fall within il, jurisdiction. Fill
dollars, and allow the public lands to be appropriated
10 every purpose, which the wants OF companies, or OF
individuals may mark ont, and where il the limitation
OF these powers' The government may buy up some
vstes,a lar a. its means extend. IL money w aning 10 en-.
dow a college, or establish q seties of schools, The foun-
ders will 20 a-begging TO the doors Of Congress. The
representative from that district IL urged by his cons,i-
tuents to support the msasure-And there are too .na.
ny members, who will, under such c, cums,ances, per-
suade themselves, that "what is done once NAV I've
done again" and that the Constitution givss Tie power
to appropriate the money. Is money wasting 10 estab.
lsh IA road? Mr.. Jefferson declared in I796, in reia
ton TO a mere proposition to appropriate the surplus o,
The Post-Ohice revenue, to this object, that It would
prove cas- a source OF boundle,s patronage to the Exscu.
tive, j~obbingsE members Of Congress and their friends,
aud a bot.omless abyss OF public money; that o:her re
venues would soon be called in 10 the aid (oi the Post
Office surplus;) and it would be a source Of eternal
scramble among the members, who can get the most
money wasted in their State, and that they will al,oays
get most ,Dho are meanest." Never was the sagaciiy
Of this great man more clearly exhibited; and never
was the mischievous tendency Of this system of app:o-
priation. holding out a premium for meanEcss and
subsef viency, and producing a struggle between inter-
est aud principle, so strongly developed, as at the presen,
time.-lt is the same case with every other suhjsc, OF
appropriation. Give to the General Government an TN.
bounded power OF raising, and then of appro,riating
money!; ill its Golfers with 10, ~ or 10 millions of dol,
lirt,'nd let it 10 VIII 1t pisases with il: and what bounds
are there to the powers OF the government You make
men to sigh for the n ,sh-pots OF Egypt. You place
every subject within the control of the central uower
You throw around il an influence, which loo mucb
commands the interest, and a splendour, which too
much dazzies the senses of the peoplc.-The confeder,.
tiou would fast IN ,rge to conSolid ,tion; and the righ,s OF
the S!a'es, and the liberties of the people would be
threatened with a fearful eclipse.
Thus it is, that one assumed power leads TO another
You begin by regulating the whele labour and capital OF
the country. A separate interest is thus created i'm the
Manufacturing Class. They insist upon high duties
When the public debt is ex,inguished. these dutics
would bring into the public Golfers a surplus of IA. or. in
a few years, 10 millions. This money is drawn from
the pockets of the people-from the consumers--WiT
they consent TO pay il? Or, what is the same question
in another form, would they consent that the govern.
ment should lay upon them a direct tax of IL or Is mil.
lions of dollars, for the purpose of Offering premiums 10
the manufacturers, or Of empowering the federal 60
vernment, to open roads, endow colleges, or exercise
any other function, which does not fall within their i'm.
risdiction! We contend, the question is substantially
the same-for, whether the money be paid indirectly by
the people on the goods which they consume, or direct
ly levied upon their lands and laborers, it is still monev
drawn from their pockets--Itis a tax, which then nav r.
al. intents and purposes.-If the government, then
were supported by direct taxes, would the people con.
sent to pay it, after the public debt is dischargedi-
Would they not insist upon their lands being rid from
the burthen? And will they not in like manner insist
upon the relief, which they would derive from the
modification Of the Tariff No wonder, therefore, tina
the friends of the Tariff, and the friends of an ENLARGED
power in the general government, enlarged beyond the
bounds of the Constitution, are for distributing this sur
plus as fast as they can-.hat they are for pledrino IL II
almost every form which appears plausible enough e
tickle some interest, or TO catch some vote-ou roads
canals, schools, a vast system of pensions, scheme O
colonization-nay, that they are willing to arrest the en-
tire extinguishment of the public debt itself.-It is no
astonishing, that such men should lend their support f.
such a road as the MaysviIle Turnpike. Will the reade,
excuse us for laying before him, the true character O
this messure, in the following extracts from the Speech
of Mr.. Polk of Tennessee:
"The friends # this system profess 10 apply the
means OF this Government only to objects Of national
Importance. Is this ro,d national in its character
What is the proposition before u.? II il that Congress
shall subscribe $3.50 ,009 in the stock of a private com
pany, TO construct a road sixty miles in length, Ieadins
from one town to another in Kentucky. Every foot q
to the friends of this system 10 cay, If it il a %nafion1
work. IL it H., then every road from one court house
to another in Kentucky, or in any other State, woul,
be equally national. Since this discussion was com
ncnced this morning, l obtained from a gentle maj
from Kentucky, a copy Of an act Of the Kentucky lie
gislature, Incorporating the company to construct thi
road. What do | find? On the goth OF January, 1929
a company was incorporated by that State 10 make
road from Maysville 10 Washington, a distance OF fy,
miles, and the capital stock OF the company wa
$50 coo. That portion OF the road, [ understand, Il
completed, and toll gates crested on IL. On the 14th O
January, 1880, but little more than three month, ago
and since we have been in session, another act wa,
passed by the Legislature Of that State, extending IN,
charter OF the company, so as TO enabls them 10 contin.
TIC the road from Washington 10 Lexington, with an in.
creased capiial stock Of $500, 600. That act 10 brougb,
direct to Washington; and. now, Sir, in less than four
months from lite date, we are very modcstly asked Il
pay out OF the public treasury one hundred and fH,
thou and dollars, being one half Of The whole rapi a
stock required to build The road. And for what pur.
pose shall we do this' Does any man pretenl, will ans