Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1843-05-30

IS familiar 10 US all. The Government
OF the confederation, and the Govern.
menis OF all The Confederaied Sfates.have
their respective rights and duties clearlv
defined, and each within its proper sphere
il independent Of the Oiher-esch raises
and eXPends its revenue, and performs all
the necessary fVnctiOns of sovereign
State. What right has one 10 interfere
with another, unless in cases marked out
by the constitution itselfi If the Gen
eral Government can provide a revenue
for the respective States, and does pro,
vide one, il is clear that a great
distinctive feature Of :, our political
system viii disappear, and that
the relations between the Confederation
as such, and the individual States COM
posing it, will be wholly changed. Hu.
man ssgacity cannot foretell what would
be the entire result Of this state Of things
but it is easy 10 predict that this new
application of the money power would
give to the Government Of the United s.
a strength never contemplated by the
American people; and irreconcilable
with our Constitutional organization, and
that II would lead 10 habit Of depend
ence on the part of the States, by which
their efficiency to Tesitt any encroach-
ments Of the General Government would
be paralyzed, Without pushing these
considerations farther, | conclude this
branch of the subject BY repeating, that,
iu my opinion, no distribution Of the Fro.
cecds Of the public lands should be
made.
The subject Of protective Tariff has
been so long and ably discussed, that il
would be useless for me to more than
give you the result Of my views. think
then, that the revenue of the Govern
ment ought TO be Brought down TO the
lowest point compatible with the perform
anco of its Constitutional functions and
that in the imposition of duties, necessa-
~, with the proceeds of the public lands,
to provide this revenue, incidental pro.
tection should be afforded 10 such branch.
es'OfAmerican industry as may require it.
This appears to me not only Constitu-
tional. but called for by the great inter.
esls Of the people, was wisely and mod
eraIely, established, and then left to its
own operation, so that the community |
could calculate upon its reasonable du-
ra ation, and thus avoid ru'nous fuctua-
tions, we might look fer as general ac-
quisieDce in the arrangement, as we can
ever expect in questiOnsOf this cOmpli-
Gated kind, when local feelings have
been enlisted, which a prudent legisla.
ture must consult more or less, and en-.
deavor to reconcile.
A proposition to amend The Constitu-
tion OF the United States is one which
should always receive with great caution.
There is already in our country too great
a disposition TO seek, in changes of the
laws and constitutions, remedies for evils
TO which all societies are more or lessli-
able instead of leaving them to find their
own cure in the operation of the ordina- |
ry causes which act upon communities
1t is often better TO suffer partial in'
than rsshly 10 alter the
principles of political sys.
tenn. Stability is better than change,
when charge is not decidedly called for. |
am not awsre that the exc rcise Ofthe veto
power has for many years,prOduced any in.
jury TO the public service; on tbs contrary
think in those cases where il has been
recently inlerpOsed, it has been properly
applied, and that its action has been ap-
proved by great majority of the PeO-
pie.
see therefore, no practical evil which
demands, in this respect, change in the
Constitution of the United States
Should cases of that kind occur it will
then be time enough to seek the proper
remedy.
Your last questions regard the obliga-
rfons which the nomination Ofa National
DemOciatic Convention should impose
upon those persons. whose names have
been brought forward in connexion with
the Preside ncy Of the United States.
In the summer of lS4l, in answer 10
an application from a committee aPpoln'
ted by democratic meeting in the CITY
of Philadelphia, | stated my determlna'
lion not 10 suffer my name 10 be used IN
this matter, unless nominated by the Ma
tionaI Democratic Convention: To tha'
declaration yet adhere; and add' N
the terms of your question, thai l SnHI
give my support and influence 10 'he
nominee Of that convention.
beO leave, however, TO remark-as
the subiect has excited discussion in re-
soecta6Io ouartors--that ] am firmly i'm.
nressed with the belief that no portion of
tbe democratic party will weaken its
strength, or hazard the favorable result
We have the right-tO expect by'precipita
,inp the period of the meeting Of the
convention. The great object is uh>
ion of views, to prevent the efforts Of the
| party from being rendered useless by di'
visions, aud this union is best attained by
that process which shall best ascertain