Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-06-01
V0N@RM SSIONABe
uo,,cr DEBATE ON THE TARIFFS.
NJ Mp REPRESENTATIVES, &c
MIX. MCDUFEIE'S SpEEru r ~

,. n' IhCDOrFlE'S SPEECH.
(coNTINUEp)
bu', sir, we cannot make foreigners nav tbs ,ax, 49,
!. npp; e upon our own citizens. The market OF Gre
lor example regulates The price, as well Of III
eo'oh we export 10 'hs country, of the cbandi
II we import from it, Does not every man acousi,,s
4 n me commerce OF the country, know that the pric
1on az Liverpool, controls and determines The pric,
Charleston; and that the price Of that article in /
verPooi depends not upon your duties but upon the
ply compared with the demand; a supply derived moi
IRON me States but from all the cotton. grow.
'"g regions OF the world? And the other hand doe.
ahy man suppose that the price Of British
New YORK, controls and regulates the price At Man
uneser: me price OF this merchandise depends upon
me general demand Tor II in all the markets of the wo,J
Tor me same reason. therefore, that a duty upon The
Apor's OF cotton cannot raise the price OF that cotton
; .'e nitush markets, duty upon the imports of BIZ
W" erchandise cannot depress the price of that mer
ehandse in those markets! The American cotton nIan
yer, men, rays duty OF forty per cent upon The en-
whs, ms eouons, or. which is the thing upon
VIVA. ne ootains, for it, and cannot indemnify himself
Tor any part OF thfs duty, by raising the price Of hi;
so"oh' or oy diminishing the of the mechanics
ne receives in exchange for il. Who then uI,;,n,,I
bears The bnrhen of the tax, II ia sviJn,, is
rom me producer in the first instince; for he mer
nan' VINO really pays ii, is nothing more than the n
sconom "e PLANTER. Upon what principle of political
.ono'ny, h-n, can ii be maintained, that the whole
ourthen oil the tax is Ultimately thrown upon ,bs con
uner, on whom it not laid by the government, and
,na' no pirt OF II rests upon the producer ,vbe,a -
Government originally placed III, The nroJn t ,',e
no power to throw the whole burthen f,om his own
r.oulnsIs and place it upon those OF the con snmer
:. he fr.tb
H. That every duty levied upon production ,vb,b |
uirec' or indirect, whether of impost or excise VII
snW Upon Upon exports or imports, naturally divides IL |
Sc" between the producers and consum.rs 80
r,oruihg 10 the relative circumstances I, ,.bih
my are placed. AT first it must operate in ali
cases' principally "a lax upon tie producer Sun.
P' 'or example, That an excise au ~ of forty per
.c"' were an at once levied upon hats Tn. tax wnniJ
90 collected from the hauers They would ac,maI,
pay !ne money to the Government. Could thew Inn
neaiatey rai'e the price of hats in proportion 70 d.
AK eiVcd upon them they certainly conJJ no, Tb IL
possible means by which they could raise the prcs arr
= a would be by diminishing the production of hem
y VIC supply was not diminished, nor the demand In ,
reased, no addition whatever could he mai y, o..
"e. NOW, Tax upon any apticle certainly does No, =
d. tbere e demand an, lori Until the
that the producer throw any material part OF the 10
Irthen Of taxation upon the consumer II, therefore, e.
laid upon all the other productions Of The com u
unity equal to that supposed TO be laid upon hats the
alters could find any relief by resoriing 10 other u
insults They surely would not leave an Employment al
which they were trained aud u'tomed ,nd in which IN
heir capital already invested. TO embark in new OIL
nd ecustomed pursuit subject to the same taxation
UGH change would not relieve them from the tax, and p
would deprive them OF all the advantages OF their eS-
ting and acquired skill The result would
iereoee, evidently be, that the tax would fall almost
ntrely upon production There would he a general g
III in the profits of capital and the wag-s of labor.
he Tax would be paid by the producer, and yet he o
ould not in consequences OF it, raise the price OF his
reductions any thing like in proportion TO It, Now,
shaever circumstances in the condition OF any class OF
roduccrs them from promptly and easily trans
errng their capital and bor from the pursuits in which
hey engaged TO other pursuits, will prevent those
PRODUCERS from raising the pice of their productions,
consequence Of any tax that may be imposed upon y
hem; and of course from throwing the burhoh oil that
AK upon the consumers.
Let us apply these obvious and we'll established
rn cples OF political economy to the actual condition
# the Southern planters. The Government has laid ?
ax-I will assume II TO be ioriy per cent-upon the
productions of their industry What is the power they
throw the burden upon the consumer? Can
hey diminish their production, in consequence OF the
tloir ihar IN
,ther employ profab than the in which
hey engaged, even with the burdens imposed on
IL Sir, answer, from my own knowledge and expe-
renee, that they cannot. Nothing could be mora i'm
potent than any attempt TO raise the price OF their cot
ton in foreign markets, by diminishing their production
Of IT, Their great and principal markets are in foreign
countries, where they meet competitors from all the
cotton growing regions OF the world III were to
diminish the quantity Of production, therefore,
with view TO enhance the price OF our staple we
should only create vacuum in the foreign markets, TO
be Immediately filled up by the cotton OF South a.
merca, Egypt Greece, and the East and West Indies.
We cannot, therefore, diminish our production with
mpunity. 1t would be fatal policy; for we should
diminish the demand for cotton, and open MR.
ket for the cotton of other countries in exactly the same
proportion. There is neither philosophy nor common
in the idea that tax imposed upon a branch oil
productive industry, which depends almost exclusively
foreign countries for market, can be thrown upon
the Foreigners sir, are the principal con
sumers of the productions OF southern industry.
But even if we could enhance the price of pro-
ductons, by diminishing the quantity produced, how
is this 10 he effected Our entire capital is invested in
lands and groes, and the only staples cultivate
10 any advantage for which can bDd market,
are those produce. Shall we, then, abandon
our lands manumt our slaves, and then 20 forth 10
seek new fortunes in distant eeions? No, sir; c
zens would perish than 10 be thus driven from
their 'ighfu nhertances, and the homes Of their fore
fathers, by this righteous system OF oppression.
There are insuperabe obstacles TO tie transfer OF the
capital and labor OF the Southern planter from the pro-
ducion of their present staples 10 sny other employ
lnent 1t has been suggested, that might enter up
on the manufacturing business. al our habits dis
qualify us for this sort of employment 1t would re-
we could require toersbesdegree of skill and
even then could not rival the manufacturers either
Of Europe OF the Northern States OF this Union.
But, even if could succeed so far az 10 equal our
domestic competitors, where should we find market
for our productops' II would be absurd TO go TO Eu-
rope, and equally TO 90 10 the manufacturing States
OF our own country Ffom Mexico we arc excluded by
ever a foreign market might be OPEN should find our
selves forsalled and excluded by the manufactures OF
Great BRIAN and New England.
j. il not an insulting moskery then, TO Tell us that
ought tamey 10 submit TO system which drives u
from natural pursuits, because have the wretch
ed privilege Of embarking in the production OF manu-
g facjures, which we have no sk in making, and io
which could find no market after they were made
Great Britain alone could supply the whole world will
! manufactures al little more than half the price To-
Y which we could afford 10 make them.
i II must be perfectly obvious, that, with NOR
I, oppressive burlhens than they have yet horne, IN
Southern planters cannot TO any extent worth cond
I'd Grafton, divert their capital and labor to other EN-
Dr. Payments, and thereby diminish the production
their staples, with view to enhancement OF Ihe
r price.