The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1868-04-08

temporan eous with Its formatlon,s tn'
Constitution might be made to bear
different. Interpretation from that which
time has given il. The practical ques-
tion is, has it proven good Constitution
and fern of government for your Hav'
Won prospered under its administration
Have you been q prosperous, free and
happy people? Has this system b.
which ali the interests of your daily life
all the protection of your inalienabli
rights, all the management of your STATE
affairs have been con6ded Ito your owl
care without interference from the Fed
eral Government, worked well in you
case 4 Has, it not worked we'll in thu
case Of, every other State Z Has it .lef
you liberty which you know how to en-
joy Has it not imposed and ienforcee
the obligations necessary teits existence
The Federal system, justly administered
is the strongest for defense. the weakest
for aggression Its head possesses ener
gy aud decision and power; its parts en-
JOY liberty. .CGreat applause, So
? Why then call it a weak system! Why
seek by gradual aggressions upon the
States to change, itf Why hope tc
strengthen the ediice by drawing from
the strength .nf the pillars which support
1t ? Is. it not true-I appeal to every
candid man who hears me-is it not true
that every evil of Government which you
have ever experienced arises from Sex
'cessive admins tation, to use the Ian
guage ofJthe Massaehusetts. .Conyention
and not from vicious system p Is il
not; true that every; drawback on your
unparalleled growth has arisen from per
VERSIONS. of our system The, passion
for conseEdatfUn. Is at The. bottom Of all
the tra.ahlee of-7rfIe country this day
Let me iIlustrate-and bear with me while
L enter Somewhat into details They
may weary you, but they are full Of in.
struetion. ~ esis sesz-z tsfE3s t%s:EAf9f-
The revennessof the Federal Govern
men. in 1866 amounted to 1861 ,572 1885,
90. You can hardly realize, what.that
vast sum is When you undertake 10
count it, imagination almost stands abash-
ed. 1t would have .sufficed for the whole
expense of the Administration under
General Jacksonsfor more than twenty
years. The year 1866 was year Of pro.
found peace. The army had been dis
banded, the navy had been reduced, the
military expeditions had not only accom-
plished their purpose, but they, had been
brought to an end. And yet in that year
the Government Of the United, States
realized from its revenue 500, ,000, ,00o
more than the Kingdom of Great Britain,
and 500, ,oo0, ,oc0 more than the lEsapire
of France under Napoleon. IF that
amount has been assessed upon the peo-
pie of the United States, it would have
amounted, for every man, woman and
child in the country, to mere than Sll.-
46 in gold. And yet, in the same year
the taxation of Great Britain, assessed In
the same way, would have amounted to
S10.o2. The taxation of France would
have amounted to S7,97. and the taxa
ION of Austria to only S5.27.
IF that amount had been. assessed upon
all the taxable property, real and person
able, in the United States, it would have
amounted TO SO 90 upon every one hun
dred dollars, and if the taxation of Great
Britain. in the same year, it would have
amounted only to nine tentbs of one pei
cent. Laughter and cheers,1 The tax
able property of Great Britain real and
personal of every kind and description
amounts to $50, ,23S, 100000. The taxa.
BILE property of France amounts, to S40,-
900 200, 600, while The taxable property
of the United States, of the same charac
ter; amounts to less than ST. 5, ,000, ,00O,-
900. 1t the taxable property of Great
Britain were subjected to the same rate
'6f taxation az, prevails here, tbs, revenue
would be more than 81 ,424 GOO 900.
q The population of Great Britain, inclu-
ding her colonies, amounts to 255 ,000,l
600 of people. The population of the
United States amounts to less than 39,-
900, 900 Of people.
81 The .public debt of, Great Britain
amounts to S4, 000, 200, 900, while the
public debt of the; United States amounts
to $4,000, ,000.000 may1not state the
publieq debt atI.he exaet8 amount. The
Chairman of the Committee ON Finance
In the Senate has. stated il at 3,000,-
10000 The Chairman of the Com
7mlttee of Ways ard Meanssin sthe House
has stated it at 81, 900, ,000,eO0. .fsaI take
the smaller sum II the public debt Of
bhe ,Upited States were assessed. upof,
ievery man, won an aud schilduiu the coun.
try mean the HquidatedT debt, which
consists of somewhat more than 50, ,200,-
000-it would abe5 tequiyolent. to $74 o
head, while, the public debt of France, il
assessed in like. manner, would amount to
to S53, that of Austria TO 'S45, and that
iof Prussia to less than Sf2 a head
fCheers '',---s.-5
= The interest which the United States
pay, for money is six per cent. in gold
and, in addition, they grant an exemp-
ton from taxation, (which amounts proba
bly, to two per cent. more; while, as yor
all know, the interest of Great Britain
is three per cent and that of France still
1essSbi1 30 tesaiilf,iG aases $40 ruJb!i
It has been. stated lately, very tersel5
and. very truly, that when athee Unftet
States bofrows a Thousand dollars ID bor-
rows at rate which will pay the lender
in twenty years 50, 700, while the Cow
ernmert cf Great Britain, going to: tlat
same market, boffows the same amoun
of money, on terms which wiIlin twenty
years pay to the lender 81, 1000 The
Government of the United States, witt
its territory unexampied-in richness, with
its population unexamp pied in activity and
energy, pays greater rate of intcres
than any nation in Europe, even includ-
ing effete and worn-out Turkey. The
public debt of the Tinted States, which
I have told yon was SO ,000, ,Q0Q, ,000.. hai
been incurred all except $50, 900, 600
within five years. The public debt o.
Great Britain, amounting to 81, ,000, 900,
600, has accumulated during two hum
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