Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-04-23

ton. In word, Sir, the power to raise MEANS from
whatever source, is, that, exhausted when the
obained. The application Of them them re-
( qures the agency of new and distinct power, which
| begins to act only when the other ceases Nor can
these powers be blended, increased diminished. or
the order of their exercise transposed by assigning The
means 10 an object before they themselves obtained;
BY changing the character OF The MEANS as by con-
verting money into land, or land into money.
Yet, Sir such has been the purpose, the single pnr
pose of all the reasoning of the Senator from Massa
chusetts He claims for Congress the power TO distr
butte the fund derived from the lands for the sole
son that it is so derived thus making the power ap
propriation depend not upon the object for which re-
venue may be ralsed but upon the source whence II
comes Well, Sir, if this principle be sound-ii the
source OF revenue be not limited by objects OF appropr
lon-f, the contrary the number OF those objects
depends upon that source-lf the power to appropr-
ate does limit, but rests upon, the power TO tax
hen are both unbounded, the Constitution lmpotent
| md the Government absolute.
| But why distribute the FIVE millions yearly drawn
rom the lands Is it thought 10 be surplus beyond
Inc wants Of Government No. So far from it, that
tie Senator admits its withdrawal from the Treasury
will require the imposition OF new tax on the people,
and actually proposes the levy of the tax to an equal
amount as The first step in distribution Why, then,
this crcuitous legislation: Why not advance directly
to the end in view; Why not distribute the tax TO be
raised and retain the money derived from the lands
The reason is manifest: the one process may conceal,
the other would expose the real object 10 the people
this process end if not in distribution OF revenue
generalyin the levying of taxes upon the people for
that purpose and in reference TO the annual income
from the lands only fixing for the present. the sum to
| be imposed for distribution.
| Who then can doubt that the Senator'S reasoning
disguised though its object may be, resolves itself into
claim of power in the Federal Government to tax the
people, for its rghtiu! purposes alone, put Tor
the purposes also of the Sa,es-to tax them Tor all pur
poses whatever, well those beyond as within the
l I'm tina. nnutn nj
Government, what power, what right IS left to the
S,aes-what security TO the People: For IS 1t not
evident that, the power OF taxation must ever he
commensurate with the objects committed to the care
Government if those objects be nunberiesS, lett SOLE
w at discretion, equally discretionary must be that pow
er Then does the Constitution become nudity, and
the peopc delenceess Nor, Sir, does the form o 20
yernment such case, whatever may be, change Tue
character Of the evil Despotsm over men is the Tree
dom of Government from restraint, whilst aclng upon
them Their liberty depends upon the existence Of
such restraint upon their ultimate power OIL repair
inc wrongs BY rsvoution-a power at all times equal.
" available in their hand, against all the forms anu
ills Of Government Thus reasoning, as undoubtedly
they did, the American people not only divided power
between The State and Federal GoveFnments-not
only limited each by written Constitutions but, Tor tie
greater prccauton, withheld from both all powers
deemed dangerous to the liberty OF the CITIZEN But
why this divsioa--these limitations why tins reser-
vaon, if the taxing power was to be lett IN TINS 20
The tax is power in its practical results, nciuang
all others By this it is that Government takes from
the people, and applies to It's own use, ther properly
and the products of their labor 10 th's tney submit
for no other reason than because Government IS nsu
tu,ed for their benefit and contribution by them essen
tal TO its existence. But Government Is no longer ior
their benefit when, taking to itself an undue proper
ton of their substance, nhics misery where " shouid
afford security againstita result ever ,neVlaoie "ne
the taxinp power feels restraint Hence It IS mat
cb
system can be known is, whether this power over the
property and labor Of the people be limited or not 1t
unlimited the system is despotic; II limited 50 ineri
GENTLY as to admit Of evasion with mPuny IS equal
" So In either case, the Government and the people
become eventually, antagonist forces with antagonist
intercss-the one struggling to Obtain the other 10
withhold contributions Every new TAX then, suensth-
ems the Government and enfeebles the people IN the
contest. Through all history, this struggle IS Vsoe'
this is more than other, that has, in every age
conyulsed the world and srewed It's bosom with me
blood and bones Of murdered men. In the Roman i,e-
public The governing class, having hrst succeede" VI
obtaining almost the entire property OF the country oy
sly and imperceptibe means long employed the strife
began with the people for restitution 30 was IL N
France prior 10 the first Revolution; and such IS now
The strife in England With US, IT seems Government
is about the contest Tor acquisition Win
the citizens But, in every instance, whether 10 ac-
qure to retain, the struggle Tor properly y 'he
and the people, whose labor produces all are ever IN
The right Wherever, under system at all tree me 60
yernnp power has succeeded land It generally mas W
the plumber of the people, these results have nvataoy
olowed--a division Of the popular mass ihlo
The rich and the poor; next the establishment Of poll
teal orders the Arstocracy, with power, wealth, and
corruption-the multitude in penury, dependence, ana
wrath; and finally, when civil dIscord prescription,
confiscation and death have had their sway, single
handed despotism has closed the scene ,
To this catastrophe and by these means, have all
free Governments BEEN brought; and whether 1t Le'
of all SUCH the inevitable tendency, our own exam
ME must prove But if this calamity, hitherto unver-
sal, can here be averted-if our destiny snaII oe
found more happy than theIrs-it VIII DC because
The people resist the evil whilst yet they are strong,
and end Il ut the beginning. For with US, as win
others. the necessities of government-the support
of credt-the relief Of the country-are, and ever
will be- the ready reasons put forth Tor laxalion
without limit; and through it, usurpaton OF power
If not arrested at the outset, repetition wall give 10
each act of plumber the authority OF precedent ana
fine in all things, powerful element OF title, VIII
gradually reconcile men to endurance until NJ last,
having become strong by allaylng resistance, Govern
ment will throw away the veil, no longer necessary
and claim to sack the multitude, as maleF o fiS',
for the benefit of the few.
In the spectacle Of starving millions, England-that
England so often commended to our imitation mere
affords an example of this unbounded power oil taxa,
ton. Never in any part OF The giooe' nave u" equ'.
number of human beings produced, by their toll, IN
s;nue year an amount great OF the necessares ana
comforts Of life as are annually wrought by the labor
ing English. Upon every principle Of justice them
their own comforts should be proportionabiy great
their social condition happy Yet is this the fact
Are they who toll so necessarily hose labor produces
so mucR-are they fed, clothed sheltered from the
storm themselves families: Have they hope Tor 'he
future. Of relief this side the grave; No! One-hat
of the entire nation- speak it not from runor, but
upon The authority of British statsicsone. Of Inc
entire nation reduced to absolute
One fourth DEPENDENT through the year. on Tue PauPer
fund alone for support; another fed occasionally from
they brought as often ,hsy s 10 ,ne
,s danr,dnt;on. Of the most laborlons people ever
known tn'o Why this suffering of the mass whilst the
the ruling orders h are eS
m 600, mass away did it arise from natural or from
s S, causcs-from dearth-the failure of crop,
or the ravares of fesenc Never the cause and
,ha misery are alike human and permanent.
The Observation-Disclosures with its omnlpotence
ia lim,css power Of taxation: there is the source
there alone-of all those wrongs and agones 1t -
This mower, acting unrestrained, through the double
-a,., of p, rLnment and the Bank. by which Govern