Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-07-16

mind in Georgia; for nv Wing colleagues i1t
undeniahly enioycd cordial and unquaiiuto ap
proval for their coursc in Congress, although ,i,
have voted in favor Of both these systems, WI, 81
little else than reprobation has iiiieli 70 my -
although have voted against mem pom ~
the first instance within my knowied"e oi i.c.
representatives. from Georgia giving .tleil sui1o. :
TO these systems The time Wa> WIEN . .uen =
course would have reused an i'ista'iie o''s ,'.,'
consuming flame, from the scapoa'" ~ wv r'.
! taips But times have changed! - "e" .iI
! has dawncd mon our long and deeply pehiS'e''
! southern minds The Northern lunhafies nay
| >bone upon MS, and a general ana eAcccul!,sN
oenerops substitution is taking place, OF oidy
I endorsed Northern principles Tor our ooSoIe'e
| Southern politics. \ glorious le>',l' - Mo
/ ncunced 10 bc thus achieved. Il Is Loudly pro-
claimed that. throughout the uh'on, III ~!
quarter, North. South East ana WeS'' 'lie " us
form a perfectly harmonious ana no'h"?e" ,I:
party: and that entire unani''li! o ~ an
ranks Surely for the sake oi S'.' :. . WI; ~
soul-soo,hinp PARTY cousrmmatioii' lie w h'SS VI
C;aoro,, ougb, In have Lccn libcral-minded enough
n Give mn with cheerful Suhnis ihcif oio-
| fashioned State Right. aLli-prc'cctoh, al''i-lh-
,srnal Jmnroycment notions, aud to pay PefPe-
nai CONTRIBUTION 10 boot, in behalf OF Norlhcrn
,,,.nnt,clnrn> and Northern and Western rivers
anil barbors If such patriotic condcscensioh IS
! 10 he prac,scd however, ii mlsl nc uoie "niio"'
nv concurrence or acquiesceh'e.
The third leading measure 10 Wiiien asN f" luz
attention, gentlemen. is. me p,Siio"'i1'' VI "'o
proceeds OF the sales al the puiilc lai'u' a'''ois
I the States Bv recurring 10 l,ii aeoisss ~ ,',e
na,njs ron will nercciye that there very point
edlv though incidentally notice thus SUBJECT; ana
;nt;,,a,e nv annroba,on OF the Distribution law
AZ il was nasscd al thu first session OF ne laic
Whir Congress and ny 6isapprohalon OF inc at
tempt tv that Congress, 1T us sccohu ScSS'o", I"
repeal the - per cent. proVso coh';iiheu III 'h'
Law. which atlemp, was defeated by the Prcsl-
dents veto The pfovi>o i'll question requires Inc
distribution to stop and the proceeds oil tae sales
to 90 again to the General Government IN case
the duties on imports should at any time be raised
above the % per mt rate OF the Compromise
Such was the Wing policy on this subIec,ln 1911 .
Mr. Berren offered Tie - per cent proviso; pom
he and Mr. Clay voted for it, and Wing Con-
rrcss passed it, That Congress had no, then
made up lis mind 10 tramplc the COMPROMISE I'M
der foot: Oh the contrary, il then *acrcdly res
pcc,cd the Compromise; 50 much So that they
conld not harbor the thought OF giving away inc
public money To the States Tor one moment al'cl
i, should he found necessary TO lay dulles exceed
inc ~ per cent on the people. Whenever sHch
necessity should present itself. the prcccecS u
the lands were 10 he brought back 10 the lreasu-
I
low as possible But a change, most singular
and censurahlc, came over that Congress ere The
close Of It's second session; and We lind Ii rc>o-
ring high duties and the protective system on me
ruins of the violated Compromise: and, III addi-
lion 10 this rs il il sought 10 ?acate an injured
and outraged people by largesSe> 10 The States
striving 10 undo lis own previous legislation, ana
10 rcrpcuae The distribution in The face oi duties
ioublv. lrcbv. quadruply--nay, in some IN
s,.., .,,Gt to-, Gold Iiulsr
% per cent.
tearcsslv submit i; to The people OF Georgia
TO saw whether they would have their Represent
alive. on such great questions as the farm and
Distribution. 10 surrender himself >crvielv 10 be
swung from side 10 side with ill the vibrations Oh
the Wing Congressional pendulum. Ana what,
gentlemen, oueh, 10 be thought OF Representa-
five who should 50 surrender himself, when ne
knew. at the same time, that that pendulum re-
ceivcS lis controlling impulses from another sec
ton Of country and from other interests lnan ours
impulses under which ii is continually liable 10
be carried 10 extreme lengths against our rights
ana Interests?
But gentlemen, although will not be carried,
at one swoop. from Inc 20 per cent. of The Com
promise 10 10, 80 tn and 100 per cent, and more,
! Of the present high protective taiitf, vel, am
willing to 90 as far above 20 per cent as Is ne
ceSsarv for revenue: and am sure that maxi
mum OF 80 per cent with Determinations under
il, would produce enough And if Congress
would give ussucha reyennetariti, would eivemy,
consentto distribution OF the proceeds OF The lana
sales among the States fer short term OF years !
would give such consent, partly for the purpose Of
holding cat an nduceneni 10 certain portions Q!
the country 10 unite in that reductionot The tarl,
and partly for the purpose Of extending Timely
aid 10 those States whose finances are so heaVl-
" overloaded andtepresscd BY an immense mass
OF debt.
For these reasons, and in stric, conncxion With
such reduction OF the tariff as ! have Suggest
ed. should be willing TO the distribution 20
licv carried ont Tor a tcw coming years. bH no
considerations could bring me 10 approve OF
! quarcring of the States permanently, or lor
long period On the treasury, as pensioners o. ST.
pendiares in any frg.a. Sucha measure would,
in no great length OF time, sap The foundations
of our political system b. Altering radically and
! ruinouslv the character OF the relations between
The General Government and the States. The re-
! lations between them. /! il were once understood
| tina; the distribution policy was 10 he permanent
I woud RAPIDLY become # that sort which must in
/ .he long run, ALWAYS exist between the humble
receiver ard the buunicous givcr--IelalionS, ]
| mean oi dcpcnence sunplenc>S. and vaSsalage.
For our Federal ~ Should soon have an linpc-
rial Republic; amt subject provinces. in lieu OF
sovereign States.
lie, not any man suppose that. il the policy OF
distribution is begun. j! would soon stop OF itself
bv the exhaustion al the public lands and that
therefore no Elimination Of, time need be enact
ed against it, The amount Of The public lands
still remaining is immense. and sales must CONT
nue. 10 he made them for an indefinitely long time
--cven though we look 10, 10 Oregon which is al
ready ours, unless we shall determine TO cover
and retire from on own vast domain there, un-
der the growing OF the audacious British lion
/ or although We Should lose sight of Texas, which
! is certainly destined 10 our embrace and posses
! sion. unless the ineS'mable acquisition i re-
jec,el ly the dominant sectional majority OF thiS
Union. in Difference again TO Great Britain, In
hatred of Southern institutions and grandeur and
in order 10 perpctuate the supremacy oil inc non
Slaycholdne portion OF lie Contcderacy over all
the rest For these, il cannot be doubted are Inc
considerations that mainly control all the wing
party. and 4 great many Democrats, against an
neyaiion. every where North of Mason and DIX
onS line
The distribution policy az compared with thc
system of Internal Improvement and proicc-
tive tariff, undoubtedly possesses one great merit
-,ba, ot Greater equality of operation. But, al
The same time. il is policy, than Which nothing
can tend more strongly 10 emascnlatc, degrade ana
dona,;onaliZe as j, were the States: Tor no Go
vcrnmcn, can lav claim 10 dignity, strength. or
independence. which, instead of relying on itseil
and its own laws and action for income leans on
another Government Tor It's supplies. Pecun'ary
dependence. either in individuals OF States, Is,
Wien il becomes TO he a system or habit OF lie. a
most dehasny and ensl2ving influence.
But there is another objectionable aspect ia
which Distribution forces itself on onr eyanina-
ton. With all The grounds of objection against
i, (decp and impressive as they arc) at which
have glanced, a party, nevertheless, urges ii on
the country as party measurc-as measure 10
be adopted and kept up permanently, at all events,
wi,hou, reference 10 the fiscal wants OF the Union
or the States What does such measure mean,
when thus made a party question to this length
What else can il mean than a direct and open
offer of distributions Of the public money in re-
turn for popular surfaces and support! The Ian
guage of such party is, ~ nop ~W PIT The Go