The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-01-25

nl'herto n,oyed-moIe privileges
man nave 1alIen to the lot or any
Iatlcn With whose history we are ac-
qualnted; they viii, as they have done,
I'VE pltnti1uily on their farms, and
such as choose will carry on a talr
trade by exchanging our surplus pro-
uuctons Tor such foreign articles as
we may want. If we take the other
ground we shall, | fear, pursue the
same career, which has nearly. or
quite, ruined all the nations of the
slope. Look at the people of Eng
land, legally free, but half their time
flghtlnS for the honor and dignity OF
the crown. and the carrying trade,
and see whether they have gained
anything by all their battles for the
hdtlon except taxes, and these they
nave IN greatest abundance. Look
also at France before the Revolution
and we shall see a people possessing
a 1ertlfe country and fine climate,
having the honor to light and be
taxed as much as they could bear,
for the glory Of the Grand Monarque.
Let US turn from these two great ma
tons, and view Switzerland, during
the same period, though not powerful
IKE the others, we shall see the peo-
pie free and happy without wars, CON
tented at home, because they have
enough to live comfortably on and
are NOT oVer-taXed. The history or
these three nations ought to convince
us that public force and liberty can
not dwell in the same country
When the interference with our
became intolerable under
the British Orders in Ouncil and the
Berlin and Milan DEGREES Of Napoleon,
he became a leader in The movements
for relief. AS chairman of the Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs he reported
ana secured the passage of a bill
through the House., known as Macon
Bill No. /, which was understood to
have the approval of the President
and Mr.. Gallatin. It excluded French
and English warships and merchant
vessels from our ports, restricted the
importation of French and English
goods to vessels owned wholly by
American citizens and to such as came
directly from England or France. 1t
has been characterized as the only
measure short of war which met the
requirements Of the case" HI
ground of MI. Macon's support was
that 1T places restrictions on those
who restrict us and not, as at present,
on OurselVes." This bill was defeated
by q coalition of Federalists and rnr-
sonal enemies Of Ga1latin. Macon Bill
No. 2. a milder measure. was then
brought forward and passed, but it
'SSo y I - IoS il1S lIl1S ~
and his wise efforts to avoid war were
defeated.
When peaceful measures failed to
secure protection for American inter
estS, Mr.. Macon was for war: and
when that vas declared he gave it
hearty support. Indeed he proposed
to go further in strengthening the
hands Of the administration than the
majority in Congress were willing to
follow him. At the same time he de-
clined to vote for certain measures
that he thought unWise. This has
occaSioned a charge against him OF
voting for the war and then refusing
to vote supplies for carrying it on.
The imputation does Mr.. Macon great
Injustice. Few men knew better than
he the financial weakness of the coun-
try and its inability to indulge in reck-
less expenditures. The closing events
Of the war amply Justified his course.
Peace became necessary because the
government was unable to maintain
its credit. This necessity was so great
that a treaty was negotiated and sign
ed which did not settle nor even mem
ton the principal matter in dispute:
and that question. the right to search
vessels of another nation for subjects
Of the searching Power. was never
settled between the United states and
Great Pritain until the hannaring Of
the ce1ehra+ed ''Trent Affair." during
our Civil War.
Mr.. Macon rendered great service
to the country in his defense Of the
Constitution. In one speech he said:
There are five or six different WAYS
found Of getting poverty construc-
ton, by treaty, by implication and
so forth. l am willing to execute the
Constitution just as it was understood
by those who made it and no other"
and again, 1--WE get power faster than
the people get money! The biog-
rapher of Randolph writes: Besides
Mr.. Randolph, Nathaniel Macon, Of
North Carolina, and Spencer Roane.
chief Justice of Virginia, We're the
most conspicuous statesmen in that
time of amalgamation and confusion
of all parties. They were ever con-
sistent and uniform in their adher-
---a Il L. r.s-oi-lan - ~. =