Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-08-13

In explanation Of his rofe on M'Kag's BIZ

The President and said
The Senate being egnally divided on this important
question, l may be INDUCED in briefly stating the
principal for the vote am required b. the
constitution to give.
Excluded in any participation in forming or modi-
flying the bill, / am bound TO sanction condemn Al
in the shape in which it stands. The responsibility
Is deeply felt Ii belongs, however, TO the Office as
sigued to me by my fellow citizens, and Will be as
sumed with frankness, and, hope, not unbecemiig
frmness The consequences Of my decision, either
way, may seriously affect the country No one can
entertain, TO that, profounder soiicitude- But
after summonng to my aid the best purposes and best
lights that can command, the consequences be they
what they may, must be hazarded.
The system for obtaining the revenue necessary to
support the government established. directly or n
directly, by the people of the United States, within
the limits, and agreeably to the prescribed forms OF
the constitution Whatever is ascerained to be their
will on the subject all should undoubtedly acquesce
in. That there are known and approved modes by
which their Will expressed cannot be questioned I;
and that public officer who reads that will with can
dor and integrity, may feel assured that he conforms
to the institutions of his country when he makes 1t the
guide of his conduct. To my mind ample proof has
been furnished that majority of the people and of
the States desire change great extent in princ
ple If not fundamentally the system heretofore pur-
sued in assessing the duties foreign imports. That
majority has manifested iiselfi various ways, and is
attested by It's representatives IN the other house Of
!
whose votes undeniaby indicate the popular sense in
the large proportion of eighteen out Of twenty-six
States. In this Senate analysis of the vote before
me discloses that while six States (Oho, Virginia,
/ New Hampshire, Georgia, Michigan and Maine) arc
! equally divided eleven louisiana, Pennsylvania,
| Delaware, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey,
Rhode Island Connecticut, Maryland. North Caroli-
ma and Vermont) are against eleven ARKANSAS, Mis-
souri,, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, South Carolina,
Mississippi, New York, Texas, Tennessee and Flor
da) are for the change Peculiarly situated as am
in my relation to tie national legislature, these i'm
pressive facts cannot be overlooked In case free
from constitutional objection. could not justifaby
counterfeit By sort of official veto the general will
The struggle to exert without abatement the con-
stitutiona power of taxation in such manner as to
protect by high duties imports many OF the produc
lions of our own soil and labor from the competition
of other countries has endured for than thirty
years. During that period asystem of high taxation
has prevailed with fluctuations of success and failure
1t is as vigorously and as exacngly insisted upon
now as ever and indeed it would seem IN some IN
Stances if the longer the advantage of particular
tax was enjoyed the stronger became the desire fol
its continuance, and even ils.augmentoton. And ye
it ongist be remembered that TINS exercise OF the
taxing power by winch the great mass OF consumers
are made to swell the profits of few branches of IN
dusry, originally intended to be temporary, TO be
continued only so long Its continuance was neces-
sarv to the Industrial independence and safety of the
tion the spirit, in which it proposed and justified
by its earliest wisest friends. The design was to fos
ter feeble inanG manufactures, especially such as
were essential TO the defence of the country in time
of war Ia this design, the people have persevered
until, with some, but not weighty exceptions, these
sappings have taken deep root, have hsceRe yigor
ous expanded and powerfulaRd areprepafed 10 share
the common lot of human pursuits aud TO enter will
confidence the field of free, fair and universal com
petition.
.rr-t e.
has been anxiouSly looked for by large and Justly
respected portion of our fellow citizens, who deemed
themselves peculiar and almost exclusive sufferers b,
-kthe policy of protection They have sometimes
! perhaps NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to anticipate it
Their numbers at first entitled to influence only from
their patriotism and intelligence, have gone on grad
ualy increasing as the system ripened to its fruit
and they now constitute what am bound BY register
ed facts to assded majority of the people
and of the Union.
1t is undoubtedly true that this change of financial
arrangement brought about by public opinion, "lehic
erersaehers ought to gaids and fnaenee stdteSmeH,'
should nevertheless, be characterized by moderation
nay, by scrupuous tenderness for those interests
our fellow citizens that are to be affected by it Th
legislation which encouraged their investments, thei
educational training, their habits, should cease
finally and firmly, if required, but still soothingy ant
gently, and hence may be pardoned for expressing
regret that certain provisions which, IN their bearing
seem to me trenchant and sudden beyond the calls 0
the occasion, have been allowed to remain parts
this BILL Were 1t in my power to except these pro
visions from the operation ofmy vote, would do
but viewed whole, measure to accommodate
vast and intricate subject to the prevailing senti
ment Of the American people, to reduce the burden
artifcially imposed on the laboring and PRODUCTIVE
masses. and to reconcile diminished restrictions o
trade with increased contributions from it, canno
resist the impression that the bill is equal, NOR
tempered and more Just than the act of 1872 which
it supersedes. That it deals with some pursuits an
resources Of my native commonwealth less kind
than she might wei expect, does not relieve me from
my duty, but only makes its performance personally
reluctant and painful.
In aid of these considerations, adequate perhaps
in themselves to control my vote, there is another
which am free to confess nothing but unforeseen
sheer, and pressing public necessity could Undue
to forego or forget. In strict concord with tn
letter and spirit of the constitution, the Vice Presi
dent of the United States, now called upon to act, j
the direct agent and representative of the whole PEG
pie. in advance, and dependent upon contingent re
suits, it's perfectly competent to this his nationa
constituency, to give instructions, and to receiv
pledges for their execution. On this identical sub
lect of tariff of duties imports, whatever ma
have been the Of local and casual inconssten
cy, my own honor can admit Of no disclaimer Of in
structions that formerly announced, and my owl
: good faith stands inyioable to pledge vountari
given. If by thus acting it be my misfortune often
any portion OF those who honored with their sui
frages, have only to say to them. and to my Who'll
country, that prefer the deepest obscnrity of p~ivat
life, with unwounded conscience, TO the glare Q
official emnence, spotted by of moral delin
: quency.s
b The presiding officer having given the casting
vote in the affirmative, the bill wasordered to thir
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ACCUMULATED PRoPERrY = The pbila Iedoe