Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-02-19
RICHMOND, FEBRUARY 10, 1890

rOk The ENQUEhF1,
At meeting of the Agriculture! Society of V;r.
sinia, holden on the 18th INST the foIjowinu
MEMORIAL was unanimously adopted audor
dered TO he sent To the REPRESENTATIVES in
Congress for this District.
THE MEMORIAL
W the Virginia Society for promoting Ae.
r'cunWe, 10 tie Congress ofthe u. States.
Im opposition 10 the several Memorials and
Fait'ons praying for additional duties up-
on Foreign imports Respectfully states
hat although The riga Of The citizens
OF The United States 10 address their Re-
presenlalives, be "A first principle i'm our
government, your memOrialists are no
advocates Tor The exercise of iI,-except
upon occasions, which do, or NAV maize
rally affect, either individual, or national
Interests. Such We consider the one.
which has been The cause of our present
meeting And however we'll inclined we
may generally feel, laciiiy 10 repose full
conndcnce both III your inclinations and
ability TO promote the general good, vet
we should derm ourselves guilty OF an
inexcusable derelIction of duiy. were we
now TO remain silent, when question so
deeply interesting 10 lie whole apricultu-
raj people of tie country. has been fore.
Ell upon your aiteHiion by the urgent i'm
portuntlts OF our domestic manpfae,u-
rers ana their friends, 10 impose addi-
''onai lakes upon foreign imports. We
aim mol to arralgH their motives, but The
purpose Tor winch you are thus assailed.
seems TO us not less impulitic and unjust,
man Their arguments and pleas appear
unSound and fallacious. Thus. upon The
assumption that agriculture, manufac-
lures ana commerce, are naturally friends
and allies, and equally entitled 10 the pro-
lection OF gOvernment--tu all which we
readily agree; they confidently ask YOU
10 make that protection unequal, by i'm.
posing additional burdens and resiric-
tons upon twO of these allies and friends
To beneht tie third ! That any farther tax
upon foreign commodities must necrssa.
lily operate IN this way, is most manifest.
notwithstanding The protestalion, thar
the goOd OF lie whole" is the motive
ior asking II. Ii tins be The species of
protection which they seem 10 claim as
matter OF right, we differ from them most
essentially Tor the only kind. that IN
our view, government can Justly bestow-
either an commerce, manufactures. or
agriculture, ls 10 guard their respective
rights from violation. The moment she
attempts 10 interfere with the investments
OF Their capital, or The regulation of their
pr0iliS, she hazards The conversion of
This natural friendship and alliance into
enmIly and contention. Her coDstitu-
Iionai night to regulate the one, can never.
"ltHOui an after pcrversion Of language,
DE construed 10 medn,th power of check
ing or destroying either Of these three
great sources OF national wealth: because
every power OF our government at Leost was
gwen to benefit, not TO inlurc the people
governed. Ii is not enough. there fore
To say ofany measure, tina, II is dcsiened tn
promote The general welfare ii must
actually 10 IL, or nlanifestiy hdce that ten.
de"cy, not to violate the spirit Of the con.
stitulIOn.
Again, because tIey--the manufactu-
rers, have suffered enormous IOsse, and
privalIon since tie peace, il Is strongly
inSinIIated, That your honorable body are
SOIeiy 10 blame Tor II Inasmuch as YOU
nave 'aiied, when Engaged in i'rposing
taxes, exclusively almost for their adj.
vantage, to make them sufficiently high
10 destroy foreign competition. A reie-
renee TO their prosperity during the war.
when they had The benefit of mnnonolv
prices, las We have all sufiicieuijv ieh1
aud their claiming resuscjIalion of tb,s
prosperity from your hands, appears 10
us equivalent TO an assertion. thai The
national legislature is in peace. 10 euaran-
zee every speculation into wliCh the lust
OF gain, or the inprovidence of visionary
theory during war, may belray men of
aVanclous or sanguIne dispositions. lC
any man, or set of men, either ~ peace
or war, voluntarily engage in busiB. ~.
winch turns oui losing one, can there
be any Justice ia taxing tie whole nation
10 make good his, or thcir losses. be The
pTelexl iof The undertaking, what il NAV ?
DO Hey complain ofsufierings and losses
Whal class Is there, WHO have not parn.
cI2aled ia Them! Have the agriculture
lists been exempt! II not, how wound
our manufacturers like petition from
lie culiHaloss OF INC soil, 10 prevent llie,H