The North-Carolina standard., 1843-05-24
Messrs Ethan A. Brown, John Law, Nathaniel
West, John Petit, Jesse D. Bright and A. c.
Pepper, Committee.
REPLY OF MR.. CASS.
COLUMBUs. Ohio. Eeb. 8

GENTLEMEN: Your letter. enclosing the reso-
lutions of the Democratic Convention Of the State
of Indiana, was addressed to me at Washington,
but did not reach that city till alter had left
there. 1t was then forwarded to me at this place,
and in consequence of having stopped upon the
route considerable delay has occurred in its receipt
| make this explanation to account for that delay.
l shall now proceed to anwer the questions pro-
posed by the convention briefly, but frankly; sat.
isfed it will be more agreeable to yourselves and
your colleagues of the convention, that should
be explicit, than that should be led into tedious
dissertation.
With respect to a National Bank, have to re-
mark, that have always entertained doubts OF the
power of Congress to charter such an Institution
The indirect process by which this power is de-
duced from very general provision of that instru-
ment has never been satisfactory to me. But there
is the less necessity for entering in detail in
to the constitutional question: as it seems to me the
public voice has pronounced itself, and justly, a.
gainst the incorporation of any National Bank by
Congress No such institution should, in my o.
pinion, be established
In answer to the second question, which relates
to the distribution of the public lands among the
several States, reply that think no such distrl-
button should be made. l will state, in few
words, the ground of this opinion. The necessa-
rv revenue for the support Of the Government OF
the United States, must come from the people,
and it must be supplied by direct or indirect taxa
ton, or by the sale of public property. The
general sentiment is opposed to direct taxa
ton by the General Government in the time OF
peace and of course there are left but the other
two sources of supply to meet its expenses. Their
proceeds must constitute the revenue OF the coun-
trv and if one of them is distracted or diminished,
an additional burden is thrown upon the other
Whatever sum the necessary expenses of the Gov
ernmcnt may require, ifthe proceeds of the public
lands make part Of it, the whole must be raised
by taxation. IF they make part of it, then the a.
mount of taxation is diminished by the sum sup
piled bv these proceeds. 1t follows that any pro-
position to divert the proceeds of these lands from
the support ofthe Government, is, in fact, but a
proposition to lay taxes upon the people If a
permanent annual revenue of eighteen millions oi
dollars is necessary for an economical administra
ton of the Government and 1.-two millions of these
are produced by the sales of the public lands, lei
the source of this supply be diverted to some other
object and these two millions must be provided by
the imposition of taxes All this is too clear to
need further illustration. A proposition then to
distribute the proceeds of the public lands among
the several States, is in effect, but proposition to
increase the taxation of the people OF the United
States through the medium of the General Gov
ernment in order that the amount thus increased
NAV be paid into the treasures of the respective
States To me it appears perfectly clear thai
whatever may be the annual sum produced by the
sale of lands, that sum is part of the revenue o.
the country, and that it is just as competent fol
Congress to take any other two millions. suppos
ing that to be the amount, from the public tredsu