Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-07-12

whOm they cOnfded inc tOrnhdabe trust TO lot
bear to exercise it for the supply of its own wants
and prefer to prey like vampire on tile property
Oi the States which had created it? Had little |
Rhode Island, that star of the ocenn, refused tot
Join the confederacy Of States, and reserved her
own inherent sovereign power to regulate com
merce, what might not at this day, have been the
amount Of her wealth and influence She might
have We'd with Now York ITSELF and even surpos-
sed it in opn'enCe. All this she had given up
given it upto this Governncnt-not to be neg
lected, bu, to he used for the public good Of The
whole.
Could it ever have been designed, by The frnm-
ers of the Constitution, that such power as this
was TO lie dormant to reulnin inert? Wus it
ever anticipated, Ivy those enlightened ard high.
souled in3n, that ~ American Congress, either
| from nervous tinlidity or from sutur political
dread, should be niGnnly icn:Gul Of exercising
power so great, but salutary, aud 10 slcer them.
selves from iut and manly responsibility, would
resort to rayngng Sic resources OF the individual
Statcs? would live by Withholding from them
| That which is Their own? Gould any Of those
venerable iaihcrs of the Republic conceive that
the NATIONAL Legislature would throw open the
ports OF the country TO the wines and GrnHdies of
| Europe, GdD them dtiy tree. nnh supply tie
place of the dnties they ought to have levied, by
turning round upon the virgin soil, that was the
just property AMI nheriience Of the States? Did
either the letter or HE spirit and genius Of the
Constitution ever look In such II result? II this
question was answered in the negative, then all
would be conceded that Mr. J. asked for to Sc
cure the votes Of the committee for the bill upon
their table.
! Mr.. j. knew the difficulties that might be ex-
pecicd to arise in the course of the discussion.
There were hut few of them he should be dispus-
ed TO reply 10. One objection would, doubtless,
be, tlIut the statute boo proclaimed this every
where and therefore the legislation of Congress
must be made 10 conform TO them. The bill
would be denounced us Gu Innovation; and the
cominittec would have many solemn warGing 10
he cautious how they disturbed what was now The
established usage OF this Government But Mr..
J. would appeal 10 the history OF the past. lie
would abstain from opening the book and quoting
chapter after chapter, and section after section,
because he addressed AN audience who were well
informed in The history Of their country bot il
tho necessity shcnld I've forced upon him, he should
ass an hour to support himself by record eyd
cncc Gentlemen would cry out innovation, hut
there was no novelty IN it. They would say it
went 10 vioiaie the settled policy Of the Govern
ment; that it WAS the introduction Of new
in orr political history and that il was inviting
the States To- pradigality. Now this was nj oblcc-
rion Mr.. J. would answer NJ once, aud the an
swcr would al the same time be a reply 10 anoth-
or objection and This would lie killing TWO birds
with one stone. The other objection WAS, that
the distribution proposed by the bill would occa-
sion increase OF The revenue. Before he
touched this question, he would lay it down us Il
cardinal fundamental principle, an axiom that was
interviewer with ctr Constitution, laws policy
aud Legislative duty; and it was this: Congress is
bound 10 exercise Tie power conhdsd TO it Tor The
support Of Tie General Government in ell It's
wants, necessities, aud requirements. Measure
your wauls-asecrtain whether they are ten mill
ions or twenty mnns--and nhcn the amount
WINS known. then they were bound, rs trustees
for the People, to exercise the rights and atrl-
hutes which had been entrusted to their hands
Who would deny this /? hir. J. was not to be a
larmed by forced arguments. lie assumed posi-
tons heie without regard to the bearings they
might have toward the North, the South, the East
or the West. He had said that the position he
had assumed in regard 10 the bill inferred no argu
ment in favor of protective duties, but he did 20
for duties for revenue and he contcnded that he
measure of this revenue was TO be found in the
wants, the moderate and legitimate wants of the
Government lie asked every gentleman who
heard him, come he from the North or the WesI,
The east or the South, or from the centre, whether
he could deny or attempt to comrovert That prin-
ciple Well, that WINS Mr.. Us position that
he was willing 10 rest the fate OF this bill.
Bur, In ecne back TO the point from which he
had wandered. Ii would no doubt he grnyely
urged that if the House shall pass this bill It will
be departure iiom the fixed policy Of the Gov
ernmemt. The proceeds of'the sales of The pub
lie Iards never yet had been distributed among
the States; and now, after having travelled in
one ron for tlliy years, we were TO strike out in
to new path 1t 10 this point he claimed
the uitentioR OF the committee. il would he said
that, according 10 all the paet history and the
laws of this Government, the public lands had
been held as public fund.- belonging TO lhe Gov
eminent, and merged in lie general aggregate re-
venue 10 he applied TO its general purpose ant
wants Mr. j. admitted the fact. but he did no
conccde 10 The conclusion which gentlemen
would attempt to draw from it. What were The
iacls Of The case? Let gentlemen turn bach
their recollection 10 out early history Wher III,
revolutionary wnr had terminated in The indie
pendence of the Union, the Congress Of the Uni
red Slaes assembled, being clothed by the Con
s,tuon with all the high a,ribMes of nationa
sovereignty. " hat was lis first act and its frs
duty? Did il adopt the wrelched policy OF op
pressing and harassng the States which were
then in debt, some gentlemen we've disposed
now TO do simply for the reason that the State
are in debt? No (; il was foreign rom their pur
pose Let gentlemen read the documents; lie
them refer hat immortal report IF the Secrela
ry of lie Treasury in 1870. 1t not then bel,
to he the national policy 10 suffer The power Il
raise and collect Il revenue 10 lie Dormant am
useless in The hands of Congress. il was not thc
held patriotic or democratic to Cypress aud EN-
harrnss the Slate Governments. Congress locke
kindly upon them. II regarded them with q pa
rental eye. Tie General Government resolved Il
assume the debts OF the States, aud TO use th
public nnds as fund 10 liquidae those debts.
Ard NOW lei not gentlemen on either SIDE OF tn
House say BECAUSE Mr.. }. stated aud CONNER d.
ed Ibis conduct on the part OF The first Congress
thar therefore he was in favor OF II like assunp.
ton ut the present time. lie proe. eel ~ AIMS
any such inference he had no such purpose
Ills purpose was simply 10 show that the Goycrn
mem did theR assume the State debts aud ina
the public domain, by consent of the States, wen
into general fund, 10 lqudaie their debts. M
j. would not low read even an extract fonl tl
elaborate arguments whlrh had been brough
forward by he able hnauciers OF TINT day Lu
he found that Congress caine 10 This result. The,
assumed in behalf Of New Hampshire debt o
100000; Of Massachusetts, Si,0U00J0 ol Rhod
Island, S200000 ni sew York, $220000Oi o
New Jersey, $5000G0 of pcnn>, yaniu, 1900,
000 of Delaware, S200,000 of Maryland. 5000,
000 OF Virginia, Si3,5O0G0 of Moth Carolina
50, 400, 600; Of South Carolina, S4,OOO,OOO (dC
the committee heal ? Four nilioas for S0ut
! I,.oI;no "A of Georgin s3O0 Coo Nny Nh,