Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-12-23
Far Mf EE?Ht''i'.
ABOLITIONIsM GROWING OuT OF TIE
TARIFF

\ government nave Desn managed. nor Ses RON
| the astounding exhibition Of lte co!I:eTca, activity
and progress 0. our country; but it Is Gue tu what
consider rapid approach t. the true principle upon
| which the pecunlary dealings %. The government
with the people should bs conducted. An advocate
Of free trddc to the utmost extent To which tho prin
ciple can be carried with sarty but reinicn -
sea so efficient statesman aud accomplished
lnancier Us Mr. Guthrie, tending the ad ut his high
sanction to opinions t-uang directly bring about
the proper state of things in this respsci. Whilst
prepared to recommend the ts'al abolition ui tariff
| Of duties aud resort TO direct taxation, he eydeDt
| y contemplates such an event with great equsnlini
ty He does not look upon direct tsxstion with the
horror ard abhorrence felt or affected by many, III
whom the "old leaven OF protection IL y-: iermen.
| ing. He is not frightened at the bugbear To him
| Il Ia no "1ionstrnm horrcHdah ct Hst0s.' | under
stand him as considering entire trcs trade end direct
taxation not so much in the i;gh vi things which
evil and undesirable in themselves us matters which
are to be the results OF time experience and negotia
| ton. Indeed, have not been able to find in his
port siugle expression condemnatory sf free trade
and direct taxation, ttIe two ure necessarily
noced that both must be- spoken of u. tie same tIne
as principle anagOustic tariff even upon reve
nue principles lie siuGuusy avoids any cand.in.
nation of troe trade abstraCt question: but, at
The sana time, am led 10 infer, rs well from this
significant silence as from HE expressed opinions,
hat hs considers 1t the true system. His objection.
| are temporary and local. They are OF a character
which The rapidly hnsteniTg progress Of events and
| lie active dissemination OF correct principles are
| last removing.
10 one who looks upon protective tariff as n
foul ard nwlus injustice. and regards ever revenue
arf hs traught with evil AMI corruptIOn-a, in.
cnmoance aud an oppression 20 be shaken of AZ tho
| =arlIest possible moment, these sentiments uf the
honorable Secretary are very cheering. They are
| :igns Of the approach OF more ausDicious period,
pregnant with the promise .; q Tins when justice,
economy and responsibility will be recognized in the
financial administration Of the national government.
tlor utterly AMI sha.aciui!y they are d;sregsr-d,
| II boots not 10 detail.
| There is yuw of this subject which ia not
mentioned by the honorable Secretary and which,
indeed, have never seen advanced in priut, though
for years it has been opinion entertained by nr,
and frequently advanced conversation; and csnnot
resist tho inclination to make it public for what il is
worth. IL lnsy be that my long and firm conviction
that The tariff is "the root of all evil may have led
me TO draw iar-te!cEed ard grUundloss conclusions
| from Insufficient premises but ono ccuclu- ion do
mos decidedly rest upon. and TINT it, that the ssita
tion OF the slavery question is principally derived
from the tariff. PViHicGl aJolt'o1'sm. con,ra.ds
tingulshed from mere ia:aiiclsni. is the undenlabe
progeny Of the restless and unscrupulous de.r. to
possess and TO abuse the facilities enjoyed bv those
who have access to the Federal Treasury for scqur.
ing private wealth by tho plumber of the public
few reflections will TO demonstrate that even
if br mistaken, the mistake is based upon reasons
| plausible ut lcas II not conclusive
| Immense as are the Disbursements of the federal
government, they do not prevent the accumua of
great surplus income, thrown into the vaults If the
treasury under the operation OF the present tariff
| There is no prospect that this surplus will be mate
rally diminished for a long period TO come. AZ it
has been for years past promises 10 be for the
| tnure. The notifications proposed by Alr. Guthrie,
Will prove but temporary and partial pa!liatves to
fha great evil. call it great evil for in govern
| ment like ours sup rabundance OF revenue is far
worse than a deficiency, and thar for nauy reasons,
which will not now stop TO enumernte. Here is
| great mass OF idle treasure, drawn away from the
people who need it aud eould useiuily employ every
i III nj audi f.It Oh
| sury, huge corruption fund, and al object o. the
craving aud tho efforts of every hungry swinier,
whose mouth waters at the prospect If public PUN.
der But II Is not alone tho lille surplus Of which
"e compinin The appropriations of Congress ana
tho disbursements O.! government are influenced by
| the vast aInouat of the f-lern! income. Every vi
sionary anu dishonest schems is urged upon the
tiona legislature, oftcntimes only too successfully.
Untold mlons are squanderoi with lavish hand
when thousands would have sghced. Tho public
treasury Is regarded the richest subject for dubious
! pecunary operations. The iuiu.ucc ur this greedy
Ani reckless spirit is rapidly iu.asing i.set into The
! BODY polite itIs a worm that never To gnaw
At the root Of all morality public and private. This
Is the fault OF no party and no Administrations it is
mighty evil beyond the control Of any man. or limit.
ed set ot men, and susceptible Of but remedy, the
removal of its cause by casting GG tie supplies.
Nor ~ there any real and efficient responsibility in
the disbursement OF this immense expenditure the
safe Keeping OF this vns surplus No community ex
=rcisas Vlsilant supervision the collection and
outlay OF the public funds, when il is studously kept
from pereGiying anu realizing the burdens imposed.
IL we were required to loosen our purse strings and
pay Ouf the federal linplsoua to visible and RE-
cognized collector. we woRld MAKE mach less GaS.ecr
lie purposes Of the government and woald keep
| tar more scruiiniZng eye upon the expenditure OF
that which we did contribute. Men are slow 10 learn
things that are not toiret Upon their attention. and
scarce one man in thousand reflects that he
pays more to the ,-dsral government tiHn 10 his owa
State ,reasury. Yet such is th. case in 0l the South
,Iru W,st ia fru1
o. the North; for she is actual gamer by the ope
ration aud il is the South and West that bears the
federal burdens. Virginia pays ss heavy S.ce taxes
as almost any other s!afc, yet her domestic tax does
not differ materially from her proportion of tile iede
raj impostons, or rather from what her proportion
~oud BE-, if those mpositions fairly levied; for,
under the present systfm, ell. pays at eh't double
the amount into The national trrIsury which ough. to
be mprsed yet every l!e county newsp sper. every
aspiring dcmagogre, every bur-room politician, is
loud aId !GtUGs ~ relation 10 the State taxes and
good and aensible men conceive them be very
uner"us; while scarce a whisper of complaint is
heard against the double and treble amounts an
nualy fched in q quiet, sneaking way from our
i pockets, 10 fill the federal Golfers, and sus-
tain Congressional extravagauce. What storm
the General Assembly of Virginia would bring
upon their heads, did they venture upon a few
of ,:ose "fsntGsc tricks" which Congress is
s.aotly playing with public monies. Congress MAY
stenl aud squander millions aud man utters
word IL. tie General Assembly nssapny few pal.
try thousands, and the whclc commonwealth is a
blaze with wrath lake E5 All example the act by which
tii. preseut deec!a6le Congress votes themselves
5000 ner year. who has been vii! be called 10
count for il Yet it is in the recollection OF many,
that when q former Congress, forty year. ago.
voted themselves only $l5DD per year.every whc
voted for the nc:, Mr.. Clay, tnrnei on; u!
his seat. Pity that we have no. uow 90 ready dis
pnsiton to hold evil doers 20 proper accountability.
Bat did not set CIT 10 display all the evil, Elm and
corruption res-,ting from the tariff-that Herculean
suSL md Df.H
spsce-but 20 show the connection Between this
source Of mischief aud the abolition excitement. The
federal jhen, conceive to be the ;rest ob.
jet OF the abolition leaders. Its vast hoards-lts
immense disbursen.nts-it. freedom from real re-
sponain!lity i'll inaungemeut-ts countless "p!ckngs
and sieargs," combine 10 present irresistible temp
ts;iona TO great portion oi that Northern popuia
tiGn, Dl.:ch hive th.ireT and iatened and g:r-n
tioa.ed with wealth by reason O f.dera :avora and
nstonal expenditures The national :ssssury, rnniny
through tbs operation OF tsriG reCulstiuDs has butt
up tie North. greet portion OF her people, end
espscisy he. POLITICIANS, csDnjt with any patience
rnlare .aa pro-pert rf being excluded frarp ae en-
:nytn-nt Of this rc;, pvnier. Bu. q! SaIao get ct
it ut Some n,ls: ha T.. sEd must sorrow
fully remain ONT. Now "a. Democracy has generally
been in. Mr.dec2i aas generally -at ct the Kings
gate, '.;herc..Te is the wrath Of Hainau klGied."
Th-ss no longer any important questions OF La
tiona policy egitating this public nina. Some
of Kissing Storm, and riding upol it rto TIA "a:s
of the treasury, must be found. Abnon.sm wGa
god send TO these noaea.a Uf the Democracy So
long cry othe. Iat;la cries could be- raised win
any hopes OF ac"ces., abolition left TO the gno-
rant .ie ianaiical and the visionary. But desperate
.chrmers for c:fcial plumber in it @ m.eaus oi
! paving their own way to success. They perceived
in the elements of gale that would fii their own
piratical saisi aud hence in d-gree, the mad
frenzy of political abolition tbs wier, 6srce and DAN
gerous career Of modern Black Repaolicsnisin.
AS general rule the democratic party hss always
been opposed 10 ettravagsnt disbursements the
part OF the seuera goyernmeui; aud, of course, OPP
Eossh 10 drawing Iargs and needless sums into ihe
federal treasury. This is particularly the casa with
tine South. Ia that portion Of the Unior protective
idSIt, have always been c0ndrmne- ny The masses;
aud mary have besn hostile t. Soy tnritf n all. Even