The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-03-26

consideration Of the Senate is of the highest mpor
lance Its adoption carry with IT no disappoint-
ment To the States. The proviso in the Distribution
law, which made its operation to depend on the adj
equacy OF 20 per cent rate of duty TO yield revenue
enough Tor 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 clrcumstan
ces To receive any dividend from this fund That pro-
yiso, il is well known here MIR President most es-
seniial and vital part of the law and was IN ruihhe
sole condition of lis passage through Tins body
am free la say in regard 10 myself that IL was 'he
SINE qua of my vote for 1t, and SO declared al
the time The very principles, then, on which the
law enacted seem to me 10 require ready assent
all sides the suspension of It's operation, under
existing circumstances. But above all, the honor OF
the country the preservation OF the public credit IN
condition of affairs every way so CRITICAL overrules
all other considerations and will bring trust to
unite in deyoting his fund, for the present. to the
high and holy purpose of protecting the national faith
from being tarnished-an object in which ALL whether
States, individuals, or the Union, have deep and
equal interest.
1 do not propose, Mr.. President a repeal of the
Distribution law. l would suspend only, SO long
as the present financial condition of the country shall
continue, and until the payment of the public debt is
elected. would leave the law upon the statute
book to revive in force whenever the obstruction to
its operation presented by the present state of things
shall have ceased. There many reasons which
have not time to enter into why the public lands
should not be Looked to habitual source of cur
time of their cession were they treated as such,
as have already shown, when the foundations of
our fiscal system were originally established. Al
both of those epochs their true function and desna-
ton understood to be, to basis of pub
lie credit, during the existence of national debt
When the debt of the nation shall have been
discharged, and when there shall be sufficient
revenue meet the wants of the Government arising
from equitable and unoppressive tariff of duties on
foreign imports, a distribution of their proceeds
am he W | To
use an expression of General Jackson, TO be " the
most wise just and federal" disposition of them-the
most beneficial and useful in itself, and the most in
harmony with the genius of our Federative system.
When Mr.. President, this indispensable provision
shall have been made for the support of public credit
for the payment of the public debt, leaving the
ultimate destination of the public lands, as at pre-
sent settled by the Distribution law, unchanged, we
shall then be in a situation to adjust wisely and
carefully the foundations of general revenue sys-
tenn depending upon the duties on foreign imports l
am fully aware of the many high and delicate consi-
deratons involved in right adjustment of this sys-
tenn; and for one, beg leave to say that, whenever
the subject shall come up shall be prepared act,
as trust have always acted upon it, in catholic
and national spirit, looking with fraterna regard, to
the interests and just claims of every portion of
great confederacy / shall be unwilling to any
great branch of the national industry in Massachu-
sets, Connecticut, New FORK or Pennsylvania, pros
trated Oh injured, as would be to any supposed
peculiar interest of my State sacrificed assaed
Indeed have looked upon the various parts of
our happy and glorious Union forming but fam
ily having in all essential respects one common inte-
ret. The very dverstes and local peculiartes which
dstingu its several parts, and IN which some have
seen of discord and collision, have APP
pealed to to tie many additional bonds of union
In the relations of industry and commerce. they
thus made mutual customers to supply each others
necessities instead of ripais interfering with each
others pun suits The Northern States by nature
manu- featuring and navigating communities The
~tc az shxH
and products Of their so employment for the
navigation, and materials for the industry, of
their Northern neighbors, while they consume. in
their turn many of the ner products Of The 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 di-
versity Of their situation and pursuits to interchange
their respective commodities and productions and to
be auxiliary the supply of each others wants The
different sections of the confederacy are, in this man
ner, douetailed into each by cunning joery of
ture, which far transcends the policy 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 so striking
y these providential arrangements, in the geographic
cal conformation Of our territory, for the preservation
of our Union without feeling steadfast confidence
in the destines of glorious conederacy, and
tally exclaiming " what God and Nature have joined
together let no man or combination of men attempt
to put asunder"
disposed thus by the habitua bent of my feelings,
to render equal justice to every portion of
mon country have infexible attachment to mere
general theories to bias me in contrary direction
All legislation, and especially commercial legislation,
is practical thing. believe free trade to 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 ne
rests of their national labor and production by re-
gulations of restriction and exclusion, other nations
shape their policy, in greater or less degree,
so as to shield themselves from the effects of this
selfish and anti-social system. If other nations
shut us out from their markets for the pro-
auctions of our industry, we naturally seek to
indemnify ourselves by market at home, so
far as it can be fostered by wise just and moderate
commercial regulations, which shall respect the equal
rights and interests of the various parts of
country. But no wise or just legislator should seek
to build up the interests OF one portion OF the country
OF class of the community at the expense or to
| the injury of another portion class The golden
rule, then, is moderation, which conciliates and
unites 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 to assist the spontaneous
developments and tendencies of the natural order of
| things, and not to force 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
providential arrangement they were designed to be
auxiliary the supply of each others wants. and to be
mutual customers instead of ripa Let us beware lest
by too much regulation disturb and break up this
| friendly and harmonious arrangement OF nature
That its development may be assisted, to a certain
| extent and to the common advantage of all, by a
wise system of policy, do not deny but if that pol
icy should be carried far to give undue
agement to any particular branch of national indus
try, manufactures for example 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 conede-
racy, and to substitute in its place the conflicting and
jealous enc Of ripais, solicited into the field OF
employment by the undue encouragement given to the
| favored branch of industry.