Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1843-02-16

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confidence, which produces pressure and distress,
BY lhose Who respecl The obligations of contracts
and favour, honesty add fair dealing between
man and man. Bar, Mechanic saws. Greatly
the feelings OF that creditor are not % Be envied
who, after having sHep;ike last crumb from
the ,ahle Of bis urfoftuaale debtor, is willing 10
sveePJe another cfumb which The toll or his
deblcr may have placed there sor the support
and sustsnanee Of perhaps 1 broken-heafted
wife and helpless childIen. n this be principle
OF modern democracy, II is hoped The Whies
will Iepud:aieil" An his IS very well, 70 Sc
sure, and doubtless IS al expression Of heartfelt
sympaihy-and no one vim 20 farther Than nv
self for The feiisf Of the distressed and the an
fortunate debtor. Buf 3e shoui1 NOT, IL our
comtnisefstionfort hS debssF, overlook the rights
of The creditor, whose Hifk and children may be
reduced 10 beggary and uant By the loss of his
means-by this system Of plumber. This is
not prirciPleHof cemocracy.n Nor do think
that Mechanic, in writing inc hhes above quot
ed, was expressing the sentiments Of his patty.
/ II so, Why is ii, ihat your parry, who passed
"ihis impious offspring Of eieciioneeriEg.n 40
not now stahd up for il IN Congresss Why are
they now attempting to ieaF down this fair IA
brio Of their own EEeatipg, by arepeaIing law
Surely, Mechanic, you had forgotten, or you
were grossly Ignorant Of the acts and doings 81
your party IN Congress. The truth is, your par
~ are sick and tired Of This Law which was pro-
missed to The debtor part Of lhe community, 10
allure them TO The whig standard, and hastily
passed through the extra session to serve and
satisfy the 'victors 10 The hafd-fough. baule Of
lS40. And as you feel much sympathy for the
poor debtor, lei me tell you, there is but litile
occasion, in our age, fer The General Gcvern-
ment 20 interfere between debtor and crsditgf
further than is done BY the State laws These
have carried relaxation and indulgence very far,
without the aid 1f general sponging Ian from
the General Government. These ShyfoGk credi-
Tors, SO unmercIlultoslbe debtor, las 10 take Tie
lasr> efifnlt, or 10 exact the pound Of fieshD
are rarely 10 be met with il our and debt
you should recblieci, is sacfed lhlng, AID
should be bin liIlle interfeted with ty any Co.
vernmeni, No9nanl becomes The debtor If an
ether without receiying something from hini,.
money, labor, pTppefiyS9f credit, br ~ enabling
somebody else u recelFe these things He re-
eeives somelhing-and fecenes Il BY promising
70 pay for il; AMI ibis promise becomes sacred
obligation which morally sancIions; which our
Constitution fo56ids The States 10 impair and
which CCugress has no more right 10 impair, BY
an ex post fecto law, Than The States have 10 i'm
pair them.
But the Constitution, says Mechanic, by con-
ferring the power has made il the duty Of Con.
gIessto enact Bankrnptlaw stThat the pre-
sept Law has many defects, is readily admitted
y is even so-aDd one of them is, that il is in
lcontraveniion Of The Constitution, which ex-
pressly prohibits Congress from passing any law
ex post facto, OF impairings The Obligations OF
contacts, both Of which is 10 BE found 10 the
presentIaw. do not wish 10 be undetsi as
denying that Congress has The right 10 pass a
uniform lawof Bankruplcy-thst power is a.
mong those enuuleraledia the Constitution, and
il was power that was never attempted to be
exercised, except during the Administration Of
the elder Adams and al The extra session.
| will in The last place, very briefly refer to
The objections Of Mechanic lpIhe resolutions OF
the. Committee on The SUBJECTED distribution.
Hessys The :, resolutions of The cpmmillee de-
nounce in unmeasnred terms The distribution of
the proceeds OF The sales of fhe public lands. -
Good heavens, viii this committee nerer be done
with constitutional objectiohs,n Where, lei me
inquire OF Mechanic, shall find the authority 10
the Cons,tntion % make this disposition Of The
public lands! Widely as we differ in the true
construction Of the Constitution, no enc, Me-
chanic himself, presume would take the ground
that either the General Government or any de-
partment Iii, could lawfully exercise any pow
er unless ii was conferred 81 the Constitution
There is no clause 10 the Constitution which
confefs on Congress the power TO distribute mo-
ney 10 the States certainly there MAS no speci-
&c grant OF powers either to distribute money
from the treasury generally, Or 10 distribute the
proceeds ofthe sales Of he public lands par,icn-
larry. Itseems thAtaihe distribution is calcula-
le6Sto destroy the independence Of the States, to
corrupt lhesmoraIs Of he people, and TO make
the General Government omhipoenl aud OPP
pressiye. prodigal and extrayasant. Greatly
have neiiker time nor inclination 10 analyze this
fatrsgo Of nonsense.n Mechanic here seems 10
fiy of At tangent and exposes his oEn weakness
and incompeiency 70 discuss POLITICAL question,
by affecting 10 treat that as nonsense which he
is unable 10 answer, When The GeneFal Co
yernment becomes The collector or taxes and the
distributor Of The proceeds, CONSOLIDATION will
have been accomplished. TIE States will lose
their power, their digniiy and independence
The Stale Governments will become the suppli-
ant tools, and dependents, and subpfdinates Of
the Federal Government. | view il as an at.
tempt 10 purchase State acquieseence by base
bribes, vhich larnish Stale honor, and brand high
soveIeignlies with degradation, and menace them
with ruin. But, says Mechanic, +" How The in
dependence Of the States can. be destroyed by
affording them The aT cans Of paying lhei. debts,
is difficult 10, be understood. But does il al.
ford them the means Of paying their deStsi
iitIle attention TO facts will shew the deiuSive
theory Of Mechanic. Then, for the sake o. ar
10 be dislTibuied ii two millions. This sum is
nov snug 10 The ifessury, re4dy 10 defrsy Tie
expenses, or pay of1lhe debts ofihe Government.
ahd The treasury actually needs The money and
cannot gel along Without it--ihen becomes ne
cessary to supply its place BY 81 ,0OQ,Do0 raised
5y;iaxaiion Oh the people aud 10 raise that will
moi only cost The people The whole two millions,
bnt The additional ex pense ofcelecling. Of keep
ing il, and transmitting this last Two millions 10
he treasury. which, al charge Of 5 per cent,
would cost The people 100000 more than they
receive This would be paying debts over she
len shoulder--lhe idea Of paying debts in this
way is really ,fafcieaE. g Perhaps II may cor
rupl the morals Of The people, by diminishing
their taxes and enabling sheni 70 live more plen
tifully and lazily.'' II does not diminish their
taxcs. but serves toswell and increase Them Ell
ther ia the shape oil high duties, or direct Ia1es
on The people; and ii cofrupls the morals Of the
people bv creating great monied party whowfiI
BE looking up 10 she acton Of iheG General Govern
ment. and forming combinations With parties sof
liike kind 10 other States, all moving together
with eagerness, stimulated BY one passion, 1.-THE
basest ana most o 5sorbirg Of all passions, thai
Of asarice - Il it lhe policy Of The democratic
party 10 keep The peopie Of the Stales bowed
down by load offlaxes-zlo make them nseel
and fose lest their morals may be corrupted s,s-
| The only reriy 10 be made 10 the above SEMI
/ mens. IS. lhatif ue wished 10 load lhe pecpl,
1 with taxea, and keep1ihe people bsrse do,en, v,
1 would support The disinbuFiGn measnre-w,
would give themi the proceeds Of he sales OF In
i public lands, ard then supply he defciehcy i
The treasury b. iaxipg Them three fold.
s.It seems. too, that The giving up he proceed
i Of the sales Of The public lands will mike m