The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1841-01-01

Government will speedily discharge, and
without the agency of National Bank.
If this view of the proceedings of the
government, for the period it embraces,
be warranted by the facts as they are
known 10 exist; if the army and navy
have been sustained to the full extent
by law, and which Congress
deemed sufficient for the defence of the
country and the protection of its rights
and It's home /; if It's civil and diplomatic
service has been equally sustained, ii
ample provision has been made for the
administration of justice and the execution
of the laws; If the claim upon public
gratitude in behalf Of the soldiers OF the
revolution have been promptly met, and
faithfully discharged if there have been
no failures in delraying the very large
expenditures growing out of that long
continued and salutary policy Of peaceful
ly removing the Indians TO regions Of
comparative safety and prosperity if the
public faith has at all times, and every
where, been most scrupulously maintain
cd by prompt discharge OF the numer-
Gus, extended, and diversified claims on
the Treasury if all these great and per-
manent objects, with many others that
might be stated, have, for series Of
years, marked by peculiar obstacles and
difficulties, been successfully accomplish
ed without resort to a permanent debt
or the aid of national bank /; have we
not right 10 expect that policy, the
object Of which has been to sustain the
public service independently of either of
these fruitful sources Of discord, will re-
ceiye the final sanction of people whose
unbiessed and fairly elected judgment
upon public affairs is never ultimately
wrong!
That embarrassments in the pecunary
concerns Of individuals, of unexampled
extent and duration, have recently existed
IN this rs III other commercial nations, is
undoubtedly true. 10 suppose it neccs-
sary now to trace these revcrses to their
sources, would be reflection on the in
teIligcnce of my fellow citizens. What
ever may have been the obscurity in
which the subject was involved during
the earlier stages of the revision, there
cannot now be many by whom the whole
question is not fully understood.
.. Il Il
al power of the general government to
repair private losses sustained by reverses
in business having no connection with
the public service, either by direct APP
from the treasury, or by spc-
cial legislation designed to secure exclu-
siyo privileges and immunitics TO indivi-
duals or classes in preference to, and at
the expense of, the great majority neces-
sarlly Gebarred from any participation in
them, no attempt TO do so has been either
made, recommended, or encouraged, T.;
The The present Executive,
II is believed, however, that the great
purposes for the attainment of which the
federal government was instituted have
not been lost sight of. lntrustcd only
with certain limited powers, cautiously
enumerated, distinctly specified and de-
fined with a precision and ciearncss which
would seem to defy mi5consiruction, it
has been my constant aim to conhne my
self within the limits so clearly marked
out, and so carefully guardcd.-llaying
always been Of opinion that the best pre-
of the union of the states is to
be found in total abstinence from the
exercise of all doubtful powers on the
part of the federal government, rathar
than in attempts to assume thom by n
loose construction of the constitution, or
an ingenious pervcrsion of its words,
have endcavorcd to avoid recommending
any measure which | had reason to ap-
prehend would, in the opinion even of
considerable minority of my fellow cit-
zens, be regarded as rorcnching on the
rights of the states, or the provisions of
the hallowed instrument of our Union.
Viewing the aggregate powers OF the fed
cral government as voluntary concession
of the states, it seemed to me that such
only should be exercised as were at the
time intended to be given.
l have been strengthened too, in the
propriety of this course, by the conviction
that all efforts to go beyond this tend to
produce dissatisfaction and Iistrust, 10
excite jealousics and to provoke rcsis-
lance. Instead of adding strength to the
federal government, even when success
full, they must ever prove source OF IN
durable weakness, by alternating portion
Of those whose adhesion is indispensable
to the great aggregate of united strength,