The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-12-15

All essential Part of the system itself, va
the scheme, at Letter period, obtained 10
thc III Itfihution OF the proc eeds Of the sale
Of the p,biic lands, among the States.
Other expcdients were devised 10 taxi
the money out Of the Treasury, and to pre-
VEN, lis coming from any othrr source thai
q protective tariff. Tie authors and sup
roriers Of the system were the advocates O
the ltigeN Cxpenditures-Whothcr lcr nee
tssnry or useful purposes, wasnot material
because the larger the expenditure the gre at
crwasthe prrtex, tJr high taxes, IL tie ioIn
Of protective duties.
Tie several branches al ibis system were
So admirably llchded together that in theiI
operation each sustained ard strengthened
the other; their joint cperaiivn "a to add
new burdens Of taxaiicu, and ~ encourage
a largely increased aud wai,iil CSperhi'
turc Of public money. 1t was the intrres'
Of the Bank that the revenue aud the DIS
bnrso MS made by the government shorIn
be large, because, bcimg the depository oi
the public money, the greater would be the
! banks prcft ty It's use. II was the interest
Of the famed classes. who were enriched, 10
have the rates Of that protection as high as
possible. for the higher these rates the crca-
ter would he then profits. i wasthe inter-
Cs, Of all these section. aud localities which
expected to be identified 10y expenditures
for internal improvements. that the amount
collected should be as large as possible. so
: lha, the sum d>burscd might also be large,
and the States h"irg tie brnefciaries IN the
distribution IF the land money, had an in
tercs. ia having the rates impostd by apro-
tcctive tarifilargc enough to yield sufficient
revenue from that source To meeiihe wants
Of the government. without disturbing or
taking from the land fund, 80 that each
branch constituting the system had common
interest in swelling the public expenditures.
! They had direct interest in making the
public debt, and increasing the amount, be-
cause il would produce an annual incic ascd
drain upon the treasury 10 the amour, Of the
interest, and render augmented taxes nee
cssary. The operation and necessary effect
Of the whole system waste encourage large
and ex'ravaeant expenditures. aud thereby
increase the public patronage, and maintain
rich and expensive government at the eX-
pense Of taxed and impoverished people.
Its manifest that this scheme Of enlarged
taxation and expenditures, had IT continued
TO prevail, must soon have converted the
government Of the Union, intended by its
trainers 10 We plain, cheap coniederacy Of
States, united together for common rro,ec-
ton. and charged with few specific duties
relating chiefly TO our foreign affairs, into
consolidate cmyire-dcpriving the States of
tliSu ''s''sta 'i-i.,., ....i A.. r--r II -T'i"i-
just power and control in the administration
Of their government. In this way the whole
form Of government would be changed, not
by an amendment. TO the Constitution, but
by rcsorling TO an unwarran,able and unau-
thorized construction.
The indirect mode Of levying revenue By
a duty on imports, prevents the mass Of the
people from readily perceiving the amount
they pay, and has enabled the few who are
thus enriched, and who seek to WELD the
political power Of the country, 10 deceive
and delude them. Were the taxes direct
levy upnn the people, rs is the case in the
States, this could rot occur.
The whole system was resisted from IFS
inception 10y many Of our abltst Statesman.
some Of whom doubted its oonstiiuiionality.
ana expcdiency, while others believed it
was. in all is branches. a fragrant aud dan
serous inlrac,ion OF the Cuns,i,u,ion.
That protective tariff levied lotto raise
the revenue, but protect merely, internal
improvements, distribution Of the sales Of
public lands, are measures without the war
rant Of the Constitution, would, upon the
maturesi cen sideraticr, seem ~ be clear. II
is remarkable that no one Of those measures.
Involving each momentous consequences. is
authorized by any express grant Of power
in the constitution. No one Of them is in
cident to, as being necessary and proper for
the execution Of the specific powers granted
by the constitution. TIE authority under
which il has been ATTEMPTED To- Justify each
Of them, is derived from infereuces and con.
struc ton 81 the constitution, which il, letter
and its whole objec, and design do no, war.
rant. is il to be conceived that such i'm.
mensc powers would have been left by the
trainers Of the constitution to mere inference
and doubtful construction, had i'll been intcn.
ded 10 confer them on the federal govern
meni? II is but reasonable TO conclude
that it would have been done by plain and
uneGuivocal giants. This was no, done;
but the whole structure Of which the Gamer.
lcan system" consisted, was reared on no
other ur better foundation than forced inter.
probation and differences Of power which its
authors assume might be deduced by con.
Siruciicn from the constitution.
But has been urged that the National
Bank. which constituted so essential a
branch Of that combined system, was no, a
new measure, and that lis cons'i,u,ionality
had been previously sanctioned, because the
bank, had been Chartered in 1919, and had
received the official signature OF Presiden,
Washington. A few facts will show the
just weight TO which this pr,ceden, is emit.
lied, as bearing upon the question Of cons,i.
tu,ionali,y.
Grea, division Of opinion upon the subject
existed in Congress. tits well known that
Presiden, Washington entertained serious
doubts both upon the constituiionali'y and
expediency Of the measure; and while the
bill was before him, for his. official approval
or dsapproval, SO great were those doubts
that he required the opinion Of his Cabine,
to aid him in aiming at decision. His Cab.
met gave their opinion, and were divided
upon the subject. Gen. Hamilton being in
favor, and Mr. Jefferson and Mr.. Randolph
being opposed 10 the ccns,i,u,ionali,y and
expediency of the bank. II is also well
known that President Washington retained
the bill from Monday, the l4th, when H. was
presented TO him, until Friday, the 25h Of
February, being the last moment permitted
him by the Constitution to deliberate. when
he finally yielded 10 il his reluctant assent,
and gave IL his signature.