Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-10-03
SPEECH OF WIN. COST JOHNSON.
~ ST. MARIrS COEN1
lco.cLrnEn-l

plan he advocated adopted The positive actual de-
OF Maryland that which presses upon her energies is abo
zen millions Marylands share OF the national stock would
be OOOOOOO; 10y the exchange Of stock her debt would be
reduced to SiOOO,OOO She has sinking fund Of s 600
oOO; hat would make the debt $4,000 900. Having con-
troll OF SIX millions Of Government bonds she could NJ the
time OF making the amicable exchange OF that amount
upuiae or the issue OF three per stock the
balance o her debt, (hree mlons which would demand
but ninety thousand dollars the annual interest; To
rsise which sum, the revenues OF her productive works
would be sufficient and the people would once be relic
Sed from direct taxation Is this consumma lion de-
vouy to be wishedl And not this result emons,rablv
ceriainl
Mr. Johnson said that what he had shown would be the
o the ADOPTION oi his plan the present and future
conoiuon oil Maryland, applicable all the other in
ueoeu states Is not such end by such simple and pro-
per ans worth conending fort Is every tax payer
o whatever party he claim identity deeply Interested
IN having direct lifted by honorable means from his
slt not measure which should reach the heart of
every Painoln the land, be he rch be he INDECENT For
hsei he said, he was and persuaded by eve
~ days observation and every days reflection that the
" oeyhu e Others was calculated to awaken the deep
est interest OF the whole American people II WINS emphat
icay the peoples question: and became the people of
every state OF every profession, occupation and pursuit
industry To examine H. and they found based on Justice
equity, and public utility, adopt it, advocate it, and de-
ahu us passage 10 give success 10 the must
be urged with hrmnesS Congress is more controlled m
these latter days by the outward pressure Of public opinion
than by the voice Of wisdom in debate et the
friends OF the do thew did last vear-sDe,k he
memorials agltae II IN their State Legislatures and its m
umph wal follow Let Maryland speak in her organized
P'Sa power, anu sne VIII speedily find other
10" her example 10 overcome prejudice, rmness
y as essential as moral and enlightened wisdom
rabeau, who was almost powerful in civil council as
Napoleon was IN military daring, "If were tn write
work on the military art the chapter entitled
shall not be the least extended If write trese ON J
iHeS snail be elaborate the dare which is not
less necessary Tor success in civil affairs than in military
operations Moderation Is often affected 10 cover the
OF determination when 1t is necessary to act"
The Interests OF the States continued Mr. j. reouire
HesS ana Gefi0H and especially TO secure
action on the part vi Congress; and effect this even
State may do much IL the firm positio, which Ma,
and assumed aud maintained during the existence of the
Conederacy and IN the gloomy period of the Revo
uonary war; which secured the pubic domain 10 all The
States New ok, Virginia. and other States claimed nII
He waste lands WITHIN ier original charter limits Mary
land maintained that they crown lands and if won
ana rescued from the OF England by the common e
tort OF all the States they should enure 10 the benefit Of ALI
ana Ties ta'es claiming these lands would surrender
er ereiuSice claim during the when danger threat
ened, they would not when the enemy were expelled
ehee she would ieoniederae with the States who Sc, no
unjust and PepoeieTous claims, and for three years re-
ust 10 sign the articles OF Confederacy, although invited
by Congress urged by Lafayette and our ay-,e King f
ff9nee-yes' even lmportuned by WaShing,on-he who
had oeen nominated 10 the command of tile army b. Tho
mas Johnson, delegate in Congress from MARYLAND =
gave her money freely and sent her brayest
best sons 10 fight the foe and when General Washington
reeaed through the Jerseys and the continental army had
a"inded down 10 less than 600, Of this fororn
hope We're Marylanders Indeed during the whole of that
eVehuu period no State furnished money or as many
men ne Maryland line fought in almost every battle
rom the 81 Lawrence 10 the Pedee and their path of glory
was traced as bright the battle field from North to Soutb
as 'he milky way IN the zodiac did she refuse 10 cone
defae ana dld not until New York surrendered her sxcu
Ne clam TO the waste lands within her charter limits and
Virginia mad promised do likewise This prudent fore
sight tins moral tOriitude the part OF MARYLAND alone
secured 10 all the States the great public domain. Are her
sons less wise and patriotic than them
But, again. let It be remembered that when the States
surrendered tie vasteyenue powers the General Govern
neht whch they possessed separately under Conedera
N SCUM Carolina found that she had debt of some four
millions to be paid alone by direct taxation upon her c
zehs She instructed her delegates Congress to urge the
assumption BY the Government. They maintained that
as the States had surrendered the revenue power to
gTess, II was the duty Of Congress TO qudae her debt
IhGf the TeueRue and the State debts should 90 TO-
SsheT south Carolina alone instructed her Representa-
es ana hey UNANIMOUSLY sustained her instructions: and
such was the ability and such the uncomfortable mn-ss
with which State rights maintained at that dav Thar
congress passed general law the subject by which in
1880 twenty one millions OF State debts were assumed by
Toe General Government. This was at a time when q
T. = had debt OF more than millions had but three
OF Tour millions OF inhabitants all the commerce upon which
oHues Were lad was less than two millions. By he 22f
section OF the law Of assumption OF 1890 the public on
were pledged until the payment OF the debt That de b
has been long paid and the land fund been relieved from
such application.
When this Of State relief was passed to nov
or and duty OF Congress fully argued and discussed
VI The eleven Senators who had been members Of the Con-
VeniOn which framed the Constitution nine voted for ,
assumption OF State debts and but ttoo voted against it
Cen Washington aud Mr. jefferson botn urged the mas
sage OF the law With its passage public credit revived
through every department. OF industry.
VIII any one say that what expcdient lust and con
s''uona men, Is not equally eNpedent and c1nsttu.
uonn now We have n population OF Is millions NJ
lnabiiahs-ioreign imports the amount of some X 10
OOuuuu-aNenues OF domestic trade intersectin aud pcne
aung every division OF the Union and ncacuabe resour
cS OF national wealth and power; ami yet are told ay
gaNey told 10y those who ought know better that ma
uonal obligation for $500 600 900 would ,mbarrnss the
revenue sources Of the nation Who would venture in
bodncss TO assert that incur war debt of 500
cDlIN uDf ffr
War'Woud be vlc enough TO urge dshonorablc peace
upon the ground that the nation could not defend its
~ ihe cost OF the war reached 200 mions' And who
theTc that believes that the L. = could engage in war with
any respectable nation without mourning dcbt me- ba
2OO millions II the General Government cou,prisin 26
states aud several Territories could not paw SIX millions of
interest per annum aud 300 millions when II should fail e
having IN possession a the proceeds OF the sales Of the pub
nc lands and exercising all the revenue powers with which
tne General Government clothed, how would II be posi-
bic for II or IL States, Impoverished and heavily brdc.d
with debt without the resources OF the public lands and
stripped OF the power Of revenue from commerce ., m,
annually twelve millions Of interest and h1udaie s il b,
become due 2OO millions Of principal Those who main
tam the INST position will be embarrassed {, explain the
praccahiiy Of the latter; and should they Demonstrate ts
inability Of the General Government % meet the ENGAGE
menis ne proposed they Mr. j. continued would furnish
PROOF OF The utter bankruptcy Of the States and as conse
quence their arguments will justify aud sustain reputation
as the only resource for the indebted States Who that has
an American heart pulsang in his bosom that will
not sprn such conclusions and those that aid and abe
them
Let Maryland and the other indebted States t,to the
ground which South Carolina took n $780, that the Gepv
Government but the agent TO the States credited TO adj
vance the general welfare and prosperity Let tbcr, to
the constitutional ground that the power of revenue
rendered but 10 promote the interests Of the States i'm which
'he national was at once merged and through which
oouu alone &c sustained To say that the General Gov
eminent can flourish when the States arc prosoted h IN
advance anineNpcabe paradox The General Coycrnr,p,
but unit Of tho conceded powers of the Sotcs rd r.
- SIC ' aggregate OF the Government each sovereign