Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-12-21

pecially, disabusing the public mind O
the fatal error that power is wantin,
in any government to punish inlurie
inflicted by its citizens on those of ano
ther-and appealing TO them, in tn,
name OF justice, humanity, freedom
peace, and an imperrilled Union, TO af
ford a protection deemed SO indispensa
BILE to the South, and which it is their
imperative duty to grant. When this
shall have been done, we shall stand
acquitted before the world of the high
responsibility we are under to do all in
our power to arrest, ifpossible, the ca.
reer of a fanatlcism, whose march, I'm.
checked, is over violated faith-the
dlsregarded rights of the South-the
wreck of the Union-and the prostra.
ted cause Of Liberty itself.
| have the honor to communicate
herewith the copy OF an C respecting
the public monies, passed by the late
Congress, approved by the President on
the AID of June, and shortly after.
wards forwarded to me by the Secreta.
ry of the Treasury. You will perceive
that by the 18th section of the said act,
it is provided, that the money in the
Treasury of the United Staes, on the
LIST OF January next, reserving five
millions, shall be deposited with such
OF the several States, in proportion to
their respective representation in Con-
gress, as shall be willing to receive it,
on the terms therein specified, viz +: of
pledging the faith of the State for the
safe keeping of the same, and to the re.
payment of the same, as from time TO
time it may be required by the Score.
tary of the Treasury, for the wants of
the Government, beyond the five mill.
ions of dollars provided, that no
more than ten thousand dollars shall be
called for from any State, in any one
month, without a notice of thirty days
for every additional sum of twenty
thousand dollars. The 18th section
provides for the transfer to the States,
OF one fourth part Of said deposites,
quarter yearly, beginning with the LIST
OF January next, throughout the year
1887. In contemplating the interest
ing exhibition, of a government retur-
ming to a people an excess of revenues
collected from themselves, and looking
in vain through the history of oil the
Governments ofthe earth, for a similar
spectacle, it is impossible for us not to
ascribe such a result to that happy
frame OF Government which has known
how to unite in the people themselves,
the character at nee Of sovereign and
subject, and TO exult in the new test.
mony it bears to the practical superior
ity Of free institutions.
lido not participate in the fears some
profess to entertain, that this is but the
beginning of a system by which sur
plusses are to be collected in order that
they may be misunderstanding utter.
fy %repudiate, with the scorn and con-
tempt with which every Virginian will
spurn it, the idea also thrown out, of
our becoming, by accepting our pro-
portion of the present surplus, pension
ers on the bounty Of the Federal Gov
vernment. The absurdity of the sup
position, that any people would syste-
matically lay taxes on themselves, in
order that when collected, they should
be returned into their own pockets, an
operation obviously attended with the
clear loss of the expenses of collecting,
keeping, and discussing agents. besides
that Of the use Of the money du-
ring all the time the process should
be going on, is 90 gross TO need expo
sure. In the present case at least, all
admit, that no design of creating a
surplus for distribution existed in any
quarter. 1t has arisen from the un-
paralleled growth of the wealth and
population of this great country, falsi.
flying, by its rapidity, all the celcula.
tions and estimates on which our reve.
nue. laws have been ~predicated. This
excess beyond the government wants,
thus accumulated without design, the
people have simply, through their rep>
resentatives, by the law referred to,
ordered to be restored to themselves.
What could be more reasonable, or just
or wise? Is not the money in the trea-
snry the peoples money! Was it not,
at best, lying idle and ~unproductive ;
or, if not so, illegitimately used to pro-
fit those who had no claim to it? Did
it not present a temptation to those who
had the control of it, which the wise
jealousy OF a free people did right to
removed
In respect to so much oil the surplus
as may be derived from the sales of
the public domain-held as that domain
is, by the express provision of the sew
eral deeds ofcession, for the common
benefit of the States, it would seem to
be only fulfilling its appointed purpose
when fairly distributed among them
and even should it amount for an lnde-
finite period of time, to a sum equal to
all their wants, and those of the Gen.