Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-06-23
S~Il.11~1It II
Amount. lst Oct, 1919,

Amount, Isl Oct, 1919, S!l,I?>,o2' u
is 4 national deb: a national blessing; Is II WISE or
economical. TO eypcud Il surplus IN nnproductire works,
rather than appropriate ii To the payment Of Just debts,
and to the consequent prevention ot an accreifon oi IN.
tercst? You, SIR, wtll be naturally led 10 compare the
doctrines OF General Harrison, developed in his rcso-
luton and the practical results which would neccssa-
rily flow from them, with the doctrines avowcd and
cnlotc.d by Andrew Jackson, and the propticus re-
suits Of The measures Of his administration. in refer
encc to the eXtinguiShnrmt of the nations debt. In
connection with the sentiments OF General Harrison,
arowcG in lcl9, YOU wall bring 10 yc!sr recollection The
occasional! d scussiolls, during General lack>On's adm.
n:stratlon, touching The speedy payment Of our debt,
and the resistance which his tavo:itc policy eDcoun.
tered from the Opposition. The orIgina! opponents OF
his administration constitute the nam body of the OPP,
position 10 Mr.. Van Buren,, a d the principal and largest
ingredient Of the party sustaining Gen. Harrison. ]
think with you, sir, i.such i party had continued in pow
er, with such latItudinOuS opinions OF the powers of the
Federal Government, and with the avowals, that ii
was unwise and Inpolitic To rid ourselves of debt and
accruing interest more rapidly than the positive obliga.
tons ofpublic faith TO the creditor demanded, THAT we
should not yet feel a large remnant Of debt pressing
against the resources Of the country, and presenting OBJ
stacles to the reduction of our burdens 10 the smallest
amount adequate to 4 wise and frugal administration.
Under their political guidance, is it probable that we
should have enjoyed The unbounded qualification Of
bchnlding the uneXainplcd spectacle Of grcaland pow
ertul nation entirely free from debt:
Would their principles and their policy have get az
forded the occasion for that most interesting ~icpuhli.
can Jubilee held by the faithful Representatives OF a
free and mighty People in c~cmmemoratlon Of their pc
cuniary dlScnthralment.
Pardon ", SIR, FOR briefly advcrting 10 the extraordi-
nary doctrines contained in Gen. liarrison's Rcsolu-
tons in the form III which they received the final assent
of both branches Of the General Assembly Of Ohio.
The embarrassment Of that period 0olJ are asserted
to be caused, IN a great degree, "by want of encourage
meni and protection 20 domestic manufactures -
It may have been 50 notwithstand:n mr. our want Of
ability to comprehend il. How exemption from tax
~ation-hnw diminished burdens upon the productions
and industry o! a country can produce increased Gnu
harrassneut, we cannot perceive; and we have no
recollection of having seen such a doctrine maintain
ed and illustrated in any standard work upon political
economy. How an Imposition OF burdens on the Peo-
pie, IN order 10 acquire means of a~ii"rd'ng encourage
meit and protection 10 n i,w favored classes Of industry,
can relieve The @cncroi pccuniary embarrassment OF a
country, is, we %candldiy confess, beyond our conprc-
hemsi"n. But such Is the panacca proposed IN the Re-
solution. Such IS I'll" medicine, which Doctor liarrl
son, as lie has been slrlrd IN driate, would, administer
to heal that national disease called "pccuniary distress
and embarrassment. But he proposes, as rrquI red by
good policy, such notifications Of ne Tariff as viii Siop
that lnundaiion of !"rri.n ncrCiIanliz which ms drs.
trovcd or suspended tie operations If the greater part of
the manufacturing establishments Of III" u :. Here
til" power IS virtually asserted Of hacking oar com.
mcrcc on the high seas, of imposin ex"rhiIant burdens
upon the importation o. goods from abroad, operating
to the great GtIninutlon, va, even to the prohibition of
onr trade with foreign nations: and not for the avowcd
purpose, or even under the usual Il nsy prctrxt, ofpro-
viding FOR The common defence, or promoting the gtnc-
rat welfare, but for tie partial aud isolated purpose
Of sustaining, protecting and encouraging that portion
of capital and labor employed in domestic manufactures
The resolution too would seem 10 embrace tho claim Of
4 right to pass judgment upon tic amount Of importa-
ton which may be ~prudenily made, and 10 ln,crposc to
prevent extravaganza and cAcrss.
Tie principles which would authorize The Federal
Government, under the s%crnhlance OF parental guar.
diansl,ip, to RESTRAIN the inprudcnt and excessive I'M
portaiionS of foreign Inc merchandise, would equally Jus.
tify its impairment scrutiny and interference in all The
relations Of life. Under lis sanction, laws might tic
enacted TO restrain the citizens from was,etul cytraya-
gnncc, from imprudcnt expenditures, and from spccu-
Iat.on and ovcrtrading-cvcn sunp;uary regulations
might find protection under its broad inantle-;lat,
thereby pccuniary embarrassment, and the dernnrc-
ment ofthe business ofthc country might be prevented.
No matter in what lofty expressions OF patrio,ism--no
matter in what honeyed phrase ofmaternal kindness such
a principle may LUX, it must essentially, in its practical
operation, assim,late 10 eastern d~espotism. lis ultimate
tendency is the subsection of the wealth, the capital,
the industry, the labor, the enterprise of the whole
country 10 the rapacious and whitening grasp of arb.
trarv power.
The second resolution as re reconstructed in The Com
mute OF Conference, and received and agreed to by
pom Houses, ainrms distinctly the power of Congress,
at a'screiIHn, TO appropriate money or lands for the iln-
provcment of the country hv the construction of roads
and canals, and for the announcement of American
manufactures. And II holds the doctrine, that in a state
OF peceh,ary embarrassment among the people, the
Appropriation OF money or lands to such purposes wonld
have a great tendency 10 remove that embarrassment
and promote the general welfare of The nation We
will not here renew the criticism upon this eytraordi.
nary mode of relief. Did not Alexander Hamilton !,
one Of his reports, claim the broad power of ra,sinr
revenue to any amount, and the right OF Congress 10
appropriate it to the cause of literature. agriculture, in.
celebration at Brownies Hotel Of the final paymen, Of the Va.