The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1841-07-06
Extract from Mr.: ". Cost Johnson's Speech

Extract from Mr.: ". Cost Johnson's Speech
on the Land Bill
He looked at the Constitution as it stood,
and there he found the power to lay taxes.
duties, and imposts while the States had no
resources to meet their necessities but that of
direct taxation within their own limits.
The General Government having been es-
tablished by the States, was omnipotent over
commerce buf if The States had refused to
adopt the Constitution how great would have
been the power derived TO many of them from
this source New York collected now, nearly
one. third of the revenues of the whole Union.
How many such canals and railroads as she
had made or was now constructing might she
then have created At pleasure Tier revenue
from commerce would have built up such an
empire as could not have been competed with
by all the other States united. Boston could
have done something of the sdme kind though
on a lesser scale and Philadelphia, instead
of being burdened, as now, with a load Of in
ternal taxes and coming here claiming pin-
ful share in the Western lands, would have
been the emporium ofthe whole West, and the
mistress ofthc Atlantic ?
And then. to come TO his own beloved Mary
land had she retained the power of taxing
commerce, how would she have spnrned the
thought Of asking the aid Of this Government
for hor great works of internal communication?
Those taxes would have made her independent
of all external aid. She might have entered
the valy of the Mississippi, and poured the
riches of the West upon her great Atlantic
cities, and among all her enterprisine popula'
ton. Had Richmond anil Norfolk the own
ership of the duties on foreign and domestic
commerce, what lofty pride would they
have scorned the thought of coming and asking
Of this Government, to whom they had given
an empire, 10 do the act of justice, equity and
sound policy which was proposed to be effected
by the present bill
And might not the same be said with equal
truth Of South Carolina and Georgia What
an immense power had the States thus surren-
dercd up 10 the General Government for the
general welfare True, that Government
might, from timdiiy or some narrow views of
policy. refuse 10 exercise The power but the
power Itself was omnipetent; it was high,
transccndentaI attribute of sovereignty figures
could moi estimate il. And, after the States
had thus forsorne 10 retain power that would
have been 10 them like The touch Of the enchan-
ter, filling their colf,rs with gold at will ought
the General Government. 10 whom they conf
ded the formidable trust, to for6ear TO exercise
it for the supply of its own wants, AMI prey like
a vampire on the property Of the States which
had created it
Had little Rhode Island that star of the ocean
refused 10 join The confederacy of States, and
reserved her own inherent sovereign power to
regulate commerce, what might not, at this
dav, have been the amount of her wealth and
Influence? She might have We'd with New
York ITSELF and even surpassed il in opuence.
All this she had given up 10 tie Government
not 10 be neglected, but 10 be used for the pub.
lie good of the whole.
Could it ever have been designed, by the
trainers Of the Constitution, that such a power
as tAis vas to lie dormant-to remain merit
Was it ever anticipated. by those enlightened
and high.soued men, that an American Con-
gress, either from nervous timdity or from
some political dread, should be meanly fearful
of exercising power so great, but salutary,
and, to shelter themselves from Just and manly
responsibility, would resort TO ravaging the
resources of the individual States would live
by Withholding from them that which is their
own!
Could any one of those venerable fathers of
the Republic conceive that the National Leg.
islature would throw open the ports of the coun.
Try 10 the wines and Srandies of Europe, admit
them free. and supply the place of the duties
they ought 10 have levied, by turning round
npon the virgin soil, that was the just property
and inheritance of the States Did either the
letter or the spirit and genius of the Constilu-
ton ever look to such result? If this ques
lion was answered in the negative, then all
would be conceded that Mr.. J. asked for, TO
secure the votes of the committee for the bill
upon their table.
REBELLfoN AT CAMBRIDGE Boston