The North-Carolina standard., 1844-05-01

as the entrepots Of such traffic. What English
manufacturers will do, by an organized system Of
fraudulent invoices and pe1ury, to eVade our du-
ties, was proved in the late investigation in New
York British courts, also, have refused to no.
tlce offences against our revenue laws and the
| high authority of Sir William Blackstone has
been invoked, where he says, in reference to this
subject, "These prohibitory laws do not make
the tr0ngresston moral offence or sin: the on
y obligation in conscience rs to submit to the pen
lalty # ieUied" And such is the opinion of
thousands OF our countrymen and many thou
sands more believe that the present tariff is uncon-
stitutiona and hence that it is Of no force or va
dty, and that is not criminal to Disregard its
provisions However strong, then, might be my
opposition to smuggling, there are hundreds of
thousands, both in England and America, who be-
ieve it is not criminal and their number will be
greatly augmented. when goods, fpee of duty, may
be introduced into Texas and premiums, under
our tariff from SO to ESQ per cent. are offered to-
induce the illicit traffic. Most certainly then, the
refusal of remuneration will REPEAL THE TARIFF
by the substitution of smuggled goods ID place Of
American manufactures; the fair trader will be-
undersold and driven out of the market by the H.
Iicit traffic, and smuggling become almost univer-
sal, and the commerce of the country transferred
from New 7 ork and the ports of the North, to-
the free ports Of Texas. This disregard of the
laws would bring the government into contempt,
and finally endanger the Union, if indeed, it did
not induce degeneracy and decentralization, al
ways fatal to the permanence of free institutions
Nor is it necessary, to effect these results, that
Texas should become colony, or even COM
mercial dependency of England nor yet tha,
there should be between these powers a treaty Of
reciprocal free trade Texas ehere being no sepa-
rate States, and but one government to support,
and having no expense Of any revenue syStemf
may maintain her single government at an annual
expense of 8 100000, which sum she can, as is
now clearly ascertained, derive from the sales Of
her magnificent public domain, embracing as we
have seen, l36,000000 Of acres. Let it be
known, then, and proclaimed as certain truth
and as result which can ne0er hereafter be chang
ed or recalled that upon the refusal of reannex-S
atlon now and in all time to come, THE TARIFF
AS PRACTICAL MEASURE, FALLS WHOLLY AND
FOREVER; and we shall thereafter be commpelI-
ed to resort to direct taxes to support the govern
ment Desirable as such a result Hhe overthrow
not only of protective, but even of a revenue
tariff, and the substitution of direct taxatony
might be to many in the South and Southwest,
yet the dreadful Consequences which would flow
from this Illicit traffic to the of morals, Of
the Union, and of free government cannot be con-
tempated without horror and dismay
Having now, gentlemen, fully replied tn your
communication, let me assure you that shall per-
servere in the use of all honorable means to &C.
advance the Interests and secure the perpetuity of
the American Union. That Union and all its
parts (for they are all a portion of our common
country love with the intensity of ilaI affection
and never could my heart conceive, or my hand
be raised to execute, any project which could effect
its overthrow. | have ever regarded the dissolu-
ton of this Union a calamity equal to a scc-
ond fall of mankind-not, it is true, introducing,
like the first, sin and death into the world, but
greatly augmenting, all their direful influences.
Such an event it would not be my wish TO survive
to behold or participate in the scenes which would
follow; and among the reasons which induce mo
to advocate so warmly the remuneration of Texas
is the deep conviction long entertained, that this
great measure is essential to the security Of the
South, the defence Of the West, and highly con-
ductve to the welfare and perpetuity of The whole
Union. AS regards the division of Texas into
States. to which you refer, it seems to me most
wise first to get the territory; and, when we have
rescued it from England and secured it 10 our
selves, its future disposition must then be determ-
ined by the joint action of both Houses of Con-
gress which, from their organization, will de-
eide all these questions in that spirit of justice and
equity in which the constitution was framed, and
all its powers should be administered Iperceive
that your meeting and your committee was COM
posed Of both the great parties which divide the
country, and that you propose that the rcannexa-
ton Of Texas should not be made sectional or a
party question. Most fortunate would be such
result for this is, indeed, great question of ma
tonal Interests, too large and comprehensive to
embrace any party or section less than the whole
American people.
Accept, gentlemen of the committee, for your
selves, and that portion of the people of the great
and patriotic Commonwealth Of Kentucky whom
you represent on this occasion, and in reply to
whose call upon me this answer has been given,
the assurances of the respect and consideration
of Your fellow-citiznn
r. J. WALKER
To Mcssrs Geo N. Sanders, Henry Ramey, ir
F. Bledsoe, W. B. Lindsay, barnes P. Cox,
&c, Committee.