Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1838-03-29

public dues, rs cash, and the public money
deposited in their vaults, the banks become
the allies of the Government on all que ri ions
connected with its fiscal action. The higher
It's taxes and duties, the greater its revenue
ana expenditure; and the larger its surplus.
the more their circulation and business. md
OF course, the greater their profit; md
hence OIL all questions Of taxation aud dis
bursements, aud the accumulations Of fund
in the Treasury, their interest would throw
them on the side Of the Goycrnmcu, unJ
against the people.
All this is reversed, when separated.-
Inc higher the taxation and disbursements.
anu the larger the surplus, the less would
'e tneir profit; and their interest in that case.
Mouia throw them with The people, and
obvious. Specie is the bnsis Of banking onc.
rations; and the greater amount thev cnnn
mand, the greater will be their business and
Protls; but when the Government is sepnra.
ted from them and collects aud paws awnv
us dues IN specie, instead Of their notes !, ia
c'ear that the higher The taxes and di,blrs..
mcnts' and the greater the surplus in tho
treasury, the more specie will be drnwn
from tho use OF the banks and the Less will
be leit as the basis Of their operations und
consequently, the less their profit. Every
dollar Withdrawn from them would din,in.
lsh their business four-fold at least. nm,
hence regard te their own interest woui,f
inevitably place them ou the side to wr,icn
have assigned them.
Ihe effects on the politics of the conn
try wonld be grent and sulutary. I'M.
weight OF the banks would be taken from,
tue sidc OF the tax consumers, where il has
oeeh from the commencement of the Gov
ernment, and placed on the side OF the lax
payers. This great division Of the commr.
nity necessarily grows out Of the fiscal ac-
ton OF the Government. Tukc taxation
and disbursement together, and !, will NJ.
ways he found that one portion Of tho Cou'-
munity pays into the Treasury, in the shon,
OF taxes, more than il receives bnck in H.,
oi disbursements, and that another receives
oack more than II pays. The former u1e
tic tax payers. aud the latter the consu-
mers, making thcgreat, essential, and con-
trolling division in all civilized commun;.
ties. If, With US, tho Government hns bcc,
thrown on the side Of the consumers. as II
IN consequence, al ail timSes steadiiyt nnd
powerfully on that side. Ii is to this mis-
chievons and unholy alliance, that NAV be
traced almost all the disasters that have be-
fallen US. and the great political degeneracy
OF the country. Honce the protective sys-
teHl-hencc its associated and mons,rous
system Of disbursements; hence the collec.
tlon Of moro money from the people than
tho Government could require heucc ,b.
vast and corrupting surplusses: henco Leg
islative and Executive usurpatons: nnd
finally, hence the prostratlon Of the curren-
cy and the disasters which give rise to our
present deliberations. Revive this fatal
connection; adopt this substitute, and ull
this train of evils will again follow with re-
doubled disasters and corruption. Refuse
the connection; adopt this bill. aud all will
he reversed, and We shall have some pros
pect Of restoring the Constitution and coun-
try to their primitive simplicity and purity.
The effect ofthe refusal ON the patronage
of the Government would he great and de-
cisive. Burke has wisely said, that the
"revcnue is the State in modern times."-
Violence and coercion nrc NO longer the in
strumcnts of.G0vernment in civilized COM
muni,ies. Their reign is past. Every thing
| is now done by money. 1t il not only ,h.
slnew OF war but Of politics; over which, in
tho form OF patronage, it exercises almost
unlimited cont:ol. just as the revenue III,
crcases or diminishcs, almost in the same
proportion, is patronage increased or diniin-
ishcd
But admit for moment, that neither ,hs
! separation nor the connection would have
any sensible effect to increase or diminish
the revenue; and that it would be OF the
same amount, whether the bill or the sub
stitutc should be adopted; yet, even on ,hat
supposition, the patronage of the latter wouli
be an hundred fold greater than the former.
In estimating the amount Of patronage OF
any measure, three particulars must h.
taken into the calculation; the number " ho
may he affected by ii; their influence in ,l,c
community, and extent of the control cxcr-
cised over them. 1t will be found Oh co,n
parison, that the substitute combines all
these elements in a far greater degree, lhal
tho bill, rs shall now proceed to show. l
begiu with Tie number.
The bill provides. as has been stated. f,,
four principal receivers. eight or ten clerks
and a suitable number of agents to act II,
inspectors, making in the whole, say rs in.
dividuals. These would constitute ihe onl,
additional officers to keep and disburse ,l,t
public money. The substitute, in addition
to the officers now in service. provides TO,
the selection Of 25 banks. to be taken iron
the most powerful and influential, and wl,icI
would have, on an average, at least, 1Ot
, officers aud stockholders each, making i.
the aggregate, $500 persons, who would L
directly interested in the banks, and of cours
under the influence Of the Government.
AS TO the relative influence Of tho officer
and tho selected banks over the community
y , every impartial man must acknowledge
u that the prcpondernnce would be grente
OH the side Of tho latter. Admitting the re
c spcctability Of the receivers and other OH
e GERS provided for in the bill, and the Officer
u and stockholders Of the banks to be ind