Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1848-12-22

nonopolise the political power of the country.
/ The several branches Of this system were SO
Intimately blended together that, In their ope-
| other.
| Their joint operations was to add new bur
/ dens CT taxation, and to encourage a largely
increasing and wasteful expenditure of public
| money. 1t was the interest of the Bank that
the revenue collected, and disbursements
| made by the Government, should be large; be-
cause, being the repository of the public
money, the greater VI 0uld be the Bank profits
! by It's use. TWAS the interest of the favored
classes WHO Were enriched, to have the rates
or that portion as high as possible; for the
/ hlgher these rates the greater would be their
I advantages. 1t was the interest of all these
| persons and localities, who expected to be
/ benefited by expenditures for Internal i'm
/ proyementS, that the amount collected should
/ be as large as possible so that the sum distrib-
uted might also be the larger. The States
! being the benetclarIes in the distribution of
the lands, many had an interest In the rates
/ proposed by protective Tariff. That they
should be large enough to yield sufficient
( revenue from that source to meet the wants of
/ Government, without disturbing or takino-
from the land funds; so, that each of the
/ branches constituting the system, had com
mon interest IN swelling the public expendi-
1 lures. hey had the direct interest in main
tanning the public debt unpaid, and increas-
I ing It's amount, because this would produce
an annual increased drain upon the Treasury.
to the amount of the interest. and render aur-
Inented taxes necessary. The operation and
/ necessary effect OF the whole system, was to
encourage large and extrayag CANT expenditures,
and thereby increase the public patronage.and
maintain rich and expensive Government,
at the expense Of a taxed and impoverished
people.
1t Is manifest that this scheme Of ENLARGED
/ taxation and expenditures, had it continued to
/ prevail, must soon have converted the Gov
eminent of the Union--intended bv its fcan-
ders to be plain, cheap and simple confed-
! Grafton OF states, united together for common
1 protection, and charged with few specific
duties relating chiefly to our foreign affairs;
i INTO consolidate empire, depriving the states
of their reserved rights and the people of their
! just power and control in the administration
] OF their government. In this manner. the
| whole form and character of the government
4 would be changed, not by an amendment of
the Consul utlon, but by resorting to an IN
warrantabie and unauthorized construction Of
that instrument.
The Indirect mode Of leyying the taxes by
duty on imports prevented the mass Of the
I people from readily perceivino the amount
they pay, and has enabled the few who are
thus enriched and who seek to WELD the uo-
/ Atlcal power Of the country to deceive and
and delude them. Were the taxes ?
I direct levy upon the people, as is the ease in
the states, this could not occur.
f. The whole system was resisted from it's
inception by many Of our ablest statesmen.
and some Of whom doubted its constitutional
( lty and expedieney, while others believed if
! was, IN all It's branches, fragrant and dam
| gerous lnfracLlon of the Constitution
l-hat National Bank; Protective Tariff.
1 levied, not to raise a revenue needed. but
/ Tor protection merely; Internal improvements,
/ and the distribution OF the proceeds of the
/ sales OF Public Lands, are measures without
/ the warrant OF the constitution, would upon
the maturest consideration, seem to be clear.
/ 1t IS remarkable that no one of these meas
/ ures, involving such momentous conseauen-
I ces, are authorized by any express GRANT Of
/ power IN the Constitution. No one of them
/ IS incident TO, as being necessary and proDer
Tor the execution OF the-sp specific powers Grant
ed by the Constitution. The authority I1ndar-
! winch Il has been attempted to Justify each of
them, Is derived from inlerences and construc
] ton OF the Constitution, which its letter and
ITS whole object and design 90 not warrant.
1t IS 20 be conceived that such immense now
! ers ToHld nave been felt by the trainers of
the constitution TO mere inference and doubt
/ nj construction, had il been intended to CON
Ter theln on the federal government? Il i
out reasonable TO conclude that it would have
been done by plain and unequivocal grants.-
/ This was not done; but the whole structure
OF which the American SYSTEM consisted.
was reared on no other or better foundation
IMAM forced Interpretation and interference of
power which itssautfiors assume rnio-I2t he do
duced by construction from the Constitution.
but 1t has been urged that the National
! Bank (which 50 constituted, it is so essen
JlaI branch Of this confirmed sz-sten, of
/ hledsureS) was not new measure, and that
ITS constltutionality had been sanctioned in
1871, and had the official signature Of Pros
ldent " ashlngt0n. 4 few facts win show
the Just weight to which this preceden+
siloQlQ De entitled as bearing upon the ques-
ton OF It's consttutionality.
Great divisions Of opinion upon the stibiacf
EXISTED IN Congress. Il is well known that
PRESIDENT Washington entertained serious
DOUBTS both as TO the constitutionality and
eXpedIency Of the measure; and while the
bill was before him for his Official approval or
dlsappTovaI, so great were these doubts that
ne required 1.-THE opinion IN writing'' Of the
members OF his cabinet to aid him In arriving
at d decision. Ills cabinet gave their opin-
lon, and Were divided upon tae subiect-Cen
Hamilton IN favor, and Mr.. Jefferson and M.
randolph beng opposed to the constitutional
10y and eXpedlency. It IS we'll known also
mat PRESIDENT Washington retained the bili
from monday, the It'll, when it was present
cd to hun, until Friday the 9th of February
oelng the last moment permitted him bv The
constitution, when he finally yielded to rive
nus ~ reluctant assent and gave it his siqnatnre
II Is certain that as late the Odd of Februa-
fy-oelng the 9th day after the bill was pre- |
scented to hlm-he had arrived at no satisfac-
'ofy conclusion tor on that day he addressed |
note TO General Hamilton, in which he ea1,s |
that This bill was presented to me bv the |
JOINT committee Of Congress, at 10 O'Clock on
iIonday: 10th instant, after, and he reoue.,,J /
ms opinion to what precise period b1 Ie@.I
Interpretation M OF the constitution co3ld fba
PRESIDENT retain It IN lis nossession- hafare