burthen which could be dispensed with, and the state of the Treasury
permitting it, I recommended the repeal of the internal taxes, knowing
that such relief was then peculiarly necessary in consequence of the
great exertions made in the late war. I made that recommendation under
a pledge that should the public exigencies require a recurrence to them
at any time while I remained in this trust, I would with equal
promptitude perform the duty which would then be alike incumbent on me.
By the experiment now making it will be seen by the next session of
Congress whether the revenue shall have been so augmented as to be
adequate to all these necessary purposes. Should the deficiency still
continue, and especially should it be probable that it would be
permanent, the course to be pursued appears to me to be obvious. I am
satisfied that under certain circumstances loans may be resorted to
with great advantage. I am equally well satisfied, as a general rule,
that the demands of the current year, especially in time of peace,
should be provided for by the revenue of that year.

I have never dreaded, nor have I ever shunned, in any situation in
which I have been placed making appeals to the virtue and patriotism of
my fellow-citizens, well knowing that they could never be made in vain,
especially in times of great emergency or for purposes of high national
importance. Independently of the exigency of the case, many
considerations of great weight urge a policy having in view a provision
of revenue to meet to a certain extent the demands of the nation,
without relying altogether on the precarious resource of foreign
commerce. I am satisfied that internal duties and excises, with
corresponding imposts on foreign articles of the same kind, would,
without imposing any serious burdens on the people, enhance the price
of produce, promote our manufactures, and augment the revenue, at the
same time that they made it more secure and permanent.