, 1841-10-23
WHOLE NUMBER As 8.

ore SUCCEEDED Dy the CdiIu VI QespOttSu1y u0O
that not till the spirits Of our patriotic and
immortal ancestors. who achieved our inde-
pendence and established our glorious polisi-
cal system, shall become extinct and their
descendants a base ond sordld rabble. Till
then, or till our opponents shall be expelled
from power, and their hope Of restoring and
maintaining their system Of measures is bias
ted, the struggle will be continued, the tran
guilty and harmony of the country be dis
turbed, end the strength and resources Of
the Government be wasted within, and its
dr:iss r ca'eci- wi. =.
But, OF all the measures which constitute
this pernicious system, there is not one more
subversive of tic objects for which the Gov
eminent was instituted-none more destruc-
tive OF harmony within, and security without,
than that now Under consideration. Its d.
rect tendency is TO universal discord and DIS
traction; to array the new States against the
old, the non-indeb,ed against the indebted,
the staples against the manufacturing; one
class against another; and finally, the people
against the Government. Bet | pass these.
My object is not to trace political conse-
quences; but to discuss the financial bearings
Of this measure, regarded in reference to
what ought to he the policy Of the Govern
ment; which trust | nave satisfactorily shown
ought TO be, to Turn lis attention, energy, and
resources from within 10 without,-to its ap.
propriate and exclusive sphere,-ihat Of guar
ding against danger from abroad; giving free
scope and protection to our and
navigation, and that elevated standing TO
The country, TO which it is so fairly entitled
in the family Of nations. Ii becomes, neces-
sary to repeat, preparatory 10 what | pro-
pose. that the object OF this measure is 10
withdraw the venue from The public land
Treasury OF tie Union. to lie divided among
the States; that the probable annual amount
that would be so drawn would average the
next ten years not less than FIVE millions Of
dollars and that, TO make up the deficit, az
equal sum must be laid on the Imports
Such is the measure. regarded IS one Of
finance; and the question is, would /, be just,
wise, e~xpadieu,, considered in its bearings
on what ought 10 be the policy Of the Gov
eminent!
The measure on its face is bat q surrender
O! one Of tic two sources of the revenue 10
The States, TO lie divided among them in pro-
portion 10 their joint delegation in the two
Houses of Congress, and 10 impose a burden
10 an equal amount on the imports; that IS,
on the foreign IN OF the country. In
every view can take. il is prepos,erous, une-
quail, and unjust. Regarded in its more
favorable aspect-ihat is on the supposition
that the reople of each State would paw
hack TO the Treasury of the Union, through
the tax on the imports. in order 10 make up
the deficit. Il sum equal 10 that received by
the State as its distnbuiive share; and that
...I -. 1.,,l,,I .-z1l -
amount equal in proportion to what he paid
of the taxes. what would that be, but the fol-
ly Of giving with enc hand, and taking back
with the other! 1t would, in fact, be worse.
The expense Of giving and taking back must
be paid ;nr, which in this case, would be one
not Il little expensive and troublesome. The
expense of collecting the duties on imports
is known to he about ten per cent; to which
must be added the expense and trouble of
distribution, with The loss Of the use Of tho
money while the process is going on, which
may re fairly estimated at i've per cent. ad-
dition; making in all twelve per cent. for the
cost Of the process. 1t follows that the
people Of the States, in order TO return back
TO the Treasury Of the Union an amount e.
quail 10 the sum received by distribution,
would have each TO pay, by the supposition,
twelve per cent. more of taxes than his share
Of the sum distributed. That sum (eaual to
SIX hundred thousand dollars on five m~illiousI
would 60 to the collectors of the taxes tho
customs house ofiicers-fu fox their share Of
the public spoilS.
But it is still! worse. It is unequal and un-
Just, as well as foolish. and absurd. The
case supposed would no; be the real state of
the facts. Il would be scarcely possible so
TO arrange Il system Of taxes, under, which
the people of each State would pay back a
sum just equal 20 that received; much less
the tax should fail on each individual ia
The State, in the same proportion that he
would receive the sum distributed 10 the State,
But. if this be possible, it is certain that no
system of taxes on imports especially tho
bill sent from the other House-can make
such equalization. So far iIom that, I haz-
,ard nothing in asserting that the staple States
pay into the Treasury, under lis ope:
ration. three times as much as they would
on an average by the distribution,
nd some OF them far more; while the manu-.
acturinG States, if we are toiudse from their
IN favor of the I'LL. The dutieS n nrono,..