Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1837-04-05

bio for personal and sectional advantages. Un-
der 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 themselves at the expense of
others and every such attempt must in the end
f, to sncceed, for the people in every part ofthc
United States are too enlightened not TO under
stand their own rights and interests, and to detect
aud defeat every effort to gain undue advantages
over them; and when such designs arc discover
cd, it naturally provokes rcscntnaents, which can
not always be easily allaycd Justice, fell and
ample justice, TO every portion of the United
States, should DO the ruling principle of every
freeman, and should guide the dslibcr ,tions OF
every publicb ody, whether itb he State or Nation H.
1t is well known that there have always ben
those amongst us who wish 60 enlarge the powers
Of the General Government |; aud experience
would I'm to indicate that there is tendency Oh
The part of this Government to overstep the boun-
darics marked out for il by the constitution. It's
legitimate authority is abundantly sufficient for
all this purposes for which 1t was created and lis
powers bc;ng expressly onum rlted, there can
be no justiicA alton for 81 aiming any thing bsyond
th,m. EvJry attempt to exercise power beyond
these limits should be promptly and firmly OPP
posed. For one evil example will lead to other
measures still more mschicvous; and it the prin-
cipl, of constructive powers, or supposed advan.
q IS, or temporary circumstances, shall ever be
permitted TO Justify the assumption of power
not given by the contitution, the General Gov
crnmcnt will before long absorb all the powers of
legislation, and you will have in effect, but one
consolidated Government. From the extent of
our country. its diversified interests, different
pursuits, and different habits, it is too obvious Cor
argument that single consolidated Government
would BE- wholly inadequate TO watch over and
prot ,ct its interests and every friend of free
institutions should be always prepared to main
tain unimpaired and in full vigor tho rights and
sovereignty Of the States, and to confnc the ac-
ton Of rhe General Government strictly to tho
sphere OF lis appropriate duties.
There is, perhaps, no ono of the powers con-
fcrred on the Federal Government so liable to a.
busc az the taxing power. The most productive
and COW nient sources of revenue were ncces-
sarily given to it, that it might be able to per-
form the important duties imposed upon it and
| the taxes which it lays upon commerce being
cal ed from the real payer in the price of the
article they do not so readily attract the atten.
| ton of the p,ople as smaller sums demanded
from them directly by the taxgatherer. But the
tax imposed on goods enhances by so much the
price of tn, commodity to the consumer and,
as many ofthcse duties are imposed on articles
of nee ssity, which are daily used by tho great
body Of the people. the money raised by thesc
imposis is drawn from their pockets. Congress
has sno right under the constitution. TO take
money from the people, unless it is required to
execute some one ofthc specific powers intrusted
| TO tho Government; and ifthey raise more than
il necessary Tor sucli purposes, ii is abuse of
the power of taxation, and unjust and oppressive.
II may, indeed, happen that tho revenue will
| sometimes exceed the amount anticipated when
tho taxes were laid. Whom however, this is as
certained,it is easy to reduce them and in such
case, it is unquestionably the duty of the Gov
| crnment to reduce them, for no circumstances
can Justify 1t in assuming power not given to
| it by the constitution nor in taking away the
money of the people when il is not needed for the
legitimate wants of the government.
| Plain as these principles appear to be, you W i'll
yot find tn, there is cons ant effort TO induce
the General Government to gobcyond the limits
OF Its taxing power, and to impose unnecessary
burdens upon the people. Many powerful inter-
eats ere continually at work to procure heavy du-
ti;s on commerce, and to swell the revenue be-
yond The real necessities of the public service !;
and the country has alr ady felt the injurious Of
focts of their combined influence. They sue
cecdcd in obtaining tariff of duties bearing most
oppressively on the agricultural and laboring
classes Of society, and producing revenue that
could not be usefully employed within the range
OF tho powers conferred upon Congress; and in
order to fasten upon the people this unjust and
unequal system of taxation, extravant schemes Of
internal Improvement were got up, In various
quarters, to aqaundcr the money, and to purchase
support. Thus one unconstitutional measure was
intended to be upheld by another, and the abuse
of the power Of taxation was to be maintained
by usurping the power of expanding the money
IN internal improvements. You cannot have for
gotten the severe and doubtful struggle through
which we pissed, when tho Executive Depart
mcnt of the Government, by its vcto cndeavorod
to arr st this prodigal scheme Of injustice, and to
bring back the legislation of Congress TO the
boundaries prescribed by the Constitution. The
good sense and pratical judgement of the people,
sustained the course of the Executive and this
plan of unconstitutional expenditure for the pur-
poses of corrupt influence, is, trust, finally o.
verthrown.
The rusult of this decision has been felt in tho
rapid extingushment of the public debt, and the
large accumulation ofthe surplus in the treasury,
notwithstanding the tariff was reduced, and is
now very far below the amount originally con-
tcmplated by its advocates But, rely upon it,
the design TO collect an cxtravagant revenue, and
TO burden you with taxes beyond the economical
wants of the Government, is not yet abandoned.
The various interests which have combined to-
gether to impose a heavy tariff, and to produce
an overlooking treasury, are too strong, and have
too much at stake TO surrender the contest. The
corporations and wealthy individuals who are en-
gag d in large manufacturing establishments, de-
src high tariff to increase their gains. Design
ing politicians will support it, to conciate their
favor, and to obtain the mems of proflsc expen-
diture, for the purpose Of purchasing influence
in other quarters, and since the people have de-
Cded that the Federal Government cannot be
permitted to employ its income in internal i'm
provenents, efforts will be made to seduce and
mslead the citizens Of tho several States by hold
ing out to them the dcceitful prospect of benefits
to be derived from a surplus revenue collected by
the General Government, and annually divided
among the States. And if, encouraged by these
falacious hopes, the States should disregard the
principles of economy which ought TO character
izc every republican Government, and should in
dugc in lavish expenditures exceeding their re-
sources, they will, before long, find themselves
oppressed with debts which they arc unable TO
pay and the temptation will become irresistible to
support high tariff, in order to obtain surplus
for distribution. DO not allow yourselves, my
fellow -citizons TO be mslod on this subject. The
Federal Government cannot collect surplus
for such purposes without violating the princi-
pies of the constitution, and assuming powers
which have not been granted. II is, moreover,
system of injustice, and, if persisted in, will in
evitably lead to corruption, and must end in ru-
in. The surplus revenue will be drawn from the
pockets Of In, people, from the farmer, mechanic,
and tho lahorng classes Of society; but who will
receive it when distributed among the States
where is 1t TO be disposed of by leading State
politicians who have friends to favor, and politi.
III partizans to gratify7 1t will certainly not be
return ID TO those who paid il, and who have most
mood of it, and are honestly entitled TO il. There
is but ono safe rule, end that is, TO confne the
fr.., Ia, ,,,..l Al n