The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1844-02-01

AAARdNNACAEBARAGa9 N GWA hGSH
"Where Liberty DweIls there is my Country,
ernal improvement have involved themselves in enor
nous debts for Improvements and schemes Of various
kinds, injurious, in some cases, 10 themselves and Of
no possible benefit to any other State. And yet all the
other States whether indebted or not are by this ni
quttous scheme required contribute to the payment
OF these foolish, mprudent fraudulent debts which
they never had any agency in contracting, which they
had no power to restrain and for which they never were
in any possible manner or degree liable or responsible
Besides the assumption of these debts by the Federal
Government would afford no real relief to the people
of the indebted States, because the Govemm mt must
raise the amount of the people either by direct taxation
or by great increase OF the already oppressive tariff of
duties upon imports. Direct taxation by the General
Government, though it might be the most economical
and least burdeDsome is yet the most unsatisfactory 10
the people, tecause inquisorial and is not advocated
by any Statesman party Indirect taxation by sys-
tenn OF duties upon imports has been adopted as least
nquisoral and most agreeable 10 the people, although
it is really by far the most burdensome and especially
10 the West and South who the greatest consumers
OF articles OF import and consequently the greatest tax
payers to Government and who being farthest from the
place OF import or manufacture in fact pay several and
even many percentages, both upon the profit of the
manufacturer, and importer ard uIon the duty. First
to the original manufacturers and importer and after
wards to the several parties of the eastern iobber wes
tern city merchant and country store-keepeT &c. thro
whose hands the articles passes before it reaches the
| consumers. Thus the great consumers the planters
and farmers of the South and West farthest from the
places OF import bear the heaviest burdens of govet-
mental taxation through the medium of tariff upon
imports and yet such is the evil of this system of tax
aton the government receives no part of his increased
payments, but they are like seed scattered by the way
side, dropped here and there along the route from the
place of import and manufacture to the place of con-
sumption, but chiefly into the Golfers OF the Eastern
manufacturer.
And as the States who suffer most from their own
debts, chiefly those farthest from the eastern sea
board, the place of import it is believed that their peo
pie would encounter much heavier burdens Of taxation
when imposed by the General government to pay their
State debts than they do by direct taxation by their own
State Legislature for the same purpose.
a. Because the pledge OF the Public Lands Gas pro-
popose to the payment of these debts when assumed
by the General Government would be violation Of
the trust reposed in the Government by the States who
ceded to large portion of these lands for the "com
mon beLeft Of all the States" and violation of jus
tice, IS the whole people, as regards that portion OF the
public domain which was purchased by the common
money of all the people, drawn from the national trea-
sury for the purpose. The first portion appropr-
ated in perpeuy to the support of the General Govern
Tnen to pay the national debt and to diminish the
necessity for rtaXation And whenever surplus arises
in the national treasury instead of distributing the pro-
ceeds OF the Public Lands appropriating them to the
payment of the State debts the duties on imports should
be decreased, until the revenue is brought down to the
proper standard of an economical administration
And as to the latter portion they were paid for out o
the common treasury Of the whole people,, and canno
without Injustice, be disposed OF for the special benef
of particular parts. They belong emphascay TO the
common treasury .H.f '.
s. Because we are utterly opposed to Natona
Debt The assumption of the debts of the States woulc
impose upon the Federal Government debt of 200 mil
ions which must be provided for by vastly increased
burdens of taxation upon the people While the Fed
eralsts have always considered national debt as
national blessing" the Democracy have ever regarded
it as national curse.
6. Because this national debt would create the ne
eessy for great increase OF the present already unus
and oppressive tariff of duties upon imports Even will
the small debt now resting upon The Government o
about 80 millions, with an annual expenditure Of no
more than Is or 80 millions and with the existing hg
tariff the national revenues are less than the expenses
by deficiency estimated officially, by millions By tn
assumption OF this 200 millions o. debt the defcienc,
would be proportionaly augmented. This subsstin!
and newly increased deficiency would have 10 be me
and provided for by either an increase Of the presen
tariff, and its extension 10 such necessaries of life
are now cassed among free articles or by resort t
direct taxation by the General Government. Such al
increase Of the tarf would add TO the wealth and in
fuence of that already powerful privileged class ofprc
ecteQ eastern manufactures, ana give tneIl dll un]us
and dangerous power in the administration OF the Gen
eral Government .f
T. Because it is the most certain means of accom-
pIishing the great Federal design of strong conenra
ted and consolidated Government, under the directio
and control OF powerful privileged and protected clas
of wealth. interested in the support Of the govemmen
in oppression for their benefit
The assumption of this amount of debt and the ssu
of scrip based upon the public lands, would deman
the agency institution, special department
manage that large amount of debt. This ihsutio
lshed by Alexander Hamilton for the same purpose
J or some scheme OF an American British Exchequel
In this scheme of assumption then is developed a
J consequent upon il, the whole ancient modern, an
only system or scheme, of Federal measures and poll
cy, of Government An enormous national debt wit
its thousand comorant fund-holders, wrerched fror
the hard hands of oppressed despised and degrade
labor. A National Bank with immense real or fcti
cous capital as necessary for the management of h
debt drawing into its corrupt and corrupting vortex
every pecuniaTy interest of the country by its direct an
indirect bribes to politicians in the form of accommo
datiens" facilities" and "air business transactions
poisoning the stream of liberty and law in the halls
National Legislation and by controlling the Legislators
governing the Government. And finally high protec
tive tariff creating an arisocracy OF wealth in tn
manufacturers, more odious than The hereditary nc
besse fmonarchy interested in sustaining the govern
ment and the bank in oppression injustice and disrt
gard of the rights and interests Of the States and of tn
} people. These would indeed constitute govefhmen
capable of maintaining itself against the ignorance tn
passions and the folly of that senseess and unuy mol
as federalism seems ever TO regard the people.
Secure these measures, and abolish the veto powe
and corrupt party congressional majority rules 81
preme Federalism is the same now under The dicts
tora lead of Clay, as it was in the days Of Hamio
, | Al. .. n [. 40 fbn