The home journal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1857-1857, 1857-03-20

best influence 10 suppress this agitation,
which since the recent legislation oil
Congress, is without any legitimate OBJ
ect. A.,
II is an evil omen of the times that
men havo undertaken to calculate the
mere material value Of tho Union, Rca
sonel estimates have been presented oil
the pecuniary profits and local advanta'
pcs which would result to different States
and sections from its dissolution. and OF
the comparative injuries which such an
event would inAict on other States and
sections. Even descending to this low
and narrow view Of the mighty question,
all such calculations are at fault The
bare reference 10 single consideration
will be conclusive on this point. We at
present enjoy lrcetrado throughout our
extensive and expanding country such as
the world have never witnessed. ms
trade is conducted on railroads and ca
mails, on noble rivers and arms Of the sea,
which bind together the North and the
South, the East and the West OF our
Conleleracy. Annihilate this trade,
ares, its free progress by the geographical
lines Of Jealous and hostile States, and
you destroy the prosperity and onward
march Of the whole and every part, and
involve all in one common ruin. But
such considerations, important as they
are in themselves, sink into inslgnlhcance
when we reflect on the terrific evils which
would result from disunon to every por'
ton of the Confcderacy--to the North
not more than to the South, to the East
nor moro than to the West. These
shall not attempt to portray, because
feel an humble 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 peacefully instrumental,
by its example, in the extension OF CIVIL
and religious liberty through bout the world
Next in importance to the maintenance
ofthe Constitution and the Union is the
duty of preserving the government Tree
from the faint or even the suspicion OF
corruption. Public virtue is the vital
spirit of Republics; and history proves
that when this has decayed, and the love
OF money has usurped its place, although
the forms Of free government may remain
for season, the substance has departed
forever.
: Our present financial condition is with.
out parallel in history. No nation has
ever before been embarrassed from too
large a surplus in its treasury. This al
most necessarily gives birth to extrava.
CANT legislation, It produces wild sche'
mes of expenditure, and begcts race OF
spectators and jobbers, whose ingenuity
is exerted in conriving and promoting
cxpedients to obtain public money. The
purity Of official agents, whether right
fully or wrong(uly, is suspected, and the
character Of the government suffers in the
estimation of the people, This is in itscl
a very great evil.
, The natural mode orrclieffrom this EN-
! barassment, is to appropriate the surplus
, in the Treasury to great national object
r for which clear warrant can be found IL
the constitution, Among these | Nigh
+ mention the extingushment Of the public
! debt; unreasonable increase OF the navy
which is at present inadequate to the pro
lection of our vast tonnage afoat, nov
S greaterthan that ofany other nation as wei
. as to the defence Of our extended seacoast
5 1t is beyond all question the true prln
| Ia tbny q
, collected from the people than TIT
t amount necessary TO defray the expense
OF Of wise, economical, and efficient ad
ministration o(the government. TO reacl
this point it was necessary to resort to
t modification of the tariff; and this has,
trust, been accomplished in such man
e ncr as to be as little injury as may hav
n been practicable to our domestic manu-
y features, especially those necessary 70
/. the defence Of the country. Any discrlm
nation against particular branch, 10
e the purpose Of benedting favored corpoI
II ations, individuals, or interests, woul
e have been un ust to the rest of the com
:. munity and inconsistent with that spir
n Of fairness and equality which ought t
e govern in the adjustment Of a revenue tai
!, if.
h But the squandering of the public NOR
c ey sinks into comparative insignlflcanc
it as temptation to corruption when CON
e pared with the squandering Of the publ
/. lands. No nation in the tide of time he
II ever been blessed with so rich and nobl
10 an inheritance as we enjoy in the publ
!. lands. In administering this importar
It trust, whilst it may be wise to grant po,
10 tons Of them for the improvement Of tn
is remainder, yet we should never forget thf
d tits our cardinal policy to reserve thes
e lands as much as may be, for actual set
h lers, and this at moderate prices. W
II shall thus not only promote the prosper
n ity Of the new States and Territories b
| Al 1 I IL ox