The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-05
To the Memory of Nath-
anieI Macon.
Continued from First Page.)

uatlon, such as new treaties and the en-
parSo act. Mr.. Macon was solicitous to
pursue a course which might bring relief
and yet avoid war. He said:
This nation, in my opinion, must
take her choice of two alternatives: to
DE happy and contented without war, and
without internal taxes. or to be warlike
anu glorious, Astounding with what is
called honor and dignity, or in other
words taxes and blood. If it be the first
the people viii continue to en-
joy that which they have hith-
/ erto enjoyed-more privileges than
have fallen to the lot of any nation with
whose history we are acquainted: they
| VIII, as they have done, live plentifully
on their farms. and such as choose will
carry on fair trade by exchanging our
| surplus productions for such foreign ar
! ticles as we may want. If we take the
ether ground we shall, fear, pursue the
same career which has nearly, or quite
ruined all the nations of the globe. Look
at the people of England, legally free,
nut half their time fighting for the hon
or and dignity of the crown and the car
rying trade, and see whether they have
|
| the. nation except taxes and these they
| have in greatest abundance. Look also
at France before the revolution and we
| shall see a people possessing a fertile
country and fine climate, having the
honor to fight and be taxed as much as
they could bear, for the glory and dig
nifty of the Grand Monarque Let US
turn from these two great nations. and
rriy
Rod, though not powerful like the eth
ers, we shall see the people free ard
| happy without wars, contented at homo.
because they have enough to live COM
fortably on and are not over taxed The
history of these three nations ought to
convince us that public force and liberty
cannot dwell in the same country.
When the interference with our com
merce become intolerable under the later
British Orders in Council and the Berlin
and Milan DEGREES of Napoleon. he be-
came leader in the movements for re-
lief. AS chairman of the Committee on
boreign Affairs he reported and secured
the passage of a bill through the House.
known as Macon Bill No. 1. which was
understood to have the approval of the
president and Mr Gallatin 1t excluded
French and English warships and mer-
chant vessels from our ports, restricted
the Importation of French and English
goods to vessels owned wholly by Amer
lean citizens and to such as came d.
rectly from England or France. 1t has
Been characterized as the "onlv meas
IRE short of war which met the require
ments of the case" The ground of Mr.
Macon s support was that sit places re-
strictions on those who restrict us and
not rs at present on ourselves" This
bill was defeated by a coalition of Fed
eralists and personal enemies of Gala
tin. Macon Bill. No. 2. milder meas
ure, was then brought forward and
passed, but it was not sufficient to stay
the mischief and his wise efforts to avoid
war were defeated.
Mr.. Macon rendered great service to
the country in his defence of the Con-
stitution. In one speech he said There
are five or six different WAYS found of
getting poverty construction. bv
treaty, by implication and so forth. RI
am willing to execute the Constitution
Just as it was understood bv those who
made it and no other" and again 1--WE
get power faster than the people get
money. The biographer of Randolph
writes: Besides Mr.. Randolph Nathan
iel Macon, of North Carolina, and Spen-
Ger Rome, Chief Justice of Virginia. were
the most conspicuous statesmen in that
time of amalgamation and confusion of
all parties. They were ever consistent
and uniform in their adherence to the
principles of the strict construction
school, and always urgent for these
measures of economy and that course of
wise and mastery inactivity which |
must ever characterize a party based on
such principles" 1t is at this point that |
men have failed to comprehend Mr. Ma |
con. He was not what would then or |
now be called progressive or construc-
tive statesman. His idea was that the |
people who formed the government were
entirely capable of managing it and
changing it to meet their wishes when |
they saw fit; that the government could |
not enlarge its prerogative except by en- |
croachmcnt upon the rights of the peo- |
pie; that the officers of government We're |
the servants of the people and could |
have no authority except as the people |