The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-22

declared that Il had prcddcsd great permanent
revolution In his teslings, In one respect. Till
then he said, he had been accustomed, when
upon the surface OF the EARTH to feel secure, and
that b. rested on a foundation firm and stable.
But even afterwards, he could only think Of the
solid globe itselfas fra uemulons thing ready
to give way under him ut any moment. The
shock Of an earthquake has passed under the
minds of our people, and they TO longer rest
OH the Union as the solid rock of safety re-
jOice that it is so. ] wish to see them beld,
selfre3ying and confident of being able with the
favor OF Providence to guard their liberties, ard
preserve their happiness. twill be long before
confidence, that plant of slow growth, will -four
ish again. Rather let them realize the great
truth, that "eternal vigilance" is the price of
liberty. They have met too with its merited
scOrn, and trampled und r their feet the doctrine
Of slasish subservency to the government Of
their own creation. Certain professed national
organs and orators have preached devotion to
the Union in any event, and under all circum-
stances. A baser sentiment never fell from the
lips ofmorta II il substantially the same with
the doctrine Of passive obedience, and nor-re-
sistance. which brought the head of Charles the
lst to the block. Since then no EnglishmaD has
had the etfrontery to avow such opinions. It's
only supporters in this country formerly were
the tories of the revolution. Those who have
preached the doctrine in our day, will only find
their fellows among the palace slaves Of Asiatic
despotisin. Their proper position is below
everything that Providence has created, when
in ito natural state. Even the meanest reptiles
struggle upward against the oppressor. The
American people justly regard these individuals
a. degraded below the rest of animated nature.
While the government lasts, it is our duty to
endeavor to keep it in the proper track. The
danger is not from violence. The sword hns
ever been a great destroyer. 1t hns consumed
feeble communities and States But taxation
has been the destroyer Of the mighty. BY gov
eminent exaction in its different FORMS great
nations have persisted The decay Of the Ro-
man empire has heen attributed by the abolition
writer's of England, as BY their echoes in this
country to slavery. But the facts and reason
ings of abolitonsts, are alike destitute of truth.
Slavery existed in Rome from the days Of Ro-
mulns. During the prosperous ages Of the re-
public, the full tide Of conquest enabling them
to make the largest number of captives. The
seryile population greatly outnumtered the free.
These were the days of the highest prosperity
of the eternal city, During the decaying years
Of the empire. the number of slaves was rather
diminished. But government taxation in its
various forms, exhibited frightful increase
The exactions Of the governors ruined the re-
mote Provinces or drove them into successful
rebellion. Italy was then drained of its life
blood to support the pepnlace, which cOncentra-
ted itself at Rome to receive the burGesses of
the government. In this way died the vast Ro-
man empire. A similar condition of things is
now being presented to our own eyes in Tur-
key. The exactions Of the government have
DESTROYED its vitality. The population is con-
ceatrating at Constantinople, the point of gov
eminent expenditure The most fertile lands of
Asia Minor and Turkey, in Europe, are rapidly
becoming desert waste; and the magnificent
Ottoman empire is now little better than dead
carcass In this way persisted the old empires,
which formerly existed on the banks Of the Eu-
pirates The extended ruins only indicate to
the passing traveller over desert waste, how
destructive have been the exactions of those
who have held dominion over the county,
Where there is no security, where no limit ex-
lists to the rapacitv Of the governors, there can
be no inducement to the subject to labor or to
save
What is now going on in British India exem-
plifies the process. Forty-fve per cent, nearly
one half Of the gross product is now exacted
from the ngr,cuIturists, in many if not all the
under the system Ireland is oppressed by SINH
lar exactions. A prosperous country like Cuba
or the United States can bear great deal. With
us the direct taxation has not heretofore been
great, ut of the indirect there has been reason
TO complain. Permit me to take from an indi-
vdual M much as l choose of all his purchases,
and I may inflict upon him heavy oppression
The Southern States of the Union are sending
from their limits not less than one hundred and
fifty' million Of dollars worth Of their domestic
productions and they receive or should receive
an equal value in return for them. But the
government takes from them as much as if
pleases. They may, it is true. escape this bur
them by manufacturing for themselves every
thing they consume. But if the anti-slavery
party should get the entire control of the gov
eminent, as they are lnboring to do, and have
prospect of accomplishing, when they shall bave
brought in sufficient number of free States,
may at their will put the Constitution possibly
in form, certainly in practice, what they desire it
to be- As our system of society is radically
different from theirs, they might so shape their
legislation ms to isolate us and take away our
substance entirely, and | ave the Southern
States little better than dead body, fastened
to living one. This condition of things is
what v have most 10 dread. Already Is it ap
pretended by sagacious men, that the character
and action Of this central government Is under
going total change Sir. what was the object
Of its creation, and with what attributes waa it
originally invested II was created to effect two
main objects. In the first place to manage our
relations with foreign countries Hence II be-
came necessary to invest it with the power of
making war. treaties, and regulating commerce
with them. In the second place it was author
lied to preserve proper relations between the
different States, and by consequence was author
lied to regulate commerce between them and
coin their money.
These were the main, might say the sole OBJ
jects Of the creation of the Constitution. To
carry them into effect, it was necessary that the
government should have the means Of sustain
ing itself, and hence the taxing power was given.
But il WINS never intended that the federal gov
eminent should control the mere municipal re-
lations of its citizens or interfere with their pri-
vate rights. These were left to be regulated
by the several States composing the Union.
Had the government confined itself TO the exer-
else Of these two classes of powers which alone
uovo cloarlv Geleuated ia IL IL Would have 90