Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-11-12

the present, and upon the great prln-l
ciples which it maintains, rest the
brightest if not the only hopes Of our
Government forthe future.
I.shasi, Therefore, feel it to be my
Duty to cooperate cordially with the
and judicial departments of
the State Government, by the use Of
all the constitutional and lawful means
with which the Executive is entrust-
ed. in their efforts to confne tie ac-
Ition Of the State Government within
its well defined limits on the one
hand, and upon the other, in resist
ing any entertainments upon her re-
served rights Of sovereignty.
One Of the most serious objections
to our Federal system, urged by
some Of the wisest and most patrio-
tic of its founders, was the danger
Iof its gradually attracting to itself
the powers and functions oithe State
Governments, by assuming their
burdens and lavishing its bounties
upon them. Such means of over
throwing the independence and absorb
ing the sovereignty Of the States is by
far more dangerous than bold and
direct attempt at usurpation. A
brave and generous people may be
charmed by the allurements ola splen-
did nunificence into concessions,
which external foes or physical force
could never wiring from them.
The policy Of distributing among
the States the proceeds of the sales
of the public lands is not in my o.
pinion Warranted by the Constitu-
ton.
To contede this power ard adopt
the policy would be to make the Fed
al Government tile tax gathefer for
I the States to that extent, and arcus-
tom them to look 10 that source from
which TO supply the State Treasury
land to defray the expenses of the
!. State Government.
1T is manifest that this constitu-
ted no ono OF the objects in the Gre
alton Of the Federal Government,
and to permit its exercise would be
to reduce the States to the degrad-
: ed condition Of subordinate del en-
denotes spon that Government, ten
ding.o destroy their separate and
independent sovereignty and TO make
the government Of the Union, in ef-
} feet. consolidation"
But if the power were conceded
the policy is unwise. unequal and
unjust, for every dollar that is alb
stracted from the Federal Treasury
for this purpose must be replaced
: by means of tariff Of duties upon
the necessi les OF HE, and revenue
thus raised must necessarily be col
lected in unequal portions from the
people ofthe respective States The
: agricultural and planting States must
contribite much the larger proper
: ton; willie to distribute according 10
! population, the manufacturing States
being more populous, would receive
$ the lare share.
The inevitable effect Of the policy
b would be gradually, bat certainly to
! transfer the wealth of the former to
J, the Golfers of the later.
1t w,uld therefore be the most un-
> wise pdicy iD the agricultural States
!, such a, ours, TO attempt TO raise any
portioi Of their revenues through
. the fundamentally OF the Federal
Government, or to encourage the
u raising Of more revenue by the tariff
7 system, than the amount absolutely
c necessary to support the Federal
: Government economically admins.
: teed.
!, Passing now, gentlemen, from
i those subjects, involving to some
5 extent, the rights, powers and duties
= of both the State and Federal Coy
u eminent, / propose BRIEF exposi
ton d my views touching domestic
II One of the highest duties devolv.
e ing upon the State Government is The
y preservation Of public credit.
s Our citizens have embarked in ar
6 extensive, and in its inception, a wise
d lsystemlof Internal Improvement, tc
II devellp the immense resources o.
e the State, and in aid Of those works
y the public credit stands pledged to
II a large amount. Such steps should
be taken as will insure the prompt
# and full redemption of that pledge
It And while the most liberal policy
j. consistent with the preservation Of
: the credit Of the State, should be pur.
: sued towards those companies, JUS