Du Buque visitor. [volume] (Dubuque, Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1836-1837, 1837-01-04
1856

ming anO WcChS xyf IA III
alJ yr a ..esentea. Tf.e states 7
j. Wv :. 4. Ally lose their purity as
J, !, dar 1,rindepenience;they would
!, e to murmur at the proceedings
- general government, lest they
..Sald lose their supplies; all would
e merged in practical consolidation,
by widespread corruption,
which could only be eradicated by one
if those bloody revolutions winch oc-
overthrow the despot'c sys-
tens Of the old world. -,
In all the other aspects IN wnicn
have been able to look at the eject OF
such principle of distribution upon the
best interests Of the country, | can see
nothing to compensate for the d,sad-
yantages to which have adverted: II
we consider the protective duties, which
are, in great degree, the source ol the
surplus revenue, beneficial to one Sec
ton Of the Union, and prcjudiclai 70 a.
mother, there is no corrective los the
evil in such plan of distribution. On
the contrary, there is reason 70 lear
that all the complaints which nave
sprung from this cause would be aggra-
waited. Every one must be sensible mat
. distribution Of the surplus must beget
adisposition to cheris.. the means which
create i: and any system, therefore,
into which it enters, must have pow
erful tendency to increase, rather than
diminish the tariff. II it were even adj
mitted that the advantage of such sys-
tenn could be made equal to all the sec
tons of the Union, the reasons already
SO urgently calling for reduction of
the revenue, would, nevertheless, lose
none of their force; for it will always
be improbable that an intelligent and
virtuous community can consent TO
raise surplus for the mere purpose of
dividing it, diminished as it must inc
vitab!y be by the expenses of the vari-
onsmachinery necessary tothc process.
The safest and simplest mode Of OBJ
WAITING all the difficulties which have
been mentioned, is to collect only re-
venue enough to meets the wants of the
government, and let the people Keep
the balance Of the properly in their
own hands, TO be us.d to their own
profit. Each s..a.e will then support
its own government, and contribute its
due Stare towards the supportofthe ge-
neral government. There would be
no surplus to cramp and lessen the re-
sources Of individual wealth and enter.
prise, and the banks would be left to
their own means; Whatever agitations
and fluctuations might arise from our
unfortunate paper system, they could
never @1e attributed, justly or unjus!ty,
to the action ofthe federal government.
There would be some guaranty that the
spirit of wild speculation, which seeks
to convert The surplus revenue into
banking capital, would be efectually
shocked, and that the scenes OF demon
slization, which are now SO prevalent
through the land, would disappear.
Without desiring to conceal that the
experience and observations OF the last
2 years, have operateda partial change
inmy views upon this interesting sub.
jcct, it is nevertheless regretted thai
the suggestions made by me in my an,
nual messages Of 1929 and 1880, have
boen greatly misunderstood. At tina
time, the great struggle was begun a
gainst that latitudinarian constructio,
Of the constitution, which authorize
the unlimited appropriation of the rev
cnucsof the Union to internal improve
ments within the states, tending to in
vest in the hands, and place under thu
control, ofthe general government, al
the principal roads and canals Of thu
country, in violation Of state rights, {
in derogation of state authority. At tn,
same time, the condition Of the manu-
featuring interest was such as to create
an apprehension that the duties on i'm
. ports could not, without extensive mis-
chief, be reduced in season to proven
the accumulation Of considerable sur
plus after The payment Of the nationa
debt. In view Of the dangers Of sucl
1rplus, ana in preference to its ap,li
ca ton to int, nal improvements, in de-
roy rtion Of the rights and powers o
the ,tatcs, the sugS cstion Of an amend
ment Of the constitution to authoriz,
Us dis ribution, was made. It was ar
a,tefnat ivefor whatwere deemed great
.er evils "a temporary resort to relicy,
. a cyerburdened treasury until the -
vernmsnt could, without sudden an,
destructive revulsion in the bushes
of the county, gradually return to IL
just principle Of raising no more rev
enue from the people, in taxes, than
necessary for lis economical supper
v Even that alternative was not spoke