AUGMENTATION OF NATIONAL STRENGTH.

495

ardent politicians, as portending the speedy dissolution of the British government; which, however, will, most probably, survive its present, as it has outlived many generations of its past enemies.

The result of all this is, that it is the duty of every prudent government, while it acknowledges the supremacy of the Governor among the nations, in whose hands are the issues of life and death, to avail itself of all the means in its power to confirm and strengthen the prosperity of the people committed to its charge. Wherefore, considering the precarious condition of Europe, its germinant and springing seeds of disorder, the little probability of readjusting its balance of power, or of preserving its peace for any considerable length of time, the difficulty of preventing the United States from being embroiled in the general conflict, the rapid growth of the wealth, population, and power, the continual enlargement of their territories, and the constant multiplication of new states, our general government ought, immediately, to lay the foundation, broad and deep, of a solid system of internal finance; that it might have the command of an ample and a growing revenue, arising out of the territorial resources of the country, for the purposes of administering the home. department liberally and effectively; of conducting its foreign policy vigorously and magnificently; of promoting the progress of letters and science, and every species of internal improvement; of training up, in regular succession, able men for the public service, and rewarding their labours splendidly; of establishing the national credit on an imperishable basis, so as to be able to raise any amount of money by voluntary loans, in the event of any sudden emergency, as the breaking out of war, or of a long-continued demand, in case of a protracted conflict for sovereignty, or aggrandizement, or existence.

The President seems to be aware of the necessity of giving to the United States all possible means of offensive and defensive strength, when, in his Message to Congress, on the 2d of December, 1817, he states the public credit to be at an extraordinary elevation; the pre

parations for defence, in future wars, to be advancing under a well-digested system; the general government to be daily gaining strength; local jealousies to be rapidly yielding to more generous, enlarged, and enlightened views of national policy; the militia of the several states to amount to eight hundred thousand men, infantry, artillery, and cavalry, great part of which is already armed, and measures are taken to arm the whole, and Congress is recommended to improve its organization and discipline. The message also states, that the regular army amounts nearly to the number required by law, and is stationed along the Atlantic and inland frontiers; that of the naval force, strong squadrons are maintained in the Mediterranean, and in the Gulf of Mexico; that by lands recently purchased from the Indians, bordering on Lake Erie, and from the Cherokees, the United States will be enabled to extend their settlements from the inhabited parts of the state of Ohio, along Lake Erie, into the Michigan Territory, and to connect their settlements, by degrees, through the state of Indiana and the Illinois territory, to that of Missouri; and a similar advantageous effect will soon be produced to the south, through the whole extent of the states and territory which border on the waters that empty themselves into the Mississippi, and the Mobile; thus affording security to our inland frontiers; and a strong barrier, consisting of our own people, planted on the lakes, the Mississippi, and the Mobile, with the protection of a few regular troops, effectually to curb all Indian hostility. A few great fortifications along the coasts, and at some points in the interior connected with it, will ensure the safety of our towns, and the commerce of our great rivers, from the Bay of Fundy to the Mississippi. From all this will spring a rapid augmentation in the value of all public lands, and emigrations be facilitated to the remotest parts of the Union. Several new states have been created to the west and south, and territorial governments organized over every place where there is vacant land for sale; whence an immense increase of our population is to be

AUGMENTATION OF NATIONAL STRENGTH.

497

expected, at once augmenting the wealth and strength of the whole country.

But all these bright prospects are clouded by Mr. Monroe's saying, at the close of his Message, that the revenue arising from imports and tonnage, and from the sale of public lands, will be adequate to support the civil government, the present military and naval establishments, including the annual augmentation of the navy, and provide for the payment of the interest on the national debt, and its gradual extinction, without the aid of internal taxes; wherefore he recommends Congress to repeal them. Now, it is sinning against all past experience, and all the most approved principles of political philosophy, to endeavour to carry on a government without any system of internal taxation in time of peace, and when war breaks out, then to begin to tax, when the diminution of revenue, and the increasing necessities of the people, peculiarly indispose and disable them from bearing the imposition of new burdens; whereas internal taxes, laid during peace, and so adjusted as to increase in productiveness with the national growth in population and wealth, will easily admit of such a gradual augmentation in time of war, as not to press too heavily on the community, and at the same time most materially to strengthen and establish the public credit; which alone can enable a government to call out and effectually wield the resources of the country, so as to secure its permanent prosperity, power, and reputation.

As soon as Congress met in December, 1817, they passed a bill through both houses, for the repeal of the internal duties, which the President immediately signed; and the law now is, that the United States government have no internal revenue. And yet, probably, the recent occupation of Amelia Island by our American troops, under the provisions of the secret act of Congress, passed in 1811, but not published till December, 1817, will, ere long, call for a large appropriation of the public money. Is Cuba to follow the fate of Amelia; and are our land limits to be stretched beyond the horizon of Mexico?

k k

P. S. Since the foregoing sheets were printed, the Treasury documents for 1817 have been received; from them the following summary is extracted :

TREASURY DEPARTMENT.

16th January, 1818.

SIR,

I have the honour to transmit a statement of the exports of the United States, during the year ending the 30th of September, 1817, amounting, in value, on articles

Of domestic produce or manufacture, to $68,313,500 Of foreign produce or manufacture, to

19,358,069

$87,671,569

Which articles appear to have been exported to the fol

lowing countries, viz.:

Domestic. Foreign.

To the northern countries of

Europe.

$3,828,563 2,790,408

To the dominions of the Nether

lands.

of Great Britain, 41,431,168

of Spain,
of Portugal,

3,397,775

2,387,543

2,037,074

9,717,423 2,717,395

4,530,156 3,893,780

All other.

I have the honour to be,

Very respectfully, Sir,

Your most obt. servant,

WILLIAM H. CRAWFORD.

The Hon. the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

TREASURY DOCUMENTS.

499

By this Report it appears that there were exported from the United States, from the 1st day of October, 1816, to the 30th day of September, 1817, of the growth and manufacture of the United States, 17,751,376 dollars worth of flour, and 23,127,614 dollars worth of cotton, making in these two items alone, 40,278,990 dollars. The whole value of exports for the same year, including foreign articles, amounts to 87,671,569 dollars. Of this sum 18,707,433 was exported from the port of NewYork.

Summary of the value of exports from each State.