The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-03-11

witnessed
This trade is conducted on railroads
and canals, on noble rivers and arms OF
the sea. which biud together the North
and the South, tho East and West Of
our Confederacy. Annihilate this Jade,
arrest its FREQ progress by the geograph
icsl lines Of jealous aud hostile States,
aud you destroy the prosperity and on.
ward march Of the whole and every part,
and involve all in one common ruin.
Bat such considerations, important as
they are in themselves sink into insig.
ni6cance when we reflect on the terrific
evils which would result from disunion,
to every portion Of the confederacy, to
the North not more than to the South,
to ths east not more than to the west.
There I shall not attempt to portray,
because l fec an hnmble confidence that
the kind Providence which inspired our
Fathers with wisdom to frame the most
perfect form Of government and union
ever devised by man, will not suffer it
to perish until it shall have been peace
fully instrumental, by its example, ia
the extension of civil and religious liber.
ty throughout the world,
Next in importance TO the maintcn.
ance Of the Constitution and the Union
is the duty of preserving the government
free from the faint or even the suspicion
of corruption. Public virtue is the vital
spirit of Republic, and History proves
that when this has decayed and the love
of money has usurped its place, although
the forms Uffree government may remain
for season, the substance has departed
forever.
Our present financial condition is
without PARALLEL in History. No ma.
ton has ever before been embarrassed
from too large a surplus 10 its Treasury.
This almost necessarily gives birth to
extravagaut Legislation 1t produces
wild schemes of expenditures and be.
gets race Of spectators and jobbers,
whose ingenuity is exsrted in coutriv
ing and promoting expedients TO obtain
the public money. The party through
lite official agents, whether rightfully or
wrougfully, is suspected, aud the charac.
ter of the government suffers in the es-
timation of the people.
This is n itself very groat evil
The national mode Of relief from this
embarrassment; is to appropriate the sur
plus in the Treasury to great national
objects. for which a clear warrant can
be found in the constitution.
Among these l might mention tho ex-
tinguisbment Of the public debt, n rca.
sonable increase of the Navy, which is
at present inadequate to the protection
of our vast tonnage ahoat, now greater
than that of any other nation as woll
as the defence of our extended sea coast.
1t is beyond all question the true prin
ciple that no more revenue ought to be
collected from the people than the a
mount necessary TO defray the expenses
of a wise, economical and efficient ad.
ministration Of the government.
To reach this point it was necessary
to resort to Pod6sstqn Of .hS Tariff
manner as to do as little injury as may
have been practicable to our domestic
manufactures, especially those necessary
for the defence of the country.
Any discrimination against a particu.
lar branch for the purpose of benetitting
favored corporations, individuals Of ia.
terests would have been unjust to tho
rest Of the community and inconsistent
with tina. spirit of fairness and equality
which ought to govern in the adjust
ment ola revenue tariff But the squan.
dering Of the public money sinks into
comparative insignifcance as a tempta.
ton to corruption, when compared with
the squandcrlng Of the public lands No
patton has been blcst with 80 rich and
noble Inheritance as We enjoy in the pub
lie lands
In administering this important trust
whilst it may be wise to grant portions
of them for the improvement Of the re.
mainder, yet We should never forget
that il is our cardinal policy to reserve
these lands as much as may be for actu.
al settlers We shall not only best pro.
mote the prosperity Of the States by
furnishing them hardy and indspen-
dent race Of honest and industrious citi.
zens, but shall secure homes for our
children's children, as vel! as for those
exiles from foreign shores who may seek
in this country to improve their condi.
ton, AID TO enjoy the blessings of civil
and religious liberty. Such emigrauts
have done much to promote the growth
and prosperity of the country They
have proved faithful, both in peace aud
in war. After becoming citizens, they
are entitled, under the Constitution and
laws, to be placed on perfect equality
with native.born citizens, and in this
character they should ever be kindly re.
garded.
The Federal Constitution is a grant
from tho States to Congress, of certain
specific powers, and the question wheth
er this giant shall be literally or strict.
ly construed, has more or less divided
political parties from tho beginning
Without entering into the argument,
desireto stateat the commencement of my
administration, that loug experience and
observation have convinced mo that a
strict construction of the powers of the
government is the only true as we'll as
the only safe theory of tho Constitution
Whenever 10 our past history doubt.