"An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one which should not only
be founded on free principles, but in which the powers of government should be so divided and
balanced among several bodies of magistracy, as that no one could transcend their legal limits
without being effectually checked and restrained by the others."
THOMAS JEFFERSON.

"The legitimate authority of the Constitution is abundantly sufficient for all the purposes for
which it was created; and its powers being expressly enumerated, there can be no justification
of doing anything beyond them. That every attempt to exercise powers beyond those limits,
should be promptly and firmly opposed."
ANDREW JACKSON.

NEW YORK:

VAN EVRIE, HORTON & CO.,

No. 162 NASSAU STREET.

1863.

ARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY

JUN 30 19:5

CHARLES ELLIOTT PERKINS
MEMORIAL COLLECTION

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by

VAN EVRIE, HORTON & CO.,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

INTRODUCTION.

THE history of legislation in any age or country does not relate parallel instances of the arbitrary exercise of authority and power by a legislative body over a people to the four acts passed by the late Congress of the United States on taxation, finance, conscription, and indemnity for acts of Executive usurpation. No four acts ever passed by any legislative body equal these in despotic exaction, in tyrannic oppression, in ruthless disregard for popular rights and the interests of the community, and in doing violence to the principles of free gov

ernment.

Taxation, which is but a necessary evil at best, is made almost intolerable to the people of the United States by the so-called Revenue Law, passed by the Thirty-seventh Congress. The currency, which should always, so far as governments are concerned, be made the measure of value, is converted by the financial acts of Congress into a means for driving the precious metals out of circulation, and for unsettling the value of every commodity of use in the community. For the first time in the history, not only of Anglo-Americans, but of Anglo-Saxons, an act to conscript citizens into the army is passed by the Federal Congress, following in this respect the example of absolute monarchies, and abandoning by this act the precedents in principle and the examples of policy set not only by our immediate ancestors, but those also of the constitutional monarchy of Great Britain, of which our system of government has been regarded to be an improvement. This, to say nothing of the constitutional checks and balances by which the respective sovereignties of the States and Federal Government are attempted to be restrained and poised, so that they shall not conflict with each other, is a sign of evil omen to the liberties of the American people. Not that it is not the right of the Federal Government to make a demand on the people for their services, when, in the opinion of the Government, these services should be rendered for the Government is invested with the authority to do this-but this authority must be exercised, when it is needed to be done, in accordance with the terms on which the authority is given.