Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1841-03-30
GEORGETOWN, O, TUESDAY, MARCH 80, I84l.

/ WOTd, slr,lhe power 10 raise means ifou
IS whatever source, is, as TO that, exhausted
a when the means are obtained. The an
+ plicatiOn of them, requires The agency o
:; a new and distinct power, which begins {,
d act only when the other cesses. Nor cal
a these powers be blended, increased, Of
\ diminished, or the order Of their exercise
) transpnsed by assigning The means TO al
} object before they are themselves obtaind
, or by changing the character Of the mean
, as by converting money into land, or Ian,
into money.
Yet, sir, such has been The purpose
the single purpose, of all the rea on
ing of the Senator from Massacbu
sets. He claims for Congress thC
power to distribute the fund derived from
The lands, for the sole reason that it is SC
derived: thus making the power of appro
proation depended not upon the object
for which revenue may be raised, ,ibut up
on the source whence it comes. Well
sir, if this principle be sOund-if The
source ofrevenue be not limited by The
objects of Ofappropriation-if, OF the contra
~, the number If those objects depends
upon that source if The power to apprpri-
ate does not limit but rests upon the pow
er to tax-then are both unb0unded, the
constitution impOtent, and the Govern
ment absolute.
But why distribute the FIVE millions
yearly drawn from the landst Is it
thought 10 be surplus peyond the wants
of Government? No. So far from it,
that the Senator admits its withdraw
from the Treasury will require the impO-
sition OF new tax upon the people; and
actually proposes the levy Of the tax, TO
an equal amount, as the first step in dis
tribution. Why, then, this circumstance.
Why not advance directly to the end in
viewP Why not distribute the tax TO be
raised, and retain the money derived from
The lands2 The reason is manifest: the
one process may conceal, The other would
expose, the real object 10 the PeoPie-tax-
alton for distribution. For in what, al
last, does this process end, if not in a
distribution Of revenue generalIy--in the
levying of taxes upon The people for that
purpose: and in reference 10 the annual
income from the lands, only as fixing, for
the present the sum TO be impUsed for
distribution.
Who, then, can doubt that the Senator's
d jsgused though its objects be,
resolves itself into a claim Of power in
The Federal Government TO tax The peo
pie, moi for its own righlFul purpose alone,
but for the purpose, also of The Siales-
to tax them for all purposes whatever. as
we'll those beyond as within The constitu-
lion? And If, snch be the power of this
what right, is left TO the
State-what security 10 The people? For
is it not evident that, as the power Of tax
alton must ever be commensurate with
The objects committed to the care Of Gov
if those objects be numberless
left solely at discretion, equally discre-
ionary must be that pOwer. Then does
The constitution become nnllity and the
people deiencless. Nor, sir, does the
Orm Of Government, in such case,
whatever it may be, chang the character
IF the evil. Despotism over men is the
reedom of Government from restraint,
whilst acting upon them. Their liberty
depends upon the existence Of such re-
iraint, not upon their ultimate power of
eparing wrongs. by revolution--a power
/ all times equally aVaiAble,in their hand
gainst all the forms and ills Of Govern
nent. Thus reasoning, as undoubtedly
hey did, the American people OF only
ivided power between the State and
Federal Government-not only limited
ZACH by written constitutions; but, for
he greater precaulon, withheld from both
Il powers deemed dangerous: to the lib
rty of the citizen. But why this diYis-
on-these limitations-why this re-
ervation, ftbe taxing power was to be :
eft in this Government illimitable as to
biects OF amount?
To TAX is a power in its practical re-
ults, including all others By this It is
hat Government takes from the people
nd applies TO its own use, their properly
nd The products Of their labor. To this p
hey submit, for no other reason than be- a
ause Government is instituted for their !,
eneft, and contribution by them essen q
ial to its existence, But Government is '.
o longer for their benefit, when taking u
D itself an undue proportion of their sub, ~ ~
lance, it inflicts misery, where it should y y
ford security against it--a result ever +,
levitable when the taxing power feels no =. -
esrraint. Hence ii is, that the only Z
EST BY which the freedom or espotsm :. -
! any system can be known, is, whether "
,is mower over the property and labor OF
e neople be limited or not, It ultima pc
i i ,Le system is despotic; if limited so by
,saicientIy as to admit of evasion with lis
nnmnity. It is equally so. In either case eG
and the people become N
antagonist forces, with antag- m
,ist interests-.the one struggling TO in
,,ain. the other TO withhold, contribu- to