Mcatfort• ttif,ovt`•
Free Noll, Free Speech, Free Mesa!
'reed/Pm far he. Territerp.
E a GOODRICH, EDiTOR. ,
Towanda, Wednesday, Deeem. ;3,1848.
The Message.
The great length of the Poilestorp crowds oat our
usual variety. News, editorial and ad vcrtisementa,
all have to give way to this annual inli;ction. Our
ramarks upon this document are delerrcil until next
week.
Tits CHOLERA a New Pose.--Several cases of
cholera have occurred in New York. The owes
are entirely confined to the steerage passengers o,
the packet ship New Yoik, just arrived from Li vet
pool. Twenty-nine cases and nineteen &atlas bad
omitted.
public .fficctinne.
Meeting In Athena.
At a netting of the bona' of ,Athens And ete'uiry held
to d borough on lVedatesday even:rti.t. ttbl Novrtutr•r,
pursunut to public not cc. An the purittote M takung Into MI •
internt.ott the proper Mean! to . r tittoplrd us a preeentrettve
flintier Annoynnee from hark- rare% in the stetghttnrhoultil4.l
A 1 2 1:11KINS erns ended to the elm r. an.l AIAMTIN
chosen Secretory, The iotlow.ttg Preen:6le and ltrsotut.uns
were atioptM:—.
AV hereon., The people of the borongh of At' en. and ve-n
-ity have tar MMc week. , past been re i testetny disturbed by
hwite races in their neighbodstrw! wit en Wive collerterbietrther
la?gs tasseinlilirs of penple. intended by the ewe. usual on
such areas ons--grently to the smut) nitre of our peace, and
Prilld'eal to Mr mural clasowier to the place.. Thcreore
Resolved, That in the intramsge of the Art of Assemlity
against horse nicing we tirrlare such horse rams to lie rout.
niqu iiirsanees' The race iffotlll , l :s the foci's for thr misers:i
bis's:Tot' black-legs. pilferers. torruipentte nod vicionL.
• The - races see porductive of no gond but on the erattrarT
mote idleness intemperance. produidy.gaittlilmg and other un-
Mortsilities. The Youth err miliwed by rutros ty to assemble
at the races and are thus 1114.1 C acquainted with the vices at
tending them.
Resolved: That as we regard the preservaiMst of the put.-
t.e peace. the good moral. , of Ow community. nniresper ally us
we would guard nor }oath agu net the eommu noting intlueti
ce of such immoralities we feel hound to emforee the 'wit:Mies
of tin! Act against horse racing upon all wl.o shall vmlate it
in thus place or vem ty.
Resolved, That Choy Comstock. Purace Willi:eon. Jr. N
Lellort. Geo A. Perkins.('. F. (Veils Jr. t. 1-1 Sherman and
li. W. Patrick. he appoint.," swomm.tiee to see that prws-rn
i/0/111 are mistimed suit pm...caned to term oat on for all • .ola
con. of said art. and that tee iteliv.ilitslly will nee nur tier
toes to en Ore:- said act ',gamin all persons eiolattng ti to snl
loot , or retnity.
Resolved, That ihrse proceedings be published In the ncfcs
papers printed in Ormithril enmity.
(Signed by the Officers
Canal Meeting In Towanda.
MI 111onday evening. the 11th oust pursuant to peer one pale
Iv notice. a ;erg,• itteceitn: of the e I ens of the energy was
held 4 t the Meilest at Church ; which on mobil ist .1 C. A lams
w.c cal ed to order and organised by. the Select ono!
the loth:et I I oleos: %VAL ELL. Pres:dent. Henry
They, James E:11 nil. George knit, y. C 1.. tV ant John Pmts.
more. A..be Sic Cud. llornee %Volt. ton D. Holinek, Saninel
St :vi•as t F. AttNt er Aire el/ nl. r tepbe o Tierce. B. 1.4 •
H. r.. /trident r. Albert Newel:. Vlce lees dews
W. Pair cit. and Illyssus k'erear Seeretnries. The Presi
dent naiad the object 01 the meet.on to hrt to lake Into roam&
ernt on the beet Ulnae 04 nel'On 10 ensure the speedy comple
loon 0/ the Nord* Bettileh Canal. fle,eXplaineol at length the
sausatsnu of the work and showed clearly that the best Ono,
es, of the State frqU'lre. flint it iollotoltl W3lhotil norther delay
penritle the ni-ons for romplet - 0t ilt s connectirt: bnb ol the
meat chain of Internal Improvements projected by tli:s and
none,' Slate..
ht on&mer to calla from the meting, it was than ahlr ord
r'oryoeatiy addresrool by C 1.. %Yard .1. C Adom4. N. %tin. -
too, 1.. 0. IlancroP, C. Aereur, 0. I"...Union und:ll. W. Trri.
Fatt,rr. after h.r ,
On mm on of E.lward Ozerion a comm . note of Gee was al - -
Minted to draft a memor al to thrt•Leris'ainre enrwmily roger
meow Out adoption of ta . •aaa for tho:ttnmed toe compet.on of
North Branch Canal. The chats ap;.. turd Etron that Comm.,:
ter hlward (Merlon naval CnAh. h. R. Myer. B. W. Nortek.
an I E. W. Bar I, Emirs. On mocon of C. 1.. Ward, a corm
m tier of eorrropontleitce watt approntotl. The Char spro.ll
- L. Wtird, r !Bomar. J.,r Atlatret• Jo'.. F. Moans.
11.1 I).l , l,l3artenw. Owtnnlson. main-tier of F none..
prett ojtde red 10 to arra Wed eftlaraitrti V Jai a perms& far
leftelriournaltip through which the canal pamott wht•roaprut
the chair appomird the Otlhwring promma W. Trarr. F.
Unmet. Wyal imerg ; H. W. Irracy. Albert Nowell, Stan ling
atone: Jommh Pallet I. Edo'. Cotiltangli. W)Aox ; D. Cold,, H.
Myer. Towanda horn' mud tp. : I. SI I'.ke. Oily Tracy. Ulotor ;
Ewd. Niamey. John Waikata. Albeit*. The memlng. moires
led the roost I.voly inter-at open the salleet whteh cabled
if together, rut-well as a G rod 1i..1.`nl nu' nn so rout:atm to sir
nsoul jmn or to the North at the ImmlA of the leg'idattire. rand
ia urgo upon that hotly the suicidal policy o renjanung Issue
4;v£{ upon the milkier!.
noMna.Remolved. That the pmeeedtop of th e
ameted hog the officers, and - published in the newspapers of the
coun'lr..
ntignml by Cie oflc TS 1
Proceedings of the XXXik Congress,
SECOND SESSION
. .
At an early hoar this morning, the 7allcries wore
crowded with spectuors, reporter., retter write s,
&c., all impatient for the commencement 'of the
short session of the 30th Conzress. At twelve, M.,
,a quorum of Senators being present, the Senate
vias called to order.
Alter prayer—
Mr. D.su:slass. at Illittois, rose, and after a few
preu'ory remarks, of an unimp3rtant character,
state,) that he would at an eatly day introduce a
14 fur the purpose of organising territorial govern
ments fur the new territories of Nebraska, Dlineso
to, Now Alexice and California.
Mr. Cameron, of l'antiqlvania, gave notice that
he would introduce a bill providing fur the tak;ng
of the CCDMA of 1850
OA motion, the Vice President appointed Messrs.
Kind, of A lbany, Tumey of Tentiessee,And
of Massachusetts, a Committee, on the part of the
Senate, Jo wait on the President and to inform'him
of their orpnirmion.
Mr. Cameron oft; reel a resolution, an horizing
tiro eusto.n try number of new gapers to be taken
for the use of the. Senators.
Haase.—Theattesela-ice of mernhens was much
larzor than was anticipated; and at 12 o'clock—a
quorum t.ing present--the members were called
to order by the Speaker. The roll was ealed by
the clerk of the last !tense.
Mess s. Blackman, of South earolin and Greely,
of New York. (elected to fill vacancies in the pres
mit Cmgress.) appeared—were qualified; and took
their seats. Mr. G eJly looked a. n u on.mme.l
if he was treatlifig his way throigh his own prin
hog olliee; and, for a %wailer,. th if white dual was
lint visible.
A inessaqo was received fmm the Senate, infor
mal:4 dot !louse that that bo.ly had organized.
Mr. Weatworth, of Illinois, moved that a riles
sage of a like iinoart should be, transmitted to the
Senate fmm the llouse, and that a Committee be
a,ipointeal to wait on the l'resideiat, to inform him
01 such orgaoir_atlent. Adopted.
Wil rosy for the porpo4e of making some
expla story mniark4 in re. aril to the So;nriachal.
singular p )sition of Mr. Sibley, a member of Wis
consin. who nets as a clelega , .e fro.n the now tern
tory of Minesota.
Remarks were nvide by several members, which
partook morn of a colloquial than of a declamatory
character, when the whole subject was referred to
the Committee on Territories.
_ .
Mr. M Arphy oft wed a r=olution to the effect that
members should o:cuziy the sane seats which they
had last session.
This was warmly oP:mseil—several members on
the floor at cmcc, iu ea.:a:nem to point out the in
justice of adeptiti.4 such a resolution. S o me con
tended flint the priuciple of volition in ofiize shou'd
ho applied to seats— nut drat if membara at one
au.atoni Were unfiratiale enough r o draw" bad
seats, it was some co isolation to think that at the
next ressian they millu have hotter luck. The ree
Onion was
Mr. E.an,t. of Maryland, the , :t offerell a resole
fete that tneat bars should Waite, lottery faeltior,
fur than seat*.
Tina re•tohnion wa‘ ad.tived with- _ r end nano.
tinny. and the balloting and selectlng tualtwAlt
commenced.
OttP- The prneeediu4s Congre.4s up to the Dth,
wete uoimpartaut..priuctpally
PIittIDENT'S MESSAGES
4 1; - 4; iiiii
.7 1 , ;. --- 4
Itis 06 ntly . ed . t ; avitbersa
(rani their eltectslbilie salitanFloperati4:of Aiii
eonetitutionittreasuryo„...los certain 'lll4l'-if 114
24,08_0,000 ot;specie mapongd in* theittuntry'
slut the ascii a - carolling aiiilbelpi /th ofjone 1 ,
'had:gone intilite bank*. as tea grant diens it m
ave 4one:it would:in the sbience of this system,
have been made the basis of aug mented bank paper
issues, probahlyAwaimanualnktsallsait filkl.ooos
-000 or $70,000,000, producing. as an inevitable con
sequence of an inflated currency, extravagant pri
ers for a time, and wild speculation, which most
have been followed, on the reflux to Europe, she
succeeding year; of so much of that specie, -by the
prostration of the baldness of the country. the see
pen slot' -1 the banks. 'nem 'ost extensive bankrupt
cies. Occurring, as thii would have done, at a
period when the country was engaged in a foreign
war, when considerable loans of specie were requir
ed for distant disbursements. and when the banks.
the fiscal agents of the government, and the deposi
tories ofits money, were suspended, the public cred
it must have ionic, and many millions of dollars, as
was the case during the war of 1812, must have
iteen sacrificed in discounts upon loans, apd upon
the depreciated paper currency which the govern
ment would have been compelled to use.
Under the operations of the constitutional treasu
ry, not a dollar hes been lost by the depreciation of
the currency. The loans required to prosecute the
war with Mexico were negotiated by the Secretary
of the Tressm7 above par, realising a large premi
a n to the government. The r:straining effects of the
system upon the tendencies to excessive paper is
-nes by banks has saved the government from heavy
losses, and thousands of oar business men from
bankruptcy and ruin. The wisdom of the systeln
has been tested, by the experience of the last two
years ; and it is the dictate of sound policy that it
should remain undistubed. The modifications in
some of the details of this measure, involving none
of its essential principles, heretofore recommended,
are again presented for your favorable (considera
tion.
lEEE
Funded stock of the United States, amounting to
about half a million of dollars, has been purchased,
as authorized by law, since that period, and the pub
lic debt has thus been reduced ; the details of which
will be presented in the annual report of the Secre
tary of the Treasury.
The estimates of expenditures for the next fiscal
year, submitted by the Secretary of the Treasury,
it is believed will be' ample for all necessary pur
poses. If the approbationa made by Congress
shall not exceed me amount estimated, the means
in the treasury will be salicient to defray all ex
penses of the government ; to pay off the next iii
staiment of $3.000.000 to Mexico, which will fall
due on the 20th of May next i% and still a considers
b!e surplus will remain, which should be applied to
the further f nrebase of public stock and reduction
of the debt. Should enlarged appropriations be
made. the necessary coneeluence will be to post
pone the payment of the debt. Though our debt,as
compared with that of most other nations, is small
it is our true policy, and in harmony with the ge
nius of our institutions, that we should present to
the world 160 -rare spectacle of a great republic,
p^ a^sang vast restiorces and weal I, wholly ex
empt from public indebtedness. This would add
still more to our strength, and give to us a still
more commanding position among the nations of
the earth.
WASIIINGTON. M.c 4
fa my message of the sixth of July last, transmit
ting to Congress the ratified treaty of peace with
Mexico. I recommend the adoption of measures for
the speedy payment of the public debt. In reitera
ting that recommendation, I refer you to the con
siderations presented in that message in its support.
The public debt. including that authorized to be ne
gotiated, in pursuance of existing laws, and includ
ing treasury notes, amounted at that time to $65,-
7711450 41.
The public expendittows should be economical,
and be confined to such necessary objects as are
clearly ithm the powers of Congress. All. such
as are not absoltnety demanded should be postpon
ed. and the payment of the public debt at the earli
est practicable period should be a cardinal princi
ple of our public policy.
For the reason assigned in my last• annual mes
sage. I repeat the recommendation that a branch of
the mint of the United States be established at the
city of New York. The importance of this_mra
sure is greatly increased by the acquisition of the
rich mines of the pr. cious metals in New Mexico
and California, and especially in the latter.
I repeat the recommendation, heretofore made, in
favor of the graduation and reduction of the price
such of the public lands as have been long offered
in the market; and have remained unsold, end in
favor of extending the rights of pre-emption to ac
tual settlers on the unsurveyed as well as the sur
veyed !aids.
The condition and operations of the army, and
the state ofottiCr branches of the public service un
der the supervision of the War Department. are
satisfactorily presented in the accompanying report
of the Secretary tif War.
On the return of peace, onr forces were withdrawn
from Mexico, and the volunteers and that portion of
the regular army engaged fur the war were dis
banded. Orders have been issued for stationing
the forces of our permanent establishment various
positions in our extended country, where troops
may be required. Owing to the remoteness of some
of these positions, the detachments have not yet
reached their destination. --filotwithstanding the ex
tension rf the limits of our ciktatry and the forces
required in the new territories, it is confidently be
lieved that our present military establishment is
sufficient for all exigricies, so long as oar peaceful
relations remain undisturbed.
Of the amount of military contributions collected
in Mexico. the sum of $769,650 dollars was applied
towards the payment of the 61st instalment line en
der the treaty with Mexico. The further sum of
$346,369 30 has been paid into the treasury,and un
expended balances still remain in the hands of dis
bursing officers and those who were engaged in the
collection of these mpleys. , After the prrelama
tion of peace, no further disbursements were made
of any unexpended moneys arising from this
source. The balances on hand were directed to be
paid into the treasury, and individual claims on the
fund will remain unadjusted until Congress shall
authorize their settlement and payment. These
claims ate not considerable in number or amount.
I recommend to your favorable consideration the
sug,zestions of the Secretary of War and the /Secre
tary of the Navy in regard to legislation on tlas
subject. "
Our Indian relations are presented in a most fa
serable view in the report from the War Depart
ment. The w isdom of our pnbey in regard to the
tribes within our limits. is dimly manifested by
their improved and rapidly improving condition.
A most important treaty with the litenomunies
has been recently negotiated by the Commission
ers of Indian Affairs in person by which all their
land in the State of Wisconsin.,—being about 4,000,-
090 of arxes—% - ts been ceded to the-United States.
This treaty will be submitted to the Senate for rati
fication at an early period of your present session.
With n the last four years, eight important trea
ties have been negotiated with different Indian
tribes, and at a cost of $1,812,000: Indian lands to
the amount of more than 18,500,000 acres have
been ceded to the United Slates: and provisions
have been made fur settling in the country west of
the Mississippi the tribes which occupied this large
extent of the public domain.. The title to all the
Indian lands within the several States of our Union
with the exception of a fee small reservations, is
now extinguished, and a vast region opened for,
settlement and cultivation.
Phe accompanying report of the Pecretary of the
Nary gives a satisfactory exhibit of the operations'
and condition of that branch of the public service.
Al( number of small vessels suitable for entering
the mouths of rivers were judiciously purchased
durit e' , the war, and gave great efficiency to the
squadron -in the Gulf of Mexico. On the return of
peace, when no longer valaable for naval purposes
and liable to cottsmnt deterioration, they were sold,
and the money placed in the treasury.
The number of men is the naval service author-
ized by law durinz the war, hat been reduced by
dpieltarees below the maximum Ased` for the peace
e itablishment. Adequate squadrons are wais
t tined in the several quarters of the globe where
e speric neebas shown their cervices may las most
socially employed; and the naval service vas
- ,
liaise or gresler
efficiency.
I invite attention to the reentimendstion of the
r it 7;: f N " ofthetbrettret thrftarin
°cps. t den
the four officers timbal
ba
thrfe _ ' Id be drop ronglie role
A of Oki ade the setae ; al4 *oaf
d e :again' I wire newitssarily dimple:4 butiiitboik
agyatisetitialL concur in opinion ih 'the'
secretary. that the service wriald be improved by
reducing the number of landsmen, and increasing
-thewaturinah, *ar s on_ jai--
crease of the numberof office' rs to the esteni of the
reduction by dismissal, and still the corps would
have fewer cams than a corresponding number of
men in the army.
The contracts for the transportation of the mail
in steamships convertible into, wsr►stesmers, prom
ise to realize all the benefits to one commerce and
t i the navy, which were anticipated. The first
steamer thus secured to the government was ben
ched in January, lOU. 1 here are sow seven; and
in another year there will, probably, be not less
than seireateen afloat. While this great national
advantage is secured, our semi and commercial
intercourse is increased and promoted with:Germa
ny, Great Britain, and•other parts of Europe. with
all the countries on the west coast of our continent
especially with Oregon and California, and be
tween the northern and noathern sections of the
United Putts: C*siderable revenue may be ex
peeled from postagn; but the connected line from
New YOrk to Cnagres, and thence across the isth
mus to Oregon, cannot fail to exert a beneficial in
fluence, not now to be estimated, on the interesis
of the manufactures, commerce, navigation and
corn lacy of the United States. As an important
part of the system, I recommend to your favorable
consideration the mat lisl in at of the proposed line
of steamers between New Orleans and Vera Cruz.
It promises the most happy results in cementing
friendship between the two republics, and in ex
tending reciprocal benefits to the trade and manu
factures of both.
The report of the Pootmaster General will make
known co you operations of that department for the
past year.
It is gratifying to find the revenues of the depart
ment. under the rates of postage now established
by law, so rapidly increasing. The gross amount
of postage* during the last fiscal year amounted to
$4,371,077, exceeding the annual average received
for the nine years immediately preceding the pas
sage of the act of the third of March. 1846. by the
sum of $8,463, and exceding the amount received
for the year ending the thirtieth of June, 1847, by
the sum of $423.184.
The expenditures for the year,excluding the sum
of $94,672, allowed by Congress at its last session
to individual claimants, and including the sum of
$100,500, paid for the services of the line of steam
ers between Bremen and New York, amounted to
$4,108,845, which is less than the annual average
for the nine years previous to the act of 1844, by
$300,478.
The mail routes, on
,the 30th day of June last,
were 163409 miles in extent—being an increase
during the last year of 9,390 miles. The mails
were transported over them, during the same time,
41,012,579 miles; making an increase of transpor
tation for the year of 2,124,680 miles, whilst the ex
pense was lest than that of the previous year by
235.
The increase-in the mail transportation within
the last three years has been 5,378,310 miles whilst
the expenses were reduced so6,73B—making an
increase of service at the rate of 15 per cent.
During the past year there have been employed,
under contracts with the Post Office Department,
two ocean steamers in conveeing the mails month
ly between New York and Diemen. and one, since
October last. performing semi-monthly service be
tween Charleston and Havana; and a contract has
been made -for the transportation of the Pacific
mails across the isthmus from Chagres to Panama.
Under the authority given to the Secretary of the
wavy. three ocean steamers have been constructed
and sent to the Paciffc, and are expected to enter
upon the mail service between Panama and Ore
gon. and the jute mediate ports, on the first of Jan
narynext, and a fourth has been engaged by him
for the service between Havana and Chagres; so
that a regular monibly mail line will be kept up
after that time between the United States and our
territories on the Pacific. •
Notwithstanding this great . increase in the mail
service, should the revenue continue to increase
the present year as it did in the last, there will be .
received near $450,000 more than the erpenditores.
These considerations..have satisfied the Postmast
er General that, with certain modifications of the
act of 1845, the revenue may be stilt farther in
creased, and a reduction of portages made to a uni
form rate of five cents, without an interference with
the principle, which has been constantly and prop.
erly enforced, of making thatdepartafent sustain it
self.
A well-digested cheap postage system is the best
means of diffusion/ intelligence among the people,
and is of so much importance in a country so ex
tensive as that of the United , States. that I recom
mend to your favorable cousideration the mines
lion of the Postmaster General for Its improvement.
Nothing can retard the onward progress of our
country. and prevent us from assuming and main
taining the first rank among nations, but a disre
gard of the experience of the past. and a recur
rence to an unwise public policy. We have just
closed a foreign war by an honorable peace—a war
rendered necessary and unavadable in vindication
of the national rights and honor. The present con
dition of the country is similar in some respects to
that which existed immediately after the close of
the war with Great Britain in 1815, and the occa
sion is deemed to be a proper one to take a retro
spect of the measures of public policy which fol
lowed that war. There was at that period of our
history a departure from oar earlier policy. The
enlargement of the powers of the federal govern
ment by anotrudion which obtained was not war
ranted by any just interpretation of the constitution.
A few years after the close of that war, a series of
measures was adopted which, united and combined
constituted what was termed by their authors and
advocates the 4 •American system."
The introduction of the new policy was for a time
favored by the condition of the country; by the
heavy debt which bad been 'contracted during the
war; by the depression of the public ctedit; by the
deranged state of the finances and the currency;
and-by the commercial and pecuniary embarrass
ment whit h extensile'', prevailed. These were
not the only causes which led to its establishment.
The events of the war with Great Britain, and the
embarrasments which had attended its prosecution,
hail left on the minds of many of our statesmen the
impreei on that our gov =mein was not strong
enough, and that to wield its resources successful
ly in gera emergencies, and especially in war.
more power should be concentrated in its hands.—
This increased power they did not seek to obtain by
the-legitimate. and prescribed mode—an amend
ment of the constitution—buir by orrnstrudan.—
They saw governments in the old world based up
on different orders: of society, and so constituted as
to throw the whole power of nations into the hands
of a few, who taxed and controlled the many without
responsibility or restraint. In that arrangement
they conceived the strength of nations in war con
sisted. There was also something fascinating in
the ease, luxury, and display of the higher orders,
who drew their wealth from ihe toil of the laboring.
millions. The authors of the system drew their
ideas of political economy from what they haul wit
nessed in Europe. and particularly in great Brit
ain. They had viewed the enormous Smith con
centrated in few hands, and seen the splendor of
the overgrown ,eutablishments of sit aristocracy
which was upheld by the restrictive policy. They
forgot to leok down upon the, poorericlassies of the
English population, upon whose daily and yearly
labor the great establishments they lso Much ad
mired were sustained- -and stipported. They failed
to perceiveihat the scantily-fed and half-clad ope
ratives were sot only in abject poverty, bat were
bound in chains seif• oppressive servitude for the
benefit of Clewed classes, who were the exclusive
objects of the care of the government.
. It was tint possible to ree.onstract society in the
United States upon the European plan. Here there
was a written constitution. by which .orders and
titles were Dot recognised or tolerated. A %l i ra%
of measures was therefore devised, ealculat , if
not iniendel.to withdraw power gradually an si
lently from the States and the mass of the plc,
and by c.oastrudion to approximate out ;overcame:la
of wealth for that of orders and•tides.
Without reflecting upon-the dissimilarity of oar
do d oritteliliuditirrVir gemlike and
their ofAlu they egiiceivlid vain kilita of
bultdintlip ellaltik a*gstem *War
*at which y admired oadr, Greapritain
hatta nooonatiank Of Inge eipitalatt wboiallaida
waitcosieentraied the controlhng kin netmli and 41--,
4 11 : 'Ojai pinfeeof the nation;
almost kingly power, and exerting vast influence
upon all the operations of trade, and upon the poll
.cy.of-iitesaveramfeet iMelt, Great Britaist haters
enormous public bt. and ill had become a part of
ber public policy to regard this as a "public bless
ing." Great Britain bad afro a restrictive policy,
which placed fetters and burdens on trade, and
trammeled the productive industry of the mass of
the nation. By her combined system of policy, the
landlords and other property-holders were protec
ted and enriched by the enormous taxes which were
levied upon the labor of the country for thetr ad
vantage.
Imitating this foreign policy, the . first step in es
tablishing the new proem in the U. States was the
creation of a national bank. Not foreseeing the
dangerous power and countless evils which such an .
institution might entail on the country, not perceiv
ing the connexion whi,.b it was designed to form be
tween the bank and the other branches of the mis
called "American system," but feeling the embar
rassments of the treasury, and of the business of the
country, consequent upon the war. some of our
statesmen who had held different and sounder views
were induced to yield their scruples, and, indeed,
settled convictions of its unconstitutionality, and to
give it their sanction, as an expedient which they
vainly !toyed might produce relief. It was a most
unfortunate error, as the subsequent history and
final catastrophe of that dangerous and corrupt in
stitution have abonndantly proved. The bank, with
its numerous branches ramified into the States, soon
brought many of the active political and commer
cial men in different sections of the country into the
relation of debtors to it, and dependants upon it for
pecuniary favors; thus diffusing throughout the
mass of society a great number of individuals of
power and influence to give tone to public opinion.
and to act in concert in cases of emergency. The
corrupt power of such a political engine is no longer
a matter of speculation, having been displayed in
numerous instances, but most signally in the poli
tical struggle of 1.832-'3-'4, 111 opposition to the pub
lic will, qpresented by a fearless and patriotic Pre
sident.
Bat the bank was but one branch of the new sys
tem. A public debt of more than $120.000,000 ex
isted, and it is not to be disguised that many of the
authors of the, new system did no, regard itsspeedy
payment as essential to the public prosperity, but
looked upon its continuance as no national evil--
Wail:it the debt existed. it furnished aliment to the
national bank, and rendered increased taxation ne
cessary to the amount of the interest, exceeding $7,-
000.000 annually.
This operated in harmony with the next branch
of the new system, which was a high protective tar
iff. This was to afford bounties to favored classes
and particular pursuit, at the expense of all others.
A proposition to tax the whole people for the pur
pose of enriching a few, was too monstrous to be
openly made. The scheme was, therefore, veiled
ander the plausible bat delusive pretext of a meas
ure to protect "house industry ;" and many of oar
people were, for a time, led to believe that a tax
"hick in the main fell upon talior, was for the bene
fit of the laborer who paid it. This branch of the
system involved a partnership between the govern
ment and the favored classes—the former receiving
the proceeds of the tax imposed on articles import
ed, and the latter the increased price of similar arti
cles produced at home, caused by such tax. It is
obvious that the portion to be received by the favor
ed classes would, as a general rule, be increased in
propor.ion to the increase of the rates of tax impos
ed, and diminished as those rates were reduced to
the revenue standard r •quired by the wants of the
government. The rates required to produce a suffi
cient revenue for the ordinary expenditures of the
government. for necessary purposes, were not lisely
to give to the private partners in this scheme profits
sufficient to satisfy their cupidity; and hence a va
riety of expenditures were resorted to for the pur
pose of enlarging the expenditures, and thereby cre
ating a necessity for keeping up a high protective
tariff. The etTeet.of this policy was to Interpose ar
tificial restrictions upon the natural course of the
business and trade of the country, and to advance
the interests of lane capitalists and monopolists, at
the expense of the great mass of the people, who
were taxed to increase their wealth.
Another branch of,tnis system was a comprehen
sive scheme of internal improvements, capable of
indefinite enlargement, and sufficient to swallow up
as many millions annually as cold be exacted from
the foreign commerce of the country. This was a
convenient and necessary adjunct of the protective
tariff: It was to be the great absorbent of any sur
plus which might at any time accumulate in the
treasury, and of the taxes levied on the people, not
for necessary revenue sorposes, but for the avowed,
object of affording protection to the favored classes.
Auxiliary to the same end, if it was not au essen•.
teal part of the trystem itself, was the scheme which,
at a later period, obtained for distributing the pro
ceeds of the sales of the public .lands among the
States. Other expenditures were devised to take
money ont of the treasury, and prevent its corning in
from any other source than the protective tariff.—
The authors and supporters of the system were the
advocates of the largest expeudatures„ whether for
necessary or useful expenditures or not, because the
larger the expenditures the treater was the pretext
for high taxes in the form of protective duties.
These several measures were sustained by popu
lar names and plausible arguments, by which thou
sands were deluded. The bark was represented to
be an indispensable fiscal agent for tbe government;
was to equalize exchanges, and to regulate and fur
nish a sound currency, always and everywhere of
uniform value. The protective tariff was to give
employment to "American labor" at advanced pri•
ces •, was to protect home industry," and furnish a
steady market for the farmer. Internal improve
ments were to bring trade into every neighborhood
and enhance the value of every man's property.--
The distribution of the land money was to enrich
the States, finish' their public works, plant schools
throughout, their borders, and relieve them from
taxation. Sot the fact, that for every dollar taken
out of the treasury for these objects as much larger
sum was transferred from the pocket of the people
to the favored classes, was carefully concealed, as
was also the tendency if not the ultimate design of
the system to build op an aristocracy of wealth, to
control the masses of society. and monopolize the
political power of the country.
The several branches of this system were so inti
mately blended together, that in their operation each
sustained and strengthened the others. Their joint
operation was, to add new burdens of taxation and
to encourage a largely increased and wasteful ex
penditure of public money. It was the interest pf
the bank that the revenue collected and the disburse
meats made by the government should be large. he
cause, being the depository of the public money, the
larger the amount, the greater would be the bank
profits by its use. It was the interest of the favored
classes, who were enriched by the protective tarff,
to have the rates of that protection as high as possi
ble; for the higher those rates, the greater would
be their advantage. It was the interest of the peo
ple of all those sections and localities who expected
to be benefited by expenditures for internal im
provements, that the nainnim collected should be as
large as possible to the end, that the sum distributed
might al.(' be the larger. The states being the be
neficiaries in the distribution of the land money, bad
an interest in having the rates of tax imposed by the
protective tariff large enough to yield a sufficient
revenue from that source to meet the wants of• the
government, without disturbing or taking from then
the land fund ; so that each of the branches consti
tuting the system had a common interest in swelling
the public expenditures. They had a direct interest
in maintaining the public debt unpaid, and increas
ing its amount, because this would prodder an an
nual increased drain upon the treasury, to the am
ount of the interest. and render augmented taxes ne
cessary. `The operation and necessary effect of the
whole system were, to encourage large and extra-
Meant expenditures, and 'thereby to increase the
public patronage. and maintain a rich and splendid
government at the expense of a taxed arrd impover
ished people.
It is mantreNt that this scheme of enlar;ed•[azation
and eapandatures, had it cuntialued to prevail. thust
'''lZoiiiiive - ionve et go OM llnton,
intended by its fiamers to be plf[n, cheap, and
simple confederation of Males, united, together for
r.A .. „ro!tietkiigitid charged, witirliTetignereilte
tiesaelatim e) j' to oar toreigd airaip; in4k.a
atedr*Toplii, depriving Met tatea47 thoir
re)erve4righbil-and the people &the:lH pofter
and cosifrol jitheidministration oft theittkovea-'
Mint. ..• 1 1n this maitpr the wholeTt e laid itliaratifer
itt tbeinverobientAitoold be than Atop* sit 't"ti
endment of the convtitution. but by resorting to an
unwarrantable and unauthorized construction of
5,`"
The indirect made of levying the taxes by a•duty
on imports, prevents the mass of the people -from
readily perceiving the amount they pay,and has en
abled the few who are thus enriched, ana who seek
to wield the political poirer of the country, to de.
cetve and delude theta. Were the taxes collected
by a direit levy upon the people, as is the case in
the ! tales, this could not occur.
The whole system was waisted from its inception
by many of our ablest statesmen, some of whom
doubted its constitutionality and its expediency,
while others believed it was, in all its branches. a
flagrant and dangerous infraction of the constitu-
UOO. -
Th
11 Wm
rat a nations mk, "Trot.. live tariff, leek
not to raise the revenues needed, but.for protection
merely. Internal improvements, and the distribution
of the proceeds of the sale (of the public lands, are
measures without the warrant of the constitution,
would, upon' the maturest consideration, seem to he
clear. It is remarkable that no-one of these mess %
tires, involving such momentous consequences, is
authorized by any express grant of power in the
constitution. No one offrhem is "incident to, as Ile
ne accessary and priiper for the
,execution of the
spacific powers" granted by the Constitution. The
authority under which it has been attempted to jus
tify each of 'them is derived from inferences dc, con
structions of the constitution which itsletter and its
whole object and design do not warrant. Is it to be
conceived that such immense powers would pave
been left by the framers of the constitution to inere
inferences and 41,Dubtful constructions! Had it been
intended to confer them on the federal governtnent,
it is but reasonable to conclude that it would have
been done by plain and unequivocal grants. This
was not done; but the whole structure of which
the "Americansystem" consisted. was reared on no
other or better foundation than fotced implications
and inferences of power which its authors assumed
might be deduced by construction from the consti
tution. i;
• But ithai been urged that the national bank,
which constituted so essential a branch of this com
bined system of measure.s, was not a new measure,
and that its constitutionality had been previously
sanctioned, because a bank had been chartered in
1791, and had received the official signature of Pre- .
sident Washington. A few facts will show the just
weight.to which ; this precedent should be entitled as
bearing upon the question of constitutionality.
Great.divisions of
_opinion upon the , subject exis
ted in Congress. It is well'known that President
Washington entertained serious doubts both ai to
the constitutionality and expediency of the measure;
and while the bill was before him for his official
approval or disapproval, so great were these doubts.
that he required "theopinion in writing" of the mem
bers of his cabinet to aid him in arriving at a deci
sion. His cabin - et gave their opinion, and were di
vided upon the subject—General Hamilton being in
favor of, and Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Randolph being
opposed to the constitutionality and expediency, of
the bank. It is well known, also, that President
Washington retained the bill from Monday the . 14th,
when it was presented to him, until Friday, the 25th
of February—being the last moment permitted him
by the constitution to deliberate, when he finally
yielded it his reluctant assent. and gave it his sigha
tare. It is certain that as late as the 23d of Februa
ry—being the nintn day after the bill was presented
to him—he hid arrived at no satisfactory conclusion;
for on that day he addressed a note to Gen. Hamil
ton, in which he informs him that "this bill was pre
sented to me by the joint committee of Congress at
12 o'clock on Monday, the 14th• inst.:" and he re
quested bis opinion "lo what precise period, by legal
interpretation of the constitution, can the President
retain it in his possession. before it becomes a law
by the lapse of ten days." if the proper construc
tion was, that the day on nhich. the bill was pre
sented to the President, and the day on which his
action was had upon it, were both to be counted in
clusive, then the time allowed him, within which it
would be competent fur him to return it to the House
in which it originated with his objections, would ex
pire on Thursday. the 21th of February. Gen. Ha
milton on the same day returned an answer, in which
he states':;
"I give* as my opinion that you have ten days;
ezelusivelof that on which the bill was delivered to
you, and t r i nndays hence, in the present case, if it
isreturn on ertday, it will be in time." By this
construction, which the President adopted, he gain
ed another - day for deliberation, and it was not until
the 25th of February that he signed the bill; . thus
affording conclusive proof that he bad at last ob.
rained his own consent to sign it not without great
and almost insuperable difficulty. Additionailight
has been recently shed upon. the serious doubts
which he had on the subject, amounting at one time
to a conviction that it was his duty to withhold his
approval from the bill. This is found among the
manuscript papers of Mr. Madison, authorized to be
purchased for the use of the government by'an act
of the last session of Congress, and now for the
first rime accessible to the public. From these pa
pers, it appears that President Washington, while he
yet held the bank bill in his hands, actually request
ed Mr. Madison, at that time a member of the House
of Representatives, to prepare the draught of a veto
message for him.. Mr. Madison, at his request, did
prepare the draught of such a messag e, and sent it
to him on the 2lst of February, 1791. A copy of
this original draught. in Mr. Madison's own hand
writing, was carefully preserved by him, and is am
ong the papers lately purchased by Congress. It is
preceded by a note, written on the same sheet, which
is also in Mr. Madison's handwriting. and is as fol
lows
"Febrnary 21st. 1791. Copy of a paper made ont
and sent to the President at his:request, to be read);
in else his judgment should finally decide against
the bill incorporating the naqoual bank, the bill
being then beforeitim."
Among the objections assigned in this paper to
the bill, and which were submitted for the considera
tion of the President, arc the following :
object to the bill, because it is an essential
principle of the government, that powers not dele
gated by the Constitution cannot be rightfully exer
cised; because the power proposed by the-bill to be
exercised is not expressly delegated, and because I
cannot satisfy myself that it results from any ex
press power by fair and safe rules of interpreta
tion."
The weight of the precedent of the bank of 1791,
and the sanction of the great name of Washington
which has been to often invoked in its support. are
griatly weakened brthe development of these facts-
The experiment of that bank satisfied the country
tha: it ought not to be continued, and at the end Of
twenty years Congress refused to recharter it. ft
would have been fortunate for the country, and sav
ed thousands from bankritptcy and ruin, had our
public men pf 1816 resisted the temporary pressure
of the times upon our financial and pecuniary in
wrests, and refused to charter the second bank: Of
this the country become abundantly satisfied. anitat
the close of its twenty years' duration, as in thelease
of the first bank, it also ceased to exist. Under the
repeated blows of President Jackson, it reeled pod
fell, and a subsequent attempt to charter a similar
institution was arrested by the veto of President
Tyler.
Mr. Madison, in' yielding his signature to the
charter of 1818, did so upon the ground of the
respect due to precedents; and, as he subsequently
declared, .'the Bank of the United States, though, on
the original question, held to be nnconstitutional, re
ceived the EICCUIit e aignlture."
It iv probable that neither the bank or 17./1. nor
th t of 1816, would have been - chartered but fur the
embarrssinents of the government in its finances,
the derangement of the currency and the pecuniary
pressure which existed—the:first the consequence
of the war of the revolution, and the second the con
sequence of the war of 1812. Both were resorted
to in the delusive hope that they would restore pub
lic credii.and afford relief to the government, and to
the business of the country.
Those of our public men who opposed the whole
merie.an system at its coulmenceinent.h through
-ow its pnsreSs, foresaw and prcdtcted that it was
-
fiaog it firenktiiffitem=tem; and tons! iesoh
in serious injury to the best interests of the.countr).
For a series of years their wile councils were nn.
hem . , Icidr andihn s3stem was established. It was
*on appiteni that its, practical operation was rm.
rival anikunjOst 'upon different portions-of the
imsntry, *id upon the, people engaged in - diffrrent
putsuits.rikli were equally entitled to the favor and
protection: of the gq-vernment. It fostered and etc'.
theAnyney, power, and enriched the favored
few by tarn, labor, and at the expense of the mar l .
Its eff'ects was to "make the rich richerand the po ur .
400cia,,,, e jokmodrenwratbieosaistseriiatinetioas
society bassi on wealth, and to give to the favored
-classes undue ten rot and,swoy in our government;
II was an organized money power, 'which resisted
the popular will, and sought to shape and contrU
Cie public policy.
Under the pernicious workings of this combined
system of measures, the country wiintased alternate
seasons of tompurary . spparent pnre_perity; of sad.
den and disistroui commercial - revulsion , ; t r or.
precedented fluctuation of prices, and - depression of
the great interests -or agriculture, navigation and
commerce, of general pecuniary suffering. and of fi
nal bankcuptcy of thousands.. Angle weft:unmet
of more than a qnarter of a century - the system was
overthrown.
Itective 11
EMI
The bank has been sneeeded- by g practical'sys
tem of finance.conducted "and controlled solely by
the governhient. The constitutional carreney has
been restored; the public credit maintained unim
paired, even in a period of foreign war; and the
whole country has become saLisfied that banks, na
tional or State, are not necessary as fiscal agents
of the government. Revenue duties have taken the
place of the protective. tariff: The distribution of
the money derived from the sale of the public
lands has been abandoned, and the corrupting sys.
tem of internal improvements, it .is hoped, has
been effectually. checked.
It is not doubted, that if this whole train of me n .
sures designed to take wealth from the many, and
bestow -it upon the few, were to prevail, the effect
would be to change the entire character of the. go
vernment. One only dancer remains.. It is the
seductions of that branch - orthe system, which con
sists in internal improvements. holding out, as it
does, inducements tq the people of prticular sec
tions and localitims to embark the government iq
them without stopping to calculate the inevitabl e
consequences. • This• branch of the system is 511 i n ..
timately combined and linked with the others, that
as surely as an effect is produced by an adequate
cause. it is to be resuscitated and revived, and firm -
ly est a blished, it requires -no sagacity to foresee
that it will - necessarily and speedily draw' after it
the re-establishment of a national bank, he revisal
of a protective tariff, the distribution of the land
money, and not only the postponement to the dia.
taut future oil the payment of the present national
debt, but its annual increase.
I entertain the solemn conviction, that if the In
ternal improvement branch of the "American
systein" be not firmly resisted at this time, the
Whole series of measures eomposing it will he
;(seedily re-established, and the country be thrown
back from its present high state of prosperity,-
which the exhaling policy has produced. and -be
destined-again to witness all the evils, commercial
revulsion/a, depression Of prices, . and peemiary
emteirrassments, through which we have passed
during the last twenty-five years.
' To guard apinst consequences so ruinous, is an
object of high national importance, involving in
my judgment the continued prosperity of the
country.
I have felt it to be an imperative oblig7rion to
withhOld my constitutional sanction from two hills
which had passed the two houses of Conglyir.,
involving the principle of the -internal irnprore•
merit branch of the "-American system,'' and
conflicting in their provisions with the views here
expressed.
This power conferred upon the President by 11. e
ctmstitution, I have. on three occasions diirinz my
administration of Ate executive department of the
government, deemed -it my duty_ to exerrise';, and
on this Ihst oceasion of making to Congress an.
annual communication "of the state of the Union,"
it is not deemed inappropriate to review the pun
eiples and considerations whichltave governed my
action. • I deem this the more necessary, becanK., -
after the lap , o of nearly sixty years since the adop.
Lion of the Constitution, the propriety of the exec _
cise of this undoubted constitutional power by the
President has for the first time been.. drawn seri
ously in question by a portion of my fellow-eifo
zeta.
The constitution provides that "every ,
shall have passed the House of Representatiies
and the Senate shall, invariably before it become a
law, be pres.e - uted to die President of the United
States; if he approve, he shall s'qn it, but it not,
he shall re:urn is with his objectione r to that gorse
in which it shall have originated, who shall enter
the objections at large ou their journal and proceed
to reconsider it." •
The preservation of the constitution from infrac
tion is the President's highes• 'hay. He is bound
to discharge. ffiat . duty, at whatever hazard of
incurring 'he displeasure of those who may differ
with him in opinion. He is bound to discharge
as well 'by his'obligations to the people who have
clothed hem with his exalted trust, as by hi:4'mill
of office, which he may not dkirr7,ard.: Nqr are •
the obligations of the President in qvany de-tree
lessened by the prevalence of views different from
hie. awn in one or both houses of Conr*res. it is
not alone hasty and inconsiderate legislation that
he is required to check; but if at any tittle . Con- •
gross shall, after apparen ly - full deliberation,
resolve on measures which he deems subversive
of the constitution, or of the
. vital- interellts of the
country, it is his solemn duty to stand in breach
and resist them. The Presidein is bound to approve
or disapprove, every bill which pastes Congress
and is presented to him -.for his sjgnatnre. The
constitution makes this his duty, and' he cannot
escape if be,would. Ile has no election. In
deciding upon any bill presented to him, he niust
exercise his own best judgment. It' he cannot
approve, the constitution commands him to return
the bill to the Hoitse in which it originated, with
his oljections . ; and if he fail to do this within ten
days, (Sendays excepterl,)it shall. become a law
without his signature. Right or wrong, he may.be
overruled by a vote of two-thinly of each House:
and, in that event. the bill becomes a law without
his sanction. if his objections be not thus over:
ruled, the subject is only postponed and is referred . •
to the Senate and the people for their consideration
and 'decision. The • Preident's power is tent
ative merely, and not affirmative. He can
enact no law. The only effect, therefore, of has
withholding, his approval of a bill passed br
Congress, is to suffer the existing laws to remain.
unchanged, and the delay occasioned is only 'that
require Ito enable the States and the people to
consider and act noon the subject in the erection of
public agents who will carry out their wishes slid
in:sit-m.6(ms. Any attempt to coerce the preshient
to yield his xenon* to measures 'which he cannot
approve, would - ,be a viola.ion of the spirit of the
constitution, palpable and flagrant; and if success
ful, would break down the independence of the
executive department, and make the President, '
elected by the people, anti clothed by the comaitti
lion with power to defend their rights, the Vmcre
instmment of a majority of Congress. A surren
der, on his part, at the powers with which° the
constitution hai inverted his office; would elf c.; a
practical alteration of that instrument, "without
re sorting to the pr . "cribekt process of amendment.
. With the motive: or cousiderations which may
induce Congress to pass any bill, the President can
-havellothing to do, lie mast presume them to NI
as pure as his owni and look only to the prat-heal
effect of their measures when compared with the
constitution or the publie_good.
But it has beedurged by these who object to the
exe-eise of this undoubted constitutional power,
that it assails the representative principle and the
capacity of the people -'a govern themselves; that
there is greater safety in a minterons representa•
tivetenly than in the single Executive creep:ll . . l l
the constitution, end that the executive veto is
" uneanan povret," despotic in its character. To
.
expose the faliery of this objection, it 'is - only
oeeestrary triconsitler the fame anti true character
of our system. Ours is.not a consolidated enipin't
• tit a confederated L Honor. Thu States; before the