, 1841-10-30
SPEECH OF MIR. CALHOUN.
OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
In Senate Of the United States August %,
l84l On the Distribution Bill.

ICoNCLUpEn.I
The portion that might tall to the States
not indebted. or those not deeply so. would
probably for the most part be pledged as a
fund on which to make new loans for new
schemes similar to those for which the exist
ing State debts were contracted. 1t NAV
not be applied so ut first: but such wonid
most likely be tie APPLICATION on the fir;
swell Of the tide "f expansion. Supposinc
one half of the whole sunI Ia he derived
from the lands sh uld b" So applied: estIn1q-
ting the income from that source at FIVE NIL
lions, the half would furnish the basis of a
new debt of forty or fifty millions. Stock
TO that amount wonld he created. would find
Its wav to fnreign markets: and would turn.
as other stocks az like kind have, in swelling
the tide of imports in the first instance, but
in the end by dinishing them To m amount
equal to the interest on the sum borrowed,
and cutting off in the same proportion the
permanent revenue from the customs:-and
this, when the wi,ole support of the Govern
meat is abou. Ia he thrown exclusively IN
the foreign o. the country. So
much for the permanent: effects in a financial
view. of this measure.
The sweIiinr nf the :i.ic "f imports, in the
frs, instance, from the loans. would len ~ J
CORRESPONDING flush Of revenue. and that TO
extravagant~ expenditures. To be fhllowed by
embarrassment OF the Treasury. and a glut
of goods. which would bring on Il correspond
ing pressure on the manufactures; when my
friend from Massachusetts. (Mr. Biies.I and
other Senators from that quarter, wou'd cry
out for additional protection. I'd guard against
the necessary consequences oil the very mea-
lures they are now so urgently pressing
through the Senate. Such would be the
consequences of this measure, regarded as
one of finance, and in reference to its inter-
nal operatinn. 1t is not possible but that
such a measure, so unequal and unjust be-
tween State and State. section and section
-be,ween those who live by their own
means and industry, and those who live or
exoec, to live on the public crIb-would add
greatly to that discord and strife within. and
weakness without, which is necessarily con-
,eouent on the entire system OF measures OF
which il forms a part.
But its mischievous effects on the exterior
relations Of the country would not be limited
IN IT'S indirect consequences. There 1t would
st,i ike a direct and deadly blow, by with
drawing entirely from the defences OF the
C0lntTV ONE u VIC l"o '"iN~
nue. and that much the most permanent and
growing. Ii is now in the power OF Con,
Dress TO pledge permanently this great and
increasing fund to that Important obJect-to
completing the system OF foriIhca'Ions. and
building. equipping. and maintaining a gallant
aavy. II was proposed to strike out the
whole bill; to expunge the detes,ed project
of distributions; and to substitute IN Its place
the revenue from the public lands, asa per
manent fund, sacred to the deiences OF the
country. And from what quarter did tins
,.,r;otic and truly s~tatesmanlike proposition
Come, From the far and gallant west; from
sS.nator (Mr. Linn of a State the most re-
mots from the ocean, and secure from dan
,.r. And by whom was it voted down!
Strange to tell, by Senators from maratim'
States-Sta,es most exposed, and having TIT
de.nest interest in the measure defeated b,
their own representatives, on tins noor.-'
Wonde1ful as it may seem, louisiana, Mis-
.;ss;nni. Georgia. and South Carolina, eacl
u.ve a vote against it. North Carolina, VII
1;n;a. MARYLAND, Delaware, and New Jerse,
g.. .,,h Two votes against it. New Yori
mo. and everv vote from New Ems
~, hu, two from New Hampshire and on
from Maine. was cast against II.
Be i remembered in all after times tina
these votes from States so exposed and nav
ing so deep an interest in the defence OF IN
GENTRY, were cast in favor OF distribution +
Of giving eratuitously a large portion OF w
fund from the public domain to wealthy Br
fish CAPITALISTS, and against the proposition
for applying it permanently to The sacre
nurpose of defending their own shores iror
insult and danger. How strange that Ne,
York and New England, with their hundred
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