To John W.
Eppes[18] Mr.Gallatin wrote in the crisis of 1813, "The public lands constitute the only great national resource exclusive of loans and taxes.

They have already been mentioned as a fund for the ultimate extinguishment of the public debt." The land offices were then in full operation.
In 1810 Mr.Gallatin prepared an "Introduction to the collection of laws, treaties, and other documents respecting the public lands," which was published pursuant to an act of Congress passed in April of that year.
_Free Trade_ While Mr.Gallatin differed from his early Republican associates in many of their theories of administration, he was a firm believer in the best of their principles, namely, the wisdom of giving free scope to the development of national resources with the least possible interference on the part of government.

One of his purposes in his persistent desire for economy in expenditure was to reduce the tariff upon foreign importations to the lowest practicable limit.

He was the earliest public advocate in America of the principles of free trade, and an experience of sixty years confirmed him in his convictions.
The extinguishment of the debt rendered a great reduction in the revenue possible.

On the other hand, it brought the friends of a low tariff face to face with the problem of internal improvements.