Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-10-25
lIhir vs.. Uhio!,

uImf LeGgue.-Ne give place To-Day, 10 the report
Ja.e2h Blunt, Esq to the Home League and would
4 ,. p.icular attention to his admirable remarks on
49, ,Liec Of the duties of the General Government in
,.on to the Indebtedness of the States. The time Is
4 Il tlr distant when every election IN every state IN
Ne lnion, will turn upon this question; and so GER
the 1merieaa people honest and patriotic, SO
,..G,aIy 1tuu thtu compel Me Geaerm G0eernmsm TO
~ he aid of The embarrassed Suites IhePtope nho
.ute tie States the rery people acho constitute me
.,eI Governments and this creature Of their ae,H
~ je tauyht that ii may not rife n'th Tie interests
nj iagrintsS Of its masters. Members ot Congress
I'M l.. iaurht The wholesome lesson that because they
uc,,ye!g constitute the General Legislature, they
- no, relieved from the duty which rs individual
n ,nbers lhsy owe 10 their immediate constituents
y mus, and will be pade TO feel, that the General
.ernment has interests separate and distinct from
m interests Of the States and the people whose humble
,ot, was intended to be- and when this time arrives,
We public domain Will promptly be resored TO, to re-
eye the EXISTING embarrassment OF the States which
new presses SO heavily upon the people"
IA y. Courier, Oct IL
Such is becoming the doctrine of the Wing party,
md II Is founded upon the grossest error, viz that
people who constitute the States, also constitute
III G.nera Government, and that the General Co
eminent the mere creature Of their will, must con
.a the interests and happiness of lis masters. But
The .ct -. the General and State Governments are
.unGsG upon d fierent bases. The Federal Govern
-n, Is formed by the people as States, and the State
Governments BY the people, as the people and, what IS
,si.!ly true IS that they are created for different pur
poses. The Federal Government do nothing, but
STAT specItied-can exercise no power, but what IS
,nled. Ii has consequently no power 10 promote the
interest and happiness o! the people, or OF the people
c the States, unless in the mode pointed out by the
Constitution. Has it then the power to assume the
.-.;s Of the States Can il either raise money by
;lI 10 pay their debts sell the lands Of the Union
70: Tie separate benefit of the several States, and
5-,OrI give them the proceeds of the public lands,
slen the United States wants the money itself TO pay
;soSn debts, and discharge it's own expenses, and
nus compel il TO raise money by taxes 10 supply the
r.ce OF the money raised from the public lands
Ss VIVA, said Mr.. Clay himself in his speech on the
Land bill in 1882 -(As quoted by the Valley Star.)
"n making this enquiry, (saId Mr.. Clay the first
5.esion which presents itself is whether ii IS expedl-
-at to preserve the existing duties in order to accumu
e surplus in the Treasury for The purpose Of subse-
caeu, distribution among the several States. think
hot Ii the collection for the purpose OF such surplus
. be made from the pockets Of one portion of the
fyope 10 be ultimately returned to the same pock
es the process would be attended with the certain
s, ARISING from The charges Of collection, and 10Th
d, loss also of the interest whilst the money is
performing the necessary circuit, and would therefore
IA unxise Fit is 10 be collected from portion of
e people and given 10 another It would be unjust. IL
10 De gr.n TO 10 the States IN their corporate ca
g.iiy to he used by them in their public expenditures,
.ao Of principle in the Constitution which author
@ the States of any principle CT safety or proprie-
shch admits Of the States becoming the recipients of
slfh eratuity from the General Government"
There cannot be grosser heresy, than TO say, that
'sc4use members Of the II. Of r. elected by the
People they ore therefore, bound promote the inter
SIS Of their Constituents, in any way they please
~, the whole theory Of the Federal Government is
ferent They only promote the interests of their
Immediate Constituents Qor the States are not their
Consiituen,s) in the way the Constitution specifies
ea1 the same rule applies also to the SENATORS, who
AZ elected by the State Legislatures.
The y. Y journal Of Commerce" hits the true nail
aqon the head IN The following article:
"AssuNPrioS OF STATE DEBrs.-lt would hardly be
~'i'a whle to argue against absurd proposition
. The assumption OF the Stale debts by the General
Government, (Which has much Indebtedness of its
osn as II can conveniently dispose of were il not
HAT certain papers which hold a somewhat prominent
stand as party organs, soberly advocating the mea
sue Possibly they may think that the advocacy of
assumption will be popular with majority of the
psope, and that thus political capital may be made
cut OF IT. But in this they greatly Mistaken or We
are The vote in Congress at The last session, which
was nearly unanimous against assumption, 49, We be.
IcTe fair exponent OF the will Of the people Some
may be luduced to favor the measure, from desire TO
place the country position 10 require, for an indie
A.''e period, The highest duties upon imports which
eau be- collected. But here, too, the people un
fleslonably in The negative. Such duties are ne
cessary Tor an economical administration OF the Go.
'ernment, and for the gradual extinction of the eS
sting debt, the people are doubtless in favor Of but
not o gathering the results of State improvdence and
os rolling Several Of the States are entirely free
rom debt; is probable they will consent 10 assume,
either IN whole in part, the debts of those States
h'ch are bankrupt: Surely not The assumption Of
Safe debts the close Of the revolutionary war, has
been appealed to as precedent. But the two cases
he wholly unlike. Those debts only were assumed
Which had been incurred directly for the national be-
nr't 1t was in effect repayment of money, &c. ad-
'anced by the States achieve the national ndepend
nee. When any such debts found to exist,
y all means let them be assumed and paid by the ma
on- But not debts which have been created for pur
O.es Of local aggrandisement without consulting the
''t'on These must be paid by the parties who con-
rac,ed them