The North-Carolina standard., 1843-05-17

f measure any other tenabIe aspect has proved ut
terly unavaing 1t is certainly paving but Il
? poor compliment tothes capacity ofthe people, to
: suppose for a moment that they could be brought,
by any pretext however plausible TO stutify them
selves so far to adopt proposition so prepostc-
Gus. Can any intelligent mind hesitate in giving
to it prompt negative2 And can any patriotic
one fail TO regret that the character of our people,
for intelligence and sagacity in the estimation of
mankind, should be exposed to hazard by the grave
and continued agitation of such question before
Ithem2
1t can, after this, and after what I have hereto
fore said upon the subject be scarcely necessary 10
repeat that am opposed to the distribution ofthe
proceeds the public lands among the States
The best evidence can give you of my present
opinion, in regard to the proper disposition of the
| public lands, is to refer you to those which were
avowed and acted upon 'byme while in office, and
which were very fully stated in my first annual
message to Congress, in December, 1887.
My views in relation TO the protective system
were also called for by the Shocco Springs meet
ing in 1882, and freely given conviction that
the establishment of commercial regulations with
view to the encouragement of domestic Interests
is within the constitutional power of Cong1NSs,
was on that occasion distinctly avowed. But bold
ing this opinion, l at the same time denied the
propriety of exercising this power in manner
calculated to Cypress any portion of my fellow
Citizens to advance the interests of one section
of the Union at the expense of another l. on the
contrary, affirmed it to be the duty of those who
are entrusted with the administration of the Fed
eral Government, to direct its operations in the
manner best calculated to distribute as equally rs
possible its burthens and blessings among the
several States and the people thereof In addition
to the declaration Of these general views, sug-
gested more specific rules for the action of the
government in this particular, by the observance
ho1io L.
likely to be carried into fair cffIct
More than ten years have elapsed since that
communication made; and during that entire
period, the people of the United States have paid
large amounts of duties, avowedly imposed for the
encouragement and protection of domestic manu-
factures, with gradual reductions according 10 the
provisions Of the compromise act of 1888. The
unbiased sentiment of the country in respect to
what IS under such circumstance the proper rule
for Legislative action upon this subject has, think
by the course of events and the progress Of opin-
ion, been brought to tho conclusion, briefly en-
pressed in one of the resolutions of your convem-
tion, viz; ga discriminating tariff for revenue
purposes only and which will incidentally protect
American industry"
But as experience has shown that the terms en-
ployed by your convention are not always used in
the sense it is due as we'll to the subject and
the occasion as to myself that should give you,
without reserve, my own understanding of them,
Adequate revenue for the support Of all govern
ments, must be derived from some source. 1t has
10 where been found an easy task to preserve
equality in raising it. and atthe same time to over
come the general repugnance to the payment of
taxes IN any shape, repugnance arising more
from an apprehension that their avails will not be
wisely applied than from an unWilIingness on the
part of the people to sustain their government by
the necessary contributions. All must gree that
taxes should be imposed with fair and full refer
ooI.- ! r Il
of good government, by those who pay them
Those advantages may in general terms, be justly
described as resulting from ample security in the
OF our personal rights and rights Of
property, with adequate safeguards against inter
lal commotion and foreign aggression. In re-
specific the immuEities ofthc person, and civil and
religious freedom, the interest well as the i'm
mediate advantages of all are equal. Not so with
he privileges secured to by our free govern
nent The unavoidable disparity in the pccuniary
condition of our citizens makes the degree of benc
it they respectively derive from the maintenance Of
IN efficient government over property and the erights
IF property essentially different. The modes of
'asing revenue allowed to and adopted by the State
governments are generally graduated by this dis
parity, If the results are not always equitable,
he fault it is believed will in most cases be found
n their action upon the principle, rather than in
he principle itself The right to raise revenue
or its support by the imposition of duties in lieu
ofdirect taxation, is by the constitution subjected
o the exclusive control of the Federal Govern
nent This right subject to the limitations I'M
nosedsby the grant, was given to it for that pur-
pose, and has been freely exertcd by it since its
1t would afford me much pleasure
o be able to say that the exercise of this power
has borne as equally upon all classes of the peo-
pie, however unequal in their peruniary condi-
ions, as the taxes imposed by the State govern
nents. But this cannot with truth be said. Nor
IS the inequality, unavoidabIy resulting from the
federal mode of collecting taxes new discovery.
1t was foreseen and objected to when the power
was conferred, as an evil inherent to the system,
which could not fail to show itself in its operation
md the injustice of which no form Of legislation,
however it might be made TO mitigate, could eyer
be able to remove. The advocates of the system
were, notwithstanding reconciled to it by belief
no doubt sincerely entertained, that the inequal-
ties which, it was feared, would result from the
collection of duties upon imported articles, would
be prevented by the fact that the consumption
would be in proportion to the means of. the con-
sumcr. 1t was upon this ground that the princ-
pie was defended. That this expectation has not
been realized, is undeniably true. There are but
few, if any, who cannot, in their immediate vicini-
ty, point out numerous instances in which poor