The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-03-15


6 ference and weak men may persuade
!, themselves for moment that they are la
boring IN the cause of humanity, and asser-
: ting the rights of the human race but ev-
, cry one, upon sober reflection, will see that
T nothing but mischief can come from these
improper assaults upon the feelings and
rights of others. Rest assured, that the
men found busy in this work of discord are
} not worthy of your confidence, and deserve
} your. strongest reprobation.
In the Legislation Of Congress, also, and
, in every measure Of the General Govern
} ment, justice to every portion of the United
States should be faithfully observed. No
! free Government can stand without virtue
} in the people, and lofty spirit Of patriotism
and if the sordid feelings Of mere sslhshness
shall usurp the place which ought to be fill
: led by public spirit, the Legislation of Con-
!, gress will soon he converted into scramble
for personal and sectional advantages.
Under our free institutions, the citizens OF
every quarter of our country are capable Of
attaining high degree of prosperity and
happiness, without seeking to profit them
selves at the expense of others and every
such attempt must in the end fail to succeed;
States are too enlightened not to understand
their own rights and Interests, and to detect
and defeat every effort to gain undue advan-
tages over them and when such designs
are discovered, it naturally provokes resent
ments which cannot always be easily al
layed. Justice, full and ample justice, to
every portion of the United States, should be
the ruling principle of every freeman, and
should guide the deliberations of every pub
lie body, whether it be State or national.
1t is well known that there have always
been those amongst US who wish to enlarge
the powers of the General Government
and experience would seem to indicate that
there y a tendency OH the part of this Gov
crnment to oyerstcp the boundaries marked
out for it by the constitution. Its legitimate
authority is abundantly sufficient for all the
purposes for which it was created; and its
powers being expressly enumerated, there
can be no justification for claiming any
thing beyond them. Every attempt to ex-
ercise power beyond these limits should be
promptly and firmly opposed. For one
evil example will lead to other measures
still more mischievous and if the princi-
pie of constructive powers, or supposed adj
vaniageS, or temporary circumstances, shall
ever be permitted to justify the assumption
of n power not given by the constitution,
the General Government will before long
absorb all the powers oflegislation, and you
will have, in effect, but one consolidated
Government From the extent of our
country, its diversified interests, different
pursuits, and different habits, il is too OBJ
vious for argument that a single consolida-
ted Government would be wholly made !
quate to watch over aud protect its inter-
ests; and every friend of our institutions
should be always prepared to maintain un-
impaired and in full vigor the rights and
sovereignty Of the States, and to coninc the
action of the General Government strictly
TO the sphere of its appropriate duties.
There is, perhaps no one of the powers
conferred on the Federal Government so
liable to abuse as the taxing power. The
most productive and convenient sources Of
revenue were necessarily given TO it, that
it might be able to perform the important
duties imposed upon il; and the taxes which
1t lays upon commerce being concealed
from the real payer i'll the price of the ar
ticle, they do not so readily attract the at
tention of the people as smaller sums de- I
mandcd from them directly by the taxgath- 6
erer. But the tax imposed on goods cnhan-
ccs by so much the price of the commodity {
to the consumer; and, as many Of these du- t
ties are imposed on articles Of necessity, S
which arc daily used by the grea, body of
the people, the money raised by these i'm .
posts is drawn from their pockets. Con- {
gress has no right, under the constitution, c
to take money from the people, uneas it is a
required to execute some one of the specific d
powers intrusted to Government; and if q
they raise more than Is necessary for such r
purposes, 1t is an abuse of the power oft p
alton. and unjust and oppressive. 1t may, d
indeed, happen, that the revenue will some b
times exceed the amount anticipated when
the taxes were laid. When, however, this Ii
is ascertained, |! is easy to reduce them Il
and, in such case, it is unqucstionably the A
duty Of the Government to reduce them, for /,
no circumstances can justify it in assuming a
N power not given to il by the constitution, c
nor in taking away the money of the people o
when it is not needed for the legitimate il
wants of the Government. =
Plain rs these principles appear to be, p
you will yet find that there is n constant eff "
Tort to induce the General Government TO lis
20 beyond the limits of its taxing power, Ct
md to impose unnecessary burdens upon n
he people. Many powerful interests arc D
continually at work to procure heavy duties c,
IN commerce, and to swell the revenue be- n,
'oud the real necessities of the public SER W
ice; and the country has already felt the d.
INJURIOUS effects or their combined influence. VI
They succeeded in obtaining a tariff of du- CT
les bearisS-most oppressively on the agri- W
ultural and Iabouring classes of society n,
nd producing n revenue that could not he o,
sefully employed within the range of the C,
overs confcrrad unon Cnncress. an1 In d1