Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-08-30
GDe Constitutional ggtbta.
by request of the Authorl
HAMILTON, No. XI.-Eighth Series.
me IiNSkiSSoniun PoLicn cu1.,.,;a.L

me H"SkissoaiaR Policy examined
SIX or seven years past, the citizens of the United
I,', n'e oeen so!emniy assured, and by very Ing h
au'horly, that all the enlightened men of Eurone co,
uehea TIC system of protecting by duties or nrob;h;
uotS, manufactures any other branch of industrr
u "i'"ntaihed that commerce should be wholly fIec
'io' resraiot-tat nations should buy whrrevc,
conh procure articles cheapest-that tho reet-;ryo
system forced capital from lis proper direclon-,bat
governments ought not to interfere with Individual mr.
SUITS, as each individual best qualified ,o udn r
me means OF promoting his interes-that TO pro
tcct manufactures by duties prohibitions was
inc many Tor the benefit of the few-and various other
SPeclous doSinas admirably calculated 10 dazzle the
public from their apparent libcrality Ii was also
red, that the British statesmen deplored the restrictions
which The protecting system imposed Oh commerce. and
were determined 10 fee from them as soon as possi
lie. 80 ~ " f''
These views were repeatedly promulgated in news
pa ers--In oraiions-in pamphles-aud in memorials
rom one oi the latter class, presented to Conrress in
i"i9, by the merchants OF Salem make the following
said on The subject
"Ihe statesmen oftEc Old tco,ld IN ADMIR- iTION
'oF THE SUCCESS OF OUR POl.lCY, arc re.
taIn ne rtso'' Of their systems! and Welding Item.
selves 10 The rational doctrine that pationaI wealth is
bcst promoted by a free interchange Of commodities an
''0'' pr''"cLpfe& Of perfect r1cprocity."
Mr. Webster more recently intinlatcs that the pro-
tecing system IL. been abandoned i'll Europe and that
VIC adopt i, we shall commenced system which is now
discarded there. The idea has been reeraled in and
out Of Congress-, times without number and with de-
gree OF confidence which nothing could warrant but
The most NATURALIZATION
''if NC row embrace the system of prohibitions and
restrictions we shall show affection for what others
ave discarded, and he attempting to adorn ourselves
with cast-oH aPparcl.".M. JYebsic1s pcech a. 49,
Judge Cooper in his Examination of the tariff, en-
iagcs on the liberal views Of tic British nation ecner
ally.
While we have been agitating the question here the
ministry and the parliament Of Great Britain lament
y stcn declare uciI' t0tSh Ia ret nd oi as aO as c,
''ctn Lord Liverpool has expressed tls opinion: a;
committee vi The house of commons has expressed this
oinIou: the merchants OF London have expressed this
oPnion ai'd committee of the manufacturers of Biz.
''minshaIn have published TO the same effect"
Another writer boldly but most enormously statcs-
81 may venture to assert, without fear of being con
radicted by any intelligent man, conversaut in Euro
pcan politics, that Nc is not ono ma, in the British
lIsuse ct ominons, Who would at this day "a
dccarc that manufactures ought 10 be encourancd hy
p!otcctDg duties The 'Cooiien nla,.uyiciI3e e cof
ton 'a"@facfr-e hct1rdtrare manufacture tie potter.
W mt nof'on Htt Of them manufactures b eohcb UGi
af'oa has ToPercd 10 c:.iEcat deg1ee haze sue
'cte'ed S0itkoai hsnt 2''otcttienti!"t
Nor, venture 10 assert in the most positive man
ner, and publicly challenge contradiction that nj fe
tune these declarations were made, relaxation of The
restrictive system 50 Tar regards the protection of
manufactures, The only question: with which the dscns-
son has connexon, had taken place in any part of
Europe. Ga The contrary, in 1929, two or three wears
dte' ''t statement vi inc salem merchants, ana two
years before that of Judge Cunper and Mr. Webster
Russia, the ONLY power which has made any material a
craton in her tariff enacted with no less than 30
prohibitions She had tried the liberal system a. il is
s. led par ecceiience and lad suffered The most intense
distress by it.
But to return TO Great Britain Her tariff has been
recently revised by administration possessed of more
talent than most of their predecessors. remains to
see how far she has discarded the protecting system as
minated by MIR. Webster and Judge Coopcr
So af IS this from being the fact that the system
of Great britain, uniformly proceeds the necessity
Of protection ana graduates the duties scale pro
poroned to the state of each article Where thirty
per cent is necessary for the protection other subjects
il tie of manufactures of fine porcelain leather
silk, &c. she imposes dirty per cent. Where ten, or
fifteen. or tFenty FIVE per cent. enough as in the
case OF coons, woolleus, and inens Size imposes ten,
fifteen twenty five.