Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-02-17

Tsik about dissolution Of the BnioDl I never
had any fsars of a dissolution My great appre@
hensioi and think they are we'll founded when
loak at he tendency of our whole polcy-are that
everything is tending TO the center, and Just in pro
portion as YOU increase the amount OF money COLI
iected and disbursea by this Government, IN me |
very same proportion you increase tie ceutralz'og
nower here All parts of the nation look up to The
Federal Government for contracts; they look up |
bere fer jobs; they look up here for cases of specu
lafion and fraud; and the Government furnishes the
means for them; while your States, instead of be-
coming more distinct and integral in their charae-
ter, are sinking into mere petty corporations, sink
ing into insignifoanee, sate;es OF inferior
character revolving around the great central power
here at Washington There is where your danger
is Il is not N the centrifugal power being too
great, but the eentripetal iraGeace drawing all
hera.
recur back to my proposition: let the States go
on as they have been going on, settling up the new
lands, making settlement after settlement, making
improvement after Improvement as the wants Of the
couury demand, and in the process of lime our pop
ulatons on each slope win reach each other, they
" II come together, aud unou can be made with
out this Government being involved in bringing il
about. 1.-THE tine should come, as some have an
icipated when these States will be dissolved, o
far from such road as this being cohesive tie
having any adhesion ia il, it would be no more than
q rope ofssnd; lis own weight would tumble il to
pieces Instead Of being lis. it would almost OPP
crate in the opposite direction But, On the other
hand while it would not hold the States together if
they we're disposed TO go of, ne see in the expens
dilure Of mon-y for coatTsois, leading to fTaud-,
the danger in reference to The power CT this Federal
Government
have occupied more tine, Mr. Pie ldent thsn
| intended, FIR my intention was not to have s nd
single word on this subject; but as the proposition
has been broIght for ward, aud assumed the shape
it has and especially one seems designed for my
own latitude, have no DISCUSSES to make about it.
did moi care about the bill passing without indi-
eating what my course is; and, far the various
propositions are concerned. | have in my way,
pointed cut their dangers; but do not think there
| Is a1y probability Of accomplishing the proposition
offered by the honorable Senator from Tennessee
| think il is merely thrown in as a kind of safety
| valve by which the question can pass off, aud
nothing be done with it, but if it is to be treated
| seriously, and fixed on the country, I think have
pointed out, TO some extent, the consequences re-
sulting from it. First, am against It's constitu>
ticDality do not believe it is necessary and pro-
per- in order to carry out the Wsr-making power, to
construct Pacific railroad now. Ia the next place,
| against it on the score of Gxpedieney; and at
the present time it does not to me that the
/ PROPOSE ion ought 10 be entertained at all.
In coming forward with these propositions, will
remark, we ought to come forward with the ways
and means by which the money is to be raised to
meet the liabilities we are about to incur. lay it
down safe rule oflegislaiOn, and especially in
a free Government, that when you are going to
| create great national debt il should be first sub
mted to the people, sDdlet them consider it, Pub
/ lie opinion has not passed upon this project. l
know gentlemen may say the country is for it Sir,
| the great mass of the people of the United States
have never entertained Incorporation in its true
/ light. Il has not been discussed; 1t has not been
understood. They do not know the enormous
tent to which tie proposition leads and consequent
ly they not for j. when they do not understand
When you are gaingte create . great debt, State
national the sound doctrine is frst TO submit it
to the proIle They have the taxes TO pay; and
after they have determined that the debt shall be
! created, when you create the debt you should pro
vide the ways aud means by which it is TO be paid.
! How is this debtto be paid? Is there any provis
ion for its payment in the bill? Where is the mon
! ey to come from? 1t must either come by direct
/ taxation from the people, indirectly by the op
/ Grafton Of your tariff, and your tariff system is
adjusted that the receipts falling short Of
the wants Of the Government Where is the interest
Of the Sl00 600 600 to come FROM the $780, 00,
! 600 itself? Where is the S25000000 proposed in
} this bll TO come from? You get in debt and issue
the obligations Of the Government; Treasury notes,
Government stocks, and high tariffs for protection,
are to follow,
This Government was inaugurated in 49, and since
it has been in operation il has gone and created
debts until now the debts of the State and Federal
] anu municipal governments amount together 10
over S400000O00 Look at the debt of Great
Britain, nearly 81, 900 900, 000 At the same rate
of creating Indebtedness before this country is half
as old Great Britain, we shall have a debt three
! times as large We point children to the iDjus
| tice of the British system; We point them to the
British national debt and tell them that it is
means by which an aristOcracT is sustained on
money extorted from the tssd earnings Of the great
mass of the people. Sir, we are in our sWaddling
clothes as nation; and before We are one-tenth as
! old as England, We will have much debt in pro
portion as she has Should we provide for these
things? Cannot we reason from cause to effect?
! Can we not see the inevitable result? We
alarmed and Mortified at the debt of Great Britain,
but our march is more rapid than hers in The
creation of a great public. The entire national
debt Of all the repean Government is about SlO,-
DOC, 900 600. At the rate at which we going,
before we ere as old as Great Britain we shall have
debt equal to that now owed by all the European
Powers.
ask, again, where is this money to come from
who is TO pay it? Where is the wisdom of the Lcg~
islature in creating debts and providing means
by which they are TO be paid! Is this the doctrine
of Jefferson, who denied the right of the living to
create debts, and hand them down an inheritenee
to pOsterity? Is this the doctrine of Jefferson, WHO
denied 10 the living, so far as soil was concernei
all title TO it except the usufruot? Is this the doc
trine that has been taught by the apostles of De-
mocracy? Is this the doctrine thathss been taught
by the strict constructionists Is this the doctrine
that has been taught by the great Democratic party
as il once was in the United States? If so, l am
free to confess that my understanding Of the teach
ings OF the Democratic party has been wrong. L
know that parties have somewhat jumb.ed up, so
that, IS the saying is, we can hardly tell one from
tother, or tother from both; but trust that there
is enough pure Democracy left to form q nucleus
around which constitutional party may rally-s
party that is for standing by the Constitution OF the
country, and Tor making such alterations in that in
tho and necessities of thu DpODln
may point out and authorized by the Con-
stitution itself have sometimes despaired, 1t is
true, and thought that pure uuadulteTated Demos
crat, was rather article; and confess it is
little refreshing to strike now that is sound
in all his fundamentals. 1t is to like oasis in
the desert to way worn traveller, seeking little
water to queneh his thirst. When come across one
of these true men of the people, whose sympathies
and talents and energies devoted to the ameho-
ration and elevation of the great mass Of the pe0
ple 1t is refreshing 10 oasis in the desert
is to the Wsyworn traveller l have almost thought,
at some times, that man of that description was
about hard to find Modest man in olden times,
in the days Of DiOgenes, when in midday he light
cd lantern TO go in search of honest man.
hope that there are q few sincere, pure Demo-
Gratis left than there were honest in his day,
cording 10 his version of honesty.
Mr.. President, let us reject these propositions let
kick them out Of Congress; let get to the egi
innate legislation of the country, let give the peo
pie protection and legislation within the prescribed
limits of the Constitution. All the legislation that
is necessary is little The requirements of the Gov
eminent. bet rs direct orr legislation in that Wav