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Whole No. 447
Tarboroitgh, ( R&gecomhe Connly, X. C.) Saturday, March 30, 18
Vol. IX No 31.
7c "AforM Carolina Free Press,"
UY OLOKGE HOWARD,
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,'f!S -rflUbtf CK XT. .ff
lion. Jesse Speight's Circular, We have
beet) favored wilh a pamphlet copy of an address
"io the freemen of the counties of Johnston,
Wayne, Greene, Lenoir, Jones, Craven and Car
lercl, composing the fourth Congressional district
of North Carolina," by the Hon. J. Spkioh't,
il ited Washington City, February 2S, LSoJ.
The address is too lengthy fur insertion entire in
our columns we give below, however, a consi
derable portion of it; the remainder being devo
ted to the course of fhe.State of South Carolina
the theory of the Federal Constitution the bill
further to provide for the collection of duties on
imports, &c. At the conclusion of his address,
(Jen. Speight again makes a tender of his servi
ces to represent them in the next Congress.
Fellow Citizens: On the fourth of
.March, next, the political connexion
which exists between us will cense by the
termination of the period for which I was
chosen to represent you in the Congress
of the United States. At a moment like
the present, when the public mind is agi
tated from one end of the continent to
the other, by an excitement unparalleled
in our political history, growing out of
events familiar to you all, I should be un
worthy of the trust yon have reposed in
me were I to withhold the expression of
my frank opinion upon all questions of
public interest more especially those oc
currences of the first moment which have
transpired in a neighboring State.
Notwithstanding these domestic inqui
etudes, of which it will be my duly to
speak hereafter, we are enjoying, as a na
tion, a state of unexampled prosperity.
Profound peace with all foreign nations,
a wise administration of public affairs at
home, an overflowing treasury, a public
debt dwindled lo comparatively nothing,
and about to be entirely extinguished;
thus leaving to the representatives of the
people a task unexampled in the history
of nations, that of contriving means for
reducing the revenue, and keeping out
the flood of wealth which is pouring into
the public coffers; abundant harvests re
warding the toils of the husbandman, and
rich gains crowning the labors of indus
try and enterprize. These are blessings
of deep consolation to the heart of the
patriot in the midst of political dissen
sions; and for which our renewed thank
fulness is due to the great and good Dis
poser of human events.
On the first day of January last the
whole funded debt of the United States
was discharged. There remains, how
ever, of the unfunded debt nearly 87,000,
000, a part of which is strictly not re
deemable until January 1334, and the ba
lance in January 1335. But, as the com
missioners of the sinking im are autho
rized by law to buy up the debt at the
market price, and the means in the trea
sury being amply sufficient, we may hope
that during the present year the whole
will be discharged. It now only remains
for the Federal Government to circum
scribe its operations within the boufids
prescribed by the Constitution, so that,
while ntuhing is wanting for the protec
tion of the citizen in life, liberty and pro
perty, no more shall be taken from the
pockets of the people than these legiti
mate purposes require. This, and this
only, is the sum and substance of good
government that every man shall be se
cure in the enjoyment of the fruits of his
own labor, and the pursuit of his own de
sires, restrained only so far as is neces
sary for national defence, and the admi-
i .in
nistration of justice. The final extin
o rut
7 w puwuii uuoi leaves no
runner pretext lor violating the obvious
principles of the Constitution by the con
tinuance, in favor of the manufacturers,
of high taxc on the necessaries of life.
You are no doubt well aware that the
act of July last, to reduce the revenue,
does not go into operation before the
fourth of March next. The reduction
which it will produce in the revenue is
confidently estimated at 85,000,000: un
der that estimate the whole revenue from
customs, during the next year, will not
be far froln 817,000,000; a sum at least
seven millions beyond what is necessary
to be derive.d from customs for the sup
port of Government. It will therefore
become the duty of the next Congress,
which will come in under the nevv cen
sus, and in which we may expect u full
expression of tue popular will, so to mo
dify and further reduce the Tariff as to
bring down the revenue to tho wants of
the Government. . My own opinion has
been frequently declared, that 87,000,000
from imposts, and 83,000,000 from the
public lands, is all the money which
ought to go into the treasury. Ten mii
lions are amply sufficient for all the legi
timate demands of Government. But,
as Congress have in their wisdom estab
lished a splendid Pension System, u
mounting to something like an annual
expenditure of 85,000,000, owing to the
imperfections of which every tory as well
as whig of the revolution may get his
support out of the public chest, it is im
possible to limit the expenditures of the
Government to the amount I have stated.
I shall, therefore, assume as the quantum
of revenue necessary to he collected, the
sum of 814,000,000811,000,000 to be
raised from the customs, and 83,000,000
from the public lands, thus showing that
a further reduction of at least 8G,000,000
may with perfect safety be effected by the
next Congress.
The President of the United States, in
his message to Congress, at the com
mencement of the present session, recom
mended a further reduction, so as to
bring the revenue down to the wants of
the Government. In reference to this
consideration, the committee of ways and
means reported a bill, the consideration
of whirl) has consumed a great part of
the session, without the remotest proba
bility of effecting a desirable result. Al
though I believe, most conscientiously,
that the whole tariff system is radically
wrong and oppressive, and would most
eagerly seize tfpon any occasion .to assist
in removing it from the country, anil
thereby relieving the industry of the
whole people from most unjust, unnatu
ral, and pernicious restrictions, yet there
are demands of public justice and obliga
tions of public faith, in the settlement of
the question, to which I cannot be insen
sible. Interests created, and large capi
tals invested, under the encouragement of
existing laws, should not lightly be sacri
ficed by sudden and disastrous changes
of policy. Of the tariff system, its origin
and character, 1 have but one opinion
it is the work of demagogues, contrived
for political preferment an evil which j
inordinate ambition ami corrupt political
combinations have fastened -upon the
country, but which is not to be removed
by sudden and violent legislation. Na
tions, no less than individuals, are bound
by that invariable law of morals which
makes sorrow and suffering the necessa
ry expiation of every departure from
sound principles. . The right faith is not
to be gained but by self denying trials.
All attempts to avoid the consequences,
will be but a fraud upon a part of the
community, which cannot be perpetrated
but with manifest injustice, and by a wan
ton exercise of irresponsible power. In
dividuals arc not injured without a claim
for compensation, even in the most immi
nent public emergencies nor should
great interests be hastily sacrificed in
projecting a good scheme of public re
form; a scheme which is founded on the
acknowledged necessity of repairing the
injuries of one part of the country, arising
from mischievous legislation. Does it
become the representatives of the people
to sully so sublime an act of national mo
rality, by casting the entire burdens of
the expiation upon another portion of the
community, guilty only of the misfortune
(if such a phrase may be used) otMiaving
invested their property under the faith of
laws upon which the makers of the laws
have afterwards passed the sentence of
condemnation! Such, in my judgment,
would be the character of any laws abro
gating, suddenly and entirely, the policy
of protection. I am not willing thus ab
ruptly to doom thousands of meritorious
citizens to inevitable bankruptcy. My
own views look to a gradual annual re
duction of the tariff, spread over five years,
arranging the duties so as to bring in a
revenue not exceeding 811,000,000, hav
ing reference, to the relative rates upon
protected and unprotected articles, based
upon the policy of the country prior to
1324.
There never has been any reasonable
ground for believing that the present
Congress would so arrange the tariff' as
to give satisfaction to the country; and,
therefore, 1 will not disguise the fact,
that, anxious as 1 am, to see a further
reduction effected, and ardently as 1 de
sire the restoration of harmony among
the various interests of the country, 1
could have preferred a postponement of
the question until the next Congress in
which it is confidently believed such an
adjustment can be effected as will prove
satisfactory and permanent. You well
remember the protracted discussion with
which, at the last session of Congress, a
bill was passed which has not yet gone
into operation. To take up the same
subject by the same Congress under
these circumstances is a curious anomaly
in legislation, and could not be expected
to have a very favorable issue.
The motives which induced the recom
mendation, by our venerable President, of
a further '.reduction at this time, were, the
near extinction of the public debt, and a
desire Jo relieve the people from unneces
sary taxation, lie saw, what must occur
to every reflecting and patriotic mind, the
evils of an accumulating surplus in the
treasury, especially in its tendency to be
get corrupt combinations among the rep
resentatives in Congress, and all the drea
ded effects upon the public councils, of a
general scramble for the public money.
Though the present session will, in all
probability, pass away without any final
action in Congress responsive to these
principles, we may be assured that they
will not be lost sight of in the administra
tion of the government. They will be
made the leading points in the policy of
the executive, who has done so much, al
ready to break up the schemes of injus
tice, and the systems of selfish policy, by
which ambitious politicians have for per
sonal objects, so long distracted the coun
try; and the succeeding Congress, elected
to sustain that executive, will harmonize
more closely with his patriotic efforts.
Since writing the above, the bill heretofore
introduced into the Senate by" Mr. Clay, h.is
passed the House of Representatives, and will
doubtless become a law. ' I have neither time
nor space to enter into any thing like a delinea
tion of this measure. Although I voted for it, I
deem it objectionable in many respects; and as a
measure of permanent policy, I think it perfect
ly irreconcileable to the mind of any man who is
not utterly lost to 3 just sense of his rights. To
those who by their rashness and precipitancy in
relation to the tariff policy, have produced an
agitation unparalleled in the history of the coun
try, is this law (should it pass) solely attributa
ble. How they can reconcile it to their con
sciences, is to me a mystery. It is true, it pla
ces the country in no worse situation than it now
is, and may do much good by furnishing a gap
for the Iullifiers to jump out at. At a proper
time, however, I shall say a wort! or two in rela
tion to this m'atler.
These are the hopes entertained from
the next Congress by the friends of sim
ple economical government and equal
burdens. Thev sec that a great revolu
lion has been going on nay, is accom
plished, in public sentiment, and that the
forms of the law and the Constitution
will in due time be sufficient to give full
effect to the sentiment, and, in conjunc
tion with the constituted authorities of
the Union, establish on sure foundations
the rights, the peace, and the liberties of
all parts and interests of this wide spread
republic. With this sanguine expecta
tion, I cannot believe that my fellow citi
zens of North Carolina will afford any
countenance to extraordinary and violent
measures for precipitating the crisis,
much less to any combinations against
the existing laws of the country. Not
only the near approach of relief from
the evils which so sorely oppress us, is an
assurance that you will frown upon all
disorganizing movement; but, even if the
prospect were more remote, and the re
turn of the Federal Government to sound
political principles much less certain,
than we have reason to believe, I have full
confidence in your willingness to bear
with your burdens much longerto try
all the modes of conciliation, and respect
ful and constitutional efforts for reform,
while evils are tolerable, rather than haz
ard the existence of the Union, and put
liberty itself in danger by revolutionary
excesses; for the purpose of getting rid of
your proportion of five or six millions of
taxes, levied on the whole population of
the country. 1 am satisfied you feel with
me, that these things are too precious to
be periled lightly, or to be weighed in a
usurers balance against dollars and cents
and am persuaded that you will yield
perfect obedience to the laws, in a gov
ernment of laws and, if need be, will
co-operate with your physical strength
to secure the dominion of law, which is
the-safeguard of all order and liberty,
against the assault of every, and whatev
er combination, acting under any and
whatever pretences.
CT'One of the stages, in crossing a
creek near Macon, (Ga.) a few days ago,
was washed down below the ford into
swimming water, and upset, when one of
the passengers, Mr. Charles W. Wash
ington, merchant of Macon, and three of
the horses were drowned. RaL Star.
?Tho Legislature of Virginia appro
priated 82,500 as a compensation to Ben
jamin Watkins Leigh, Esq. for his ser
vices as a Commissioner to South Ca
rolina. ib.
(tAt the late Temperance meeting
held at Washington City, at which
Governor Cass presided, it was stated
by Dr. Edwards that in this country one
and a half millions of men have ceased to
use ardent spirits as a drink fifteen hun
dred persons have ceased to make, and
four or five thousand persons have ceas
ed to sell this article six hundred ves
sels now cross the ocean and do not car
ry with them. this poison.
Dreadful Murder. A gentleman who
arrived iu this city from Lebanon, (New
Hampshire,) states that a most shocking
murder was perpetrated in that town last
Saturday, by a monster named Fox, on
his sister and brother-in-law, named An
nis. It is said that Fox swore that he
would kill his sister, if she married An
nis, and accordingly shortly after the
marriage, he went to their house and at
tempted to kill Annis with a knife, but
failing in his attempt, he retired and pro
cured an axe, with which he returned and
struck him on the neck, culting clear
through the bone, and killing him in
stantly. His sister fled, but he pursued
her, drew a pistol, which, missing fire se
veral times, he beat her to death with
it. Boston Statc$??ian.
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