Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1843-05-06
REPLY OF MR.. BUCHANAN.
Washing tOn City, Inn February, ISL;

| VI WIN. DoSllALNA1Ns
Washington City, ll.h February, ls43
Gentlemen: have had the honor O
receiving your communication in behalf o
the late democratic convention of III,
State of Indiana, and in obedience to thei
request, shall now proceed to answer III,
interrogatories which you have PROFOUND
ed to me by their direction. Ia perform
ing this duty | think shall best consult
the wishes of the members of that conven.
ton by employing, as far as can, the
clear and explicit language of the inter.
ogltares themselves, not deeming it ne.
cesslry to enlarge upon subjects, the
cons Iteration anu discussion of which
have occupied a considerable portion oil
my public lie. Instead, therefore, oil
troubling you with reasons in de.ail for
my cpiaicn on tie lank, the distribution,
and the veto questions, | shall have the
honor of transmitting 10 You speeches de.
Ivered by me on these subjects, in the
Senate Of The United States, during the
present Congress.
In the first place then, | am opposed to
the chartering ola National Bank, or any
other institution, by whatever name it
may be called, authorized to issue bills of
credit for banking purposes, or 10 regulate
exchanges, believing any such institution
to be both unconstitutional and highly in
expelient.
:. am "opposed to the distribution of
the proceeds of the public lands among
the several States of the Union"
3. lfby protective tariff you mean the
levying of any higher tax upon imports
than may be necessary t. secure sufficient
revenue for the irpose of sustaining an
economical administration Of The Govern.
ment, then am opposed to any such tar.
if. On this subject cannot better pre-
sent 20 you my views Than by copying a
lew sentences from my remarks made in
the Senate of the Unite1 States on the
9th August last, on the tariff bill. They
are as fullowS:
~ would upon the present, as upon al.
most every other occasion, nave acted up.
on the principles of General Jackson, a
man nearly az much ditinguished for sa-
gacity and statemanship, as for his cour-
age and conduct on the field Of battle. -
That ilustrious old man, having the ro-
view and reduction of the tariff of 1882
distinctly in view, uses the following Ian,
guage, in his annual message Of December
that year: ''The soundest maxims of pub
lie policy and the principles upon which
our republican institutions are founde /,
recommend a proper adaptation of the
revenue to the expenditure; and they elso
require that the expenditure shall be lin.
tied to what, by an economical admins
tration, shall be consistent with the sim.
plicity OF tho Government, and necessary
to an efficient public service. In effect
ing this adjustment, il is due, in Justice to
the interest, Of the different States, and
even to the preservation of the Union it,
self, that the protection afforded by exist
ing laws to any branches of rational in
dustry should not exceed what may be ne.
cessary TO countcract the regulations of
foreign nations, and to secure supply of
these articles Of manufacture essential to
the national independence and safety in
time Of war." In several Of his previous
messages to Congress, he avows similar
principles, in terms still stronger; and IN
one of them he cites the authority Of JEFF
ferson, Madison and Monroe, in their sup
port This Is my creed upon the subject
OF the thrift, and am both wiling and anx-
ious to cariyit out fairly in practice. Il
am willing to uni e with my political
friends from the North, the South, the
East, and the West, in reducing the ex-
penditures oflhe Government to the low
est point, consistently with the national
honor. and national safety. would moi
impose one dollar of duties on foreign i'm.
ports, beyond what may be necessary 10
meet such an economical expenditure. In
adjusting these duties, fshall never aban-
don the principle of discrimination in IA
vor ofsuch branches of home industry as
may lie necessary "to secure supply of
those articles Of manufacture essential to
The national independence and safety in
time of war" and this more especially at.
ter such manufactures have been estab.
l:shed at immense expense on the faith oil
your laws. lwou!d save them from sink.
ing into ruin, BY such rate ofdiscrimin-
alton as may be necessary to preserve
them. Irepeat thai this is my creed; and
1t has always been The creed of the faith
ers OF the democratic church, wide fhe
Congressional Globe, for the session 1871 !,
'42, page 95l.)
4, am opposed to an amendment Of
the Constitution Of the United States, still
further limiting the veto power"
5, Ishall "abite BY the decision ma.
tional convention of the democratic party,
in The selection Of caniilate for the
Presid my and shal give my.suppcrt aud