The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-03-26

cQuacy oil ~ oil duty To yield revenue
enough for the wants of the Government without the
aid OF the Land fund.- has been notice to all the States
that they could not expect under existing crcumstan
ces, TO receive any dividend from this fund That pro-
yiso, il is well known here MIR President, most es-
sental and vital part Of the law and was, 10 truth the
sole condition OF It's passage through this body.
am free 10 say, in regard To myself that II was tue
sine qua Of my vote for il, and declared at
the time, The very principles, then, ON when tue
law was enacted, seem 10 me To require reauy assent
on all Sides TO the suspension OF It's operation under
existing circumstances But above all, the honor OF
the country, the preservation OF the pubic credi IN
condition of affairs every way so CRITICAL overruies
all other considerations and will bring us, trust, To
unite in dey citing his fund, for the present, TO tue
high and holy purpose of protecting the national faith
from being tafnished-an object IN which all whether
States individuals or the Union, have deep and
equal interest.
do not propose, Mr. President, a repeal of the
Distribution law would suspend it only, 50 Long
the present financial condition of The country shall
continue and until the payment OF the public debt Is
effected | would leave the law upon the statute
book TO revive in force whenever the obstruction To
lis operation presented 10y the present state OF things,
shall have ceased. There are many reasons which
have time 10 enter into, why the public lands
should not be noked 10 an habltual sourceo cur
rent revenue They were not 81 contemplated AT the
time Of their cession they treated Us such,
as have already shown, when The foundations OF
our fiscal system were on gihaly established AT
both of ihos epots their true function and estina-
lion were understood 10 be- 10 as basis OF pub
lie credit, during the existence of a national debt
When the debt of the nation shall have been
discharged, and when there shall be sufficient
revenue To the Of the Government arising
from equitable and unoppresslye tarih OF duties on
foreign imports, distribution oil their proceeds
among the States will be found an, persuaded, 10
use an expression of General Jackson. to be "the
most wise Just and federal" disposition of thcm-the
most beneficial and useful in itself, and the most in
harmony with Tire genius Of our Federative system
When Mr.. President, this Indispensable provision
shall have been made for the support of public credit
an for the payment Of the public debt, leaving the
ultimate destination Of the public lands, at pre-
sent settled by the Distribution law, unchanged we
shall then be in situation to adjust more wisely and
carefully the foundations of general sys-
tenn depending upon the duties on foreign imports.
am fully aware Of the many high and delicate consi-
derations involved in right adjustment of this sys-
TEN; and for one, beg leave TO say that, whenever
the subject shall up, shall he prepared to act,
as trust have always acted upon 1t, in a catholic
and national spirit, looking with fraterna regard, 10
the interests and just claims of every portion OF our
great confederacy shall be as unwilling to soc any
great branch Of the national industry, in Massachu-
sets Connecticut New York or Pennsy lvania, pros
tra,ed injured, as would be to see any supposed
peculiar interest Of my own State sacrificed assallcd
Indeed, have looked upon the various parts of
our happy and glorious U mon as forming but fam
lily, having, in all essential respects, one common mite
ret The very diverstes and local pccuiarites, which
disne nj several parts, and in which have
Of dlscord and collision, have ever APP
pcaed 10 me to lie many additional bonds of union
In the relations of industry and commerce, they
thus made mutual customers to supply each others
necessities instead of rirdlS interfering with each
others pursuits The Northern States are 10y nature
manufacturing and navigating communities. The
Southern planting States, afording in the heavy
and coarser products Of their soil employment for the
navigation, and raw materials for the industry, of
their Northern neighbors, while they consume, in
their turn many ofthe fncr products IF he skill and
labor Of the North. In like manner, the Eastern
States the Atlantic border are, by their posi-
ton, commercial, while the interior States of the
West are, for the most part, farming and graz
ing communities, thus, too, adapted, by the. d-
versity Of their situation and pursuits to interchange
their respective commodities and productions, and to
be auxiliary to the supply of each others wants The
different sections Of the confederacy are, in this
ner, dore-ailed into each by cunning joinery of
ture, which far transcends the policy or the wisdom
of man. never look back to the Farewell Address
Of the Father of his Country and read that almost in
spired passage, in which he points out striking
ly these provdenal arrangements, in the geographic
cal conformation of territory for the preservation
Of our Union, without feeling steadiast confidence
in the destines of glorious coniederacy and men
tally excaiming, what God and Nature have joined
together, let combination OF men attempt
to put asunder."
Disposed thus, by the habtual bent of my feelings
to render equal justice to every portion OF our
mon country, have no nfeXble attachment to mere
~
All legislation, and especially commercial legislation,
is a practical thing. | believe free trade 10 be the
true policy of all nations, and cannot doubt that
each would find its highest advantage in it, if all
would adopt it. But while large majority Of the
nations of the earth seek to build up the peculiar ine
rests of their national labor and production by
gulations of restriction and exclusion, other nations
must shape their policy in greater or less degree,
as to shield themselves from the effects of this
selfish and anti-socia system. If other nations
shutu ms ont frDm The
auctions of industry, naturally seek to
indemnify ourselves by market at home, SO
far as it be fostered by wise just and moderate
commercial regulations which shall respect the equal
rights and interests of the various parts Of own
country, But no wise or just legislator should seek
to build up the interests OF one portion OF the country
or class OF the community, at the expense or to
the injury OF another portion OF class. The golden
rule, then, is moderation, which conciates and
unes the interests of ALL without violating the rights
of any and the object TO be aimed at, in every such
system of policy, should be 10 assist the spontaneous
developments and tendencies Of the natural order of
things, and not to force or to attempt to control
them by purely artificial regulation have already
referred TO the natural relations and pursuits of The
different portions of the Confederacy, indicated in
its physical conformation, and how in the order of
proyldential arrangement, they designed to be
auxiliary to the supply of each others wants, and to be
mutual customers instead Of ripais Let beware lest
by too much regulation disturb and break up this
friendly and harmonious arrangement of nature
That its development may be assisted to certain
extent, and to the common advantage of all, by
wise system of policy, do not deny but if that pol
icy should be carried far as to give undue
agement to any particular branch Of national indus
try manufactures, for exampe,) is it not perceived
that the effort will be to break up the natural and
friendly relation of mutual customers which ought
to exist between the different divisions of The coniede-
racy and to substitute in its place the conflicting and
jealous of ripais solicited into the same field OF
employment by the undue encouragement given to the
favored branch of industry.
Moderation alone affords the happy means by which
unpleasant collisions Of every may he averied in
the adjustment of these delicate quest ons and it is be-
the spirit of wise moderation presided over the
compromise of 1888, and because stability of esisla
ton, 50 essential TO the prosperity of every indus
trous pursuit, would be most eiectualy secured by