The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1857-05-13
MI. BRANCH's Letter Of Acceptance,
Raleigh, April 18th. 1857,

Marty III the Fourth Congressional uistrict,
5sse % bled in Convention at Franklinton, had
unanimously and by reclamation designated
spe ss their candidate Tor Congress, has been
dolly received. THIS renewed mark OF the
confidence of nv friends fills me with emo,
tious Of pride and gratitude. and receive the
manner in which the nomination was made
as proof, not that am free from fault. but
that they abound in liberality and personal
Kindness. For, whatever sacrifice | may
have made in engaging in the service Of the
District, | have been more than reeompensed
by the uniform kindness and iorebearsnce of
every class Of my constituents, and am now
deeply ia thciE debt for the more than merlted
acknowledgment my pa@ services have met
with. accept the aomination. and will in
a time eater upon the duties il imposes.
Most &c The qaesiiSns q great public i'm.
portance on which have been called to vote
during nay service IL Congress. have either
belonged to The hackned politics Of the
country, or bore sectional character. On
these have not felt il my duty in any in
stance to separate from my party friends or
Southern associates. But just befnre the
termination of Congressa question was pre-
seated psrtaking Of neither character, which
had not been previously discussed, and in
regard to which was compelled to act on
my own judgment, unenlghtened by the
views Of NV constituents. refer to the bill
providing Ter deposit with the States OF
the surplus revenue IN the Treasury. After
4 careful AID deliberate consideration Of the
circumstances bearing on the question-in
no haste and under no misconceptions felt
it my daty To unite with the entire delegation
from the State in voting for the bill. As It
Is new question, and has not been discuss.
ed before the people. propose to present to
reu the reasons that influencedmy vote.
Under the tariff act Of 1886 the revenue
had increased SO rapidly that notwithstanding
the great increase in the expenses OF the
government, the Secretary of the Treasury
reported to Congress, at the commencement
af its last session, that on the S0th Of June
next there would be surplus in the Urea
sury amounting to twenty.nine millions Of
dollars; that he had paid Cd large amount
&c the public debt in advance Of its maturity.
sud that no more Of il could be reached and
he warned Congress Of the disastrous effects
IN the business Of the country. which must
faw from Withdrawing frum the usual chan
nels of trade aud business aud locking up in
the Treasury vaults 50 large portion OF the
circulating medium.
This state Of things imposed on Congress
duble duty: LIST. To reduce the revenue.
That eheerfully and zealausly co-operated
in, Tor since nv entrance into Congress
had never CEASED to clamor for a reduction
af the tariff. Ultimately the reduction was
l. Al. al. Al. 4.
the extent that desired. But.such was nv
anxiety teefect reduction Of the revenue
that witIitny friends lyuted for bill which
nnder different circumstances, could not
hs7e obtained my support. ID. To dispose
a the surplus already accumulated. ans
~hirh would not be needed by the govern
ment.
The surplus was ihcre-already accnmula-
ted. u had been collected from the people
IN disregard Of the spirit il not tie letter oI
the Constitution. for Congress IS emposered
"to lay and collect taxes. lmposts and ex-
eises. to pay the debts and provide for the
common defence and general welfare OF the
United States" and for no other purpose.
n was collected for unconstitutional purposes,
and il was sought TO apply II to vast yarle'
Iserste few ofthese objects.
A bill was pending before Congress. pro.
siding for the construction nf three Railroads
10 the Pacific. with sariOus feeders in the
West, amounting IN all to about ten thousand
miles, and TO cost one thousand millions Of
dollars.
Every ocean wss marked and dotted on
the map. for steamship lines 70 traiie for pri-
ga;e gain at the public expense.
About one hundred and fifty bills were pend.
ing for opening rivers and making harbors in
ne North aid West. aud some in the South.
Every species 81 enterprise against the
public Treasury found favor 10 Congress.
Spectators aud pIunderers swarmed in the
lebbies and on the floors. and the conviction
had got abroad that no scheme or claim
would fail Il Il could afard 10 pay.
To cap the climax, three members were
convicted Of corrBpiion. aud painful suspi.
zion existed that not half the iniquity o. the
peoples representatives had been brought 4
light
The argument IN favor of every project %
claim, however monstrovs, was that the Urea.
ssry vas oyerfowiog. aud the government
could aaard 10 be generous. This specIou.
Argument misled many hunest men, aud 4
~ss the saiurnaIia u rogoes.
There is scarcely a conceivable violation
of the Consultation which sumo one Of thes'
schemes did not involve and to permit Con
gress TO appropriate The money as Il wouls
he appropriated i left there. would lead q
unconstitutional preeedenis enough 10 MULTI,
every provision Of that instrument Bette
hr souId Il be 70 sink il IN the 0cesn that
stiow il 10 poison the very fountains II legis
latlon md pOlIute the head streams Of IL
rrecat.,r government. X i ny duty no
sails Il support, but also " 70 guard. protec
sad defend Ire Constitution u nv coun
w. can ennceIse % danger 10 which !
could be exposed nOfe imminent than !
brought upon Il BY surplus of tnirty milliOn