Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-08-27

i long standing funded debt; period that canHt be sensbly retarded, or the natural consequenceof it illuded without proving disastrous to those wh may attempt either if not the country itself Whert rives the Government would find itself in possEson of surplus revenue of $10,0000 900, or S1200,000, if not previously disposed of which presents k i'm portant question, what previous disposition ouht to be madel a question which must press urgeng for decision, at the very next session Of Congress IL cannot be delayed longer, without the most disact- l ing and dangerous consequences.
 The honest and obvious course Is to prevent tb ac cumulation of the surplus in the treasury, by athely and udicious reduction ofthe mposts and therey to leave the money in the pockets of those who it, and from whom it cannotbe honestly or constition- ally taken, unless required by the fair and Legitimate wants of the Government. If, neglecting disosi- ton obvious and just, the Government shoul at tempt to keep up the present high duties whe the money was no longer wanted, or to dispose ohhis immense surplus by enlarging the old, or of deving new schemes of appropriations,e or finding tht to be impossible it should adopt the most dan gDus, unconstitutional, and absurd project ever devisd by any government, of dividing the surplus anon the States-(a project which, if carried into execion, could not fail to create an antagonist interesbe tween the States and General Government d all questions of appropriations, winch would ter- tany end in redacng the latter to a mere dice of collection and dstribrtion) either of these nHes would be considered by the section suffering Ader the present high duties, as fixed determinatid to perpetuate, forever, what it considers, the prdent unequal, unconstitutional, and oppressive burdh- and from that moment, ii would cease to look ttthe General Government for relief. This deeply hte- resting period, which must prove dlsastNus, should wrong direction be given, but's fortuhte The work must be com%enced at the next sesson as have stQted or be left undone, or at least be badly done. The succeeding session would betoo l.l.z T 1 IanflD mn test to afford the requisite leisure and calmness, nd the one succeeding would find the country inthe midst of the crisis when 1t would be too late to re- vent an accumulation of the surplus, which haard nothing Tn saying judging from the nature of len and government, if once permitted to accumute, would create an interest strong enough toperpetlte itself supported it would be by others, nuler- ous and powerful, and thus would pass away ano- ment never to be quietly recalled, precious lbro- perly used to Tighten the public burden to equIise the action of the Government; to restore harnny and peace; and to present to the world, the lus- trous example, which could not fail to prove fvor- able to the great cause of liberty every whereof a nalion the lreest, and at the same time, the beslnd most cheaply governed-ofthe highest earthly less ing, at the least possible sacrifice.
 As the disease will not then heal itself. are brought to the question: can remedy be aped, and if so, what ought it to bel
 To answer in the negative, would be to Rert, that our union has utterly fac T.; and that thep pin- ion so common before the adoption of our Coititu- tion that free Government could not be practally extended over a large country, was correct, anthat ours had been destroyed by giving il limits feat, as to comprehend, not only dissimiar but rron- ceable interests l am not prepared to adt q conclusion. that would cast deep shade the future, and that would ialsy all the glorious itici
 paons of our ancestors while it would gatly lessen their high reputation for wisdom. Nhing but the clearest demonstration, founded on etual experience, will ever force me to q concusia, so abhorrent to all my feelings. As strongly aa am impressed with the great dissimllariiy, and hust add, ns truth compel me to do, cOntrarleiy olnte- rest in our country resulting from the causes aaady indicated and which are so great that they tnnot be subjected to the unchecked will of majoty of the whole, without defeating the great end go- vernment (and, without which it is curse lttice {; yet see in the Union ordained by the Co7ltu- 1 tlon the means, if wisely used, not only of T:on cling all diverses but also the means and ti1 l y electua one of securing to us justice peaceand security at home and abroad and with them tht na- tonal power and renown, the love of which royi- dence has implanted for wise purposes so dedy in the human heart; in all of which great obec eve l " portion of our community widely extende and diversified as it is, has Il common and identd in- terest-If we have the wisdom to place q roper relative estimate on these more elevated and ura- ble blessings the present and every other cOn jet Of like character, may be readily terminated; Ut if, reversing the scale, each section should put iGgh- CT estimate on its immediate and peculiar gain and acting in that spirit, should push favorlte me lures of mere policy, without re gard to-peace, harmby or justice, our sectional conflicts would then i4eed, without some constitutional check, become inermi- nable except by the dissolution of the Union itself That we have in fact reversed the estlmattIs too certain to be doubted and the result is our 1esent dlstempered and dangerous condition. Ifd cure must commence in the correction of the err1 and not to admit we have erred would be the woa pos | sible symptom. It would prove the diseasI Ito be incurable through the regular and ordinary pbcess of eglsation and would compel finally, ebr to extraordinary but still trust, not only consi tion- al, but safe remedies.
 No one would more sincerely rejoice than myself, to see the remedy applied from the quarter lPre it could be most easily and regularly done. It D the only one by which those who think that 1t is hl only quarter from winch it cun constitutionally conf possibly sustain their opinion. To omit tn hppli- cation by the General Government, woudclmpel them to admit the truth of the oposite )pnion; or force them to abandon our political systenn de- spalr; while on the other hand, all ther enlightened | and patriotic opponents would rejoice at suc ev- dence of moderation and wisdom on the part fl the General Government as would supersede feort to what they believe to be the higher powers of dr po litica system, indicating sounder state of ublic sentiment than has ever heretofore existed ! any country and thus affording the highest possife surance of the perpetuation of our glorious istltu- tions to the latest generation. For as peoph ad- vance in knowledge, in the same degree thei may dispense with mere artificial restrictions in hSr go- vernment; and We may imagine, (but dare mi ex- pect to see it,, state of intelligence unversal and high, that all the guards of liberty may e dis pensed with, except an enlightened public pinion acting through the right of suffrage; but it Fesup- poses state where every class and every setion of of the community are capable of estimating theefects of every measure, not only as it may affect itself but every other class and section; and of uyrealiz ing the sublime truth, that the highest and wises policy consists in maintaining justice and proncng peace and harmony; and that compared | these schemes of mere gain are but trash and dro.s fear