Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-12-10
Richmond, Va. Saturday, Dec. 10.
"THE MEDIATOR OF THE SOIrrUn

Ii IL impossible vet to know positively whether the
ycep organs of MIR. Clay have spoken his opinions b
authority They have professed chalk out a course
for him in the Scnatc-and il remains for him to ra-
ufy or coniuc, by his acts, the predictions which
they have thrown ont. Their boldness however,
seems to lend confidence TO their assertions Ii is
difficult to believe, that they would have vcntured
so far, without receiving some from their leader
and yet 1t is almost difficult TO believe, that any
statesman would have stopped from his high station,
to authorize such am exposition of his opinons-It
is generally supposed, that Mr.. Clay has instructed
such organs to throw out these eelers for the public
mlnd-to sound his friends TO the Norta and to'pro-
pitlatc the citizens of the South.
MIR. Clay is winning his way to the pyesdencv
WIN an eye that never winks. and n wing that ma
yer tres One of his present expedents seems to
be TO please all parties-to sacrifice his own bold
opinons,a and soothe his opponents by compromises
and concessions. lie is PLAYING the part of the NJ
d'dtor Of the South But the attitude in which he is
now placed, is at once calculated to astonish and
amuse the spectator.
list. The Tarif-That there has becn a CHANCE IN NJ
opinions since 1924, may be alleged and need not
be denied but 1t is change of degree not principles
change winch, from the altered country
ana The acquisitions of the treasury inevia
Die TO every man OF reflection To for the same
amount OF revenue, the Public Debt being paid as when
zen millions were annually necessary for that object
would argue not consistency, but stupidity. This change
oil degree has Mr. Clay undergone, and other lie vet
contends Tor the principle of pote ton which as an attr-
Due oil sovereignty, and certainly by the
states belongs both by grant and necessity the Gen
"Mr Clay wishes modify the Tariff TO the standard of
me acua wants OF the Treasury meaning those expenses
winch cannot be dispensed with. Even the NuIGiers
ask no greater reduction than this for they straight
forward and direct they affect GO their object
nave not yet undertaken TO show the superior expedcncy
oil dispensing with myosts altogether resornp TO d
rect taxation to deay the unavoidable expenses of Co
vernment Mr. Clay only desires that the duties NAV be-
so arranged as to afford incidental projections; thus vieM-
ing The point OF protecting Tariff such while bo
claims the recognition and preservation of the ,ucDe of
p[o'ccnoh i'se Does any man in the South himself
up as more orthodox or more literal, the subject of the
Tariff, than Mr.. Calhoun? No one of the school NJ s,c,
construction, VIII answer in the Affirmative Yet il il
cer'ain that IN his late celebrated exposition Mr. Cal
houn alter protesting his good wishes TO manufactures
conceded the constutionaty fitness also of nciden
td projections in other words that i'm Tariff The re and
honest object of which, well as the professed was or
repen"c atone il might be right layy full TO afford ro
ng,f'er o. primary national Importance"
we presume, "to lay dutics," SC. to nav the deb,
NC cl-But Mr. Clay, in 1924, rcsorted to a yery
different clause for the foundation of his prncipIes
:, me gentleman from Virginia (says Mr.. G. in his
speech OF lo2l has entirely mistaken the clause of
the Constitution on which rely. II is that which
gives to Congress the pocer to regulate commerce ,ch
foreign nations. The grant is penary, without any
limitation whatever, and includes the whole mo ,ver of
regulation ofwhch the subject to be regulated 10 s,s
cepible. Ii is as full and complete grant of the
power, as that is to declare war"-In 1894 Mr. CLAW
ana not press the Tariff for the purpose of paying
the public debt. He made conparafiyev lit,I,t of
that matter. lie admitted that the payment Of the
debt was Extremely dosirable"-but (says hel "bya
postPonement ofthe payment of the principal of the
PuDc deDt IN winch tile public creditors would glad
" acquesce, and confding for the means Of re-
deemng 1t IN the necessary increase of our revenue
from the natural augmentation ofour population and
consumption, we may safely adopt the proposed
measure, even If it should be attended (which is CON
iidently denied1 with the supposed dimnuton Of
revenue"
Mr. Clay went further He looked beyond the
extinction of the debt--to the building up Of the
American System:
Two classes of politicians (exclams he) divide the
people OF the United States. According the system oC
one the produce Of foreign industry should be subjected
10 no other mpost than such may necessary TO pro
vide public revenues and the produce of American in
hustry, should be left TO sustain ITSELF if il can with no
other than Incidental protection in its competition at
home as well abroad with rival foreign articles Ac
roing TO the system Of the other class whilst they agree
That the imposts should be mainly and may under any
be safely relied as fit and convenient
source OF public revenue they would adjust and arrange
me duties on foreign fabrics, TO afford gradual but ade
1uate protection to American industry" &C.
1t IS scarcely necessary to say that Mr.. Clay be-
ongcd to the Ultras of the last School; and yet he
has now sad lac will be satisfied with the i1edeu-
M Proection, which ne disdained to receive in 1894
SdtiJted nc may well be for, these recent develop
nents arc a miserable iuggle. He now processes TO
rely upon incidental protection = 10 propiGate the