The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-19
If TOO MUCH REVENUE UNDULY STRENGTHENS
TIE GOVERNMENT TOO LITTLE, uNDULY
WEAKENS TT


regard to government in general tits emphatcaly SO
in regard TO federal government The greatest en-
barrassment of the old Confederation was its want Of
efficient revenue system. common danger and
a common necessity held the confederacy together
during the revolutionary struggle but when the
pressure of that great emergency withdrawn
there was at once union and confederation only in
Our present constitution arose from the pal
pable certainty that existed of immediate disso-
luton of the old Confederation.
Strong as this Union now is, and powerfully as is
the influence of our system of free trade free inter
course free emigration, and free citizenship between
the States, in binding the whole together by innu.
merable bonds, yet doubt if the abandonment Of
an indirect system Of general taxation by means Of
mposts upon foreign commerce. and resort to
direct excuses levied by the States for federal
expenditure in quotas called for by Congress-
would not al once dsintegrate the government and
politically dissolve the Union
The revenues of the federal government constitute
the sinews of its strength; and as, the one hand
nothing would effectually realize the idea of
strong government, or the scheme Of a consolidated
empire swallowing up the individuality Of the States
Tcuunuaul IeNeHuc anu I'LL iiptiidi SNiio VI
federal expenditures nothing would sooner para
I'VE the Union and shake the whole federal fabric to
its foundations than system of revenue inadequate
to meet it's just requirements, and insufficient TO sus-
tain those great of public service without
which government can nave no consideration at
home or abroad, and perform with efficiency
none of the functions which belong to supreme
authority.
1t requires but little reflection to be convinced that
if the federal government dependent for its
revenues upon the quotas of contribution which it
should levy upon the States and did not possess an
independent revenue of its own, levied by its own
laws, and collected by its officers, its energies
would be very feeble Its reclamations upon the
States for contributions of money to the general treas
urv would be treated with much indifference or
positive insult some OF its laws now meet with
contumey in several of The States of the Union II
various States of the Union, in spirit of fanat
ica opposition will set its laws at defiance, 1t is
certain that these States, and many others be-
sides would treat its demands for money, which would
touch the pockets oftheir people with equal contempt
refusing or turning deaf to its calls for contr
buttons 1t the frequent refusal of the several
colonies to come forward with the contributions ap
portioned to them by the Continental Congress that
brought our revolutionary government into all its
troubles and on many occasions, weli-nigh lost the
great cause in which they Were struggling
We could paraphrase the adage quoted at the
beginning, and declare without paradox that the
Tariff is the Union Nay it is almost true that ac
cordng as we increase decrease the revenue levied
by means of the tariff, increase decrease the
strength Of the federal government tits not strange
therefore, that upon this vital subject of the tariff,
the politics of our country should have been divi-
ded since the foundation of the government. One
party has contended from the beginning for the pol
icy Of combining the leves by the tariff to such
enue as would meet all the Legitimate and consttu-
tional objects designed to be subserved by the fed
cral government another has endeavored to trans
cend those limits, and not only to raise revenue for
a vast series of miscellaneous expenditures foreign to
the constitutional objects of the government, but TO
levy it in such manner as to affect domestic in
terests and to accomplish domestic objects properly
belonging TO the exclusive cognzance of the State
governments Heretofore the great battle of parties
on the tariff has been confined to the question of
constitutonaAy and properly limiting the operations
of the tariff, or undnly magnfying and extending
them to embrace objects either foreign to the powers
fthe federal government, dsproportioned to its
constitutional objects On this question the battle has
been won by tho strict constructionsts; and it is
not probable that any persistent effort will ever
again be made to pervert the tariff to the purpose of
raising too redundant revenue, of unduly favor
ing petted classes in the community.
But it does not follow that political contests the
tariff are to cease with the signal triumph which the
democratic party have achieved over the advocates
Of High revenues and Protection. The indications
now are that they will be assaed from the other
point of the compass, and will have to combat the
advocates either of total abolition of a tariff sys-
tenn or of system reduced to a scale at which
il will be inadequate to supply sufficient revenues
for the proper and efficient administration of the
government Already are propositions pending be
fore Congress for repeal Of the federal revenue
laws and resort to direct taxes, to be levied
NV the States for the federal exchequer. Al
though not brought forward in that spirit in
tended for such purpose at ALL these propositions
are in Gct nothing more less than suggestions
Cor the dissolution of the Union. There is also a
strong inclination actuatng large and respectable
portion of Congress-, to reduce the tariff materially
below the point of providing sufficient revenue