Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-06-15
GON@M@s SIONAHe
DEBATE ON THE TARIFF.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE &c.
MIR. McDUFFlE'S SPEECH.
[CONTiNUED.


they proceed from any commercial regulation of fore gin
powers injurious TO the rights interests which have
been committed by the Constitution TO the guardianship
oil this government Assuredly they did Were
they intended to foster aud protect any branch Of our
foreign commerce. any other national interest
ed to the protection Of Congress? The very reverse,
Sir IL cannot be disguised; indeed it has been openly
avowed, that they were intended for other purpose
than TO annhlate not for season. but for all time
lawful branch OF commerce which Congress is const
tutonalty bound TO protect i'm order to build up on its
ruins another branch Of industry with which Congress
has no more right to interfere than with the parish
poor rates.
ask you then, Sir, in the name Of the Constitution
OF the principles Of eternal justice, what right has Con
gress-what right can any human government possess
to destroy the interests OF entire section OF this
consderacy, TO promote the interests Of the other
tons! What right have you'll put the question to the
majority Of this House, in the Of all the people of
the Southern States-wha right have you 70 lay your
hands upon property-upon that which 10 ours by
the highest of all earthly t,lesihe blessing OF God
upon our own honest industry; and arbitrarily appro
pirate II to your own use, or to that OF your consuen
No freak Of tyranny, ever committed by absolute
despot can exceed this outrage upon the principle Of
natural justice, which you perperaing under the
perverted powers and prosIitut-J form. Of free gov
eminent.
We have undoub,cd natural right t., the enjoy
ment Of that commerce. which you engaged
in the unriehteous work Of sweeping from the great
highway OF nations. Super added to this natural right
we have constitutional right to call upon III. majority
OF Congress, as tho special guardians Of this very
mere, TO guarantee the enjoyment Of it, not ouly against
rious regulations OF foreign States And il is in this
state of our mutual rights and obligations, that this
lority are carrying on system Of legislative piracy
degrading the government from its high estate and
reducing 1t from the sacred relation il ought bear 10
all the interests Of the Union, into disgracefu
federacy with sea-robbers and outlaws Sir, this il no
picture OF The imagination; for solemnly declare that
would rather as Southern planter, take my chance
unhded by the public arm against all the pirates that
ever infested the great Deep than to subject to the
comprehensive and desoatng sweep of the prohbitoy
system.
And now, having ,hewn that the tendency AMI OBJ
Ject oil this system to conscate the OF the
SOUTH under the false and delusive pretPxt OF rrgula
ing II, and to appropriate the proceeds Of the properly
thus conscaled and condemned by the high admiralty
OF this system OF plumber to the special and exclusive
uses OF the Northern capitalists, beg leave call the
attention OF the committee TO a view OF this subject well
calculated to deveope aud illustrate the true genius and
character Of the system.
The representative, Of the manufacturing and tariff
States aliege, that they have large and extensive manu-
featuring Establishments which it is their interest
and their right to encourage and protect, and deny
the right OF the Southern atives to uere
with their protecting policy Now, Sir, as a South.
cru representative, claim no right TO interfere with
any protection, which any portion OF the North
P.nse, to their own manufactures. All pretend to
claim Is the right to put my veto upon this scheme Of
injustice and plumber by which the property, the right
ful and exclusive property Of my constituents il I'M
enthusiastically applied to the object.
| There cannot be proposition self evidently
just and equitable, than that those States in which the
|
the burthen Of protecting them. Can a man Ne found
Sir, in this House or out Of it, who would have the
bocness to contest thi. posion' Then why not tn
manufacturing States project their own manufactures
Will il be pretended that they have not the constitution
al power' Has not the Legislature Of every State in
the Union AN unlimited power to impose take. upon
the people oil the State, and appropriate the proc
in the form OF boun,ie', for the pote of dome
manufactures. or any other branch OF dome site indus
try! No man OF common information-no ian, indeed
Of sense, will deny that every State IegisJa
lie
Is the protection would afford less direct and etIc.
than that which is afforded by the imposition of high i'm
post duties! will answer this question 10 the languag,
oil man to whom the manufacturers have always look
ed, az to an oracle mean Alex ander Hamilton Speak
ing OF pecuniary bounties" he says:--.s This ha.
been found one of the efcacious means of en-
courasns manufactures; is in some views the best
"Iisa species OF encouragement positive an,
direct than any other, and for that very reason has
more immediate tendency 10 stimulate and uphold new
enterprises.
alt avoids the Inconvenience of a temporary augmen
taon of price, which is incident TO some other mode
or u produces il in less degree. ether by making
addition to the charges the rival foreign article a.
sas ssseo' protecting duties or by making smaller
"As often as duty upon forei.n article makes a,
addition to its price, 1t extra expenssto In
community. for the benefit of the domestic anufactu
rcr. bounty does IL more"
These quotations perfectly conclusive, as 10 tn
superior efficacy OF pecuniary bounties over proe
duties, as means OF encouraging dome attic manufac
lures VIII add an additional advantage, which TIN
advocates OF the bill before will not surely regard
unimportant. The protection given by these bountie
cannot be evaded by smuggling or by false invoices
This Of itself, would seem 10 bc perfectly decisive IL
favor Of the bounty system. Under that SYSTEM Sir
there would be no occaon for creating custom hou
inquisitions and arbitrary apprssements. How then
has 1t come to psss That while the manufacturers ha v,
been, Tor more than ten past clamoring at on
doors for ection, the Legislature of no single Stat
IN The UnoD,so far as am nfor,ed has ever appropri
a'ed cent, raised finger 10 sustain languish
ing and suffering interests, which certainly have claim
upon the States for protection il indeed they have an,
claim at a Sir, have frequently put This que s,io
IN former discussions upon this floor, AMI have neve
found man bold enough 10 answer The advocate
oil the protecting system have invariably rassed il owe
with prudent aud profound silence. The reason
4 obvious No man dare 10 openly The true caus
why the manufacturing Safes, having the undoubtet
power, will not extend any protection 10 their owl
manufacturers, but send them 10 Congress for relief
The moral ssnse Of this nation would not tolerate IN
svowsl, that the state Of Massachusetts, for example
will not tax her citizens 10 afford protection 10 he
/ own manufactures, because the Federal Government
can be made the unrghteoUs instrument Of taxing IN,
people OF the Southern States for the purpose of afford
| ing that protection
! This Sir, disguise IL gentlemen nav IL the tru,
question involved in the protecting system. The tariff
States would permit every establishment within ihe
limits 10 sink into utter ruin, before they would evy
taxes from their citizens nourish and sustain
them. That would be too plain and palpabIe proceed
ing: ~ would Instantly open The eyes Of the people
10 the true character OF the protecting system. 4
would tear of from The monster the veil which con
ceas iis horrible deformty, and break it, nfaualipq
charm forever II the protection afforded 10 the man
tfar l..lh trf