Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-07-12
VOL. 35, NO. 43-WHoLE NO. 1912.

the darkest hours OF the Revolution, had stood
forth us the champion Of The public ands and Of
the public liberty? Deceived and betrayed told
by the General Government to enlarge The width
and increase the depth of her grent canal and
make il highway for the national ordnance:
and, when she had done it, reproached by her with
her own embarrassment. She asked no more
now than she had forty years ago. She had
claimed then her own fair proportion of the pub
lie domain, and she claimed it still Would this
Government tell her that it was afraid to raise a
revenue by laying n tax on French wines and
French silks, while France was exOcting duties at
the rate of thousand per cent. on her tobacco
Would this Government answer her, "Go, cruci-
fy your citizens with tax upon tax, drain them of
their last dollar, and if tIgt will not do, sell your
State by the Sheriff."
Would gentlemen tell him that Maryland must
stand still and let the General Government prey
upon her substance, and fatten the wine growers
of France by receiving into her ports seventy
millions of dollars worth Of goods duty freet
while her own people we're oppressed and rninedI
Mr.. J. warned gentlemen to reflect well before
tliry placed such states as Maryland and Pennsy-
vnllia in position like this. He would whisper
IN their ears that the days OF 1870 might come
round again. But he would not press u topic
like lhis he would say to gentlemen, give us eur
dues, and, that you may do so, exercise your own
rights, properly and manfutly. To sport with tho
interests OF powerful md sovereign States was
me way 10 produce TehCtlOU WHICH all must Ia
ment 10 witness. There was a potential nhu-
cnee, he might say an omnpoience, in public
opinion. 1t overrode all metaphysics and il
would act in conformity With the spirit and gen-
ius of our free Constitution. Mr.. j. hoped never
to see the ultimate position assumed young as he
was in public life, and obscure and Inefficient as
he might be that floor, none had been more
efficient in keeping off question which lay in
the rear of this, and which must, and which
would, come up If the States were refused what
thcy had n right 70 demand. AT the Gate of the
Constitution, the whole imporiatlons of lhe I'M
ion were hardly a tithing Of the amount, Which.
now entered our ports duty free. Yet even then
the Government nble 10 liquidae all the debts
of the States, and still to grow and to flourish aa
no nation ever had grown and fOurished, until
she became the Western gait--an asylum Tor the
world, tho terror OF tyrunis, and the wonder OF
every nation on the globe And was Congress ut
tins day to be scared at exactng less than ii exact
ed then? Then it was required to pay The debts
of all the States, principal and interest Now il
was only asked to distribute the pubic lands, and
the Suites would take care of all their own en-
gagemens. Was this scare crow to be hoiseq
up before the House? Was this a thiog 10 Fright
en- Government that admitting linO the
| coupiry seventy one millions worth OF goods du
| ty free Because gentlemen asked the Govern
ment TO distribute three millions year among the
States, were they 10 be told that they were OPP
pressing md grinding down the People OF the
United States With revenue of hardly seven
millions, the Government had assumed the debts
of all the States it had paid those debts it had
paid off the whole debt of the Revolution: it had
paid off the debt OF second war: it had popu-
lation of seventeen millions, and free imports 10
The amount of seventy -one millions, and yet it
was to he scared ut the thought OF distributing
three millions among all the States Mr.. J..
could never believe that the South would be quite
SO sktish as all that. He knew that ingenuity
would be taxed for arguments, and lie knew the
power of impassioned eoquence, but sill he
thought that he could not so lar have mistaken
this Congress tina, ,hoy to La alq"nnI
of their sobriety and seifpossession by ghosts
| ike these.
| Mr.. }. without cnncluding) here gave way to a
motion that the committee rse
! Which molten prevailing, the committee rose,
reported progress, and obtained leave TO si again.