Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1831-01-27


necessarily high-what are the interests toe
local and minute to justify general exac,ien,
which 1t undertakes 10 protect, and what
kinds OF manufactures for which the country
IS not ripe, II attempt to force" VIC should
then have the light and beacft Of illustration.
General theory may be adopted with per-
feet unanlmity. Its application to real use,
Its coming Gown to tbs every day exertion of
our farmers aud mechanics, is different af-
fair. Under general theory, any one can
make retreat and maintain that il has been
done with consistency and honor. Theory
Is best explained by its application to the
axe, the plough, the hammer, and the spin.
die. The chief magistrate presides over
people, who are engaged in unccasiug and
untlIing industry. Congress has for years
aud on repeated occasions, exercised lis wis
dom gu the Tariff Its best efforts have been
| made. IL errors exist, il would seem reason
able to expect, thst the Chef Magistrate
looking abroad from bis high station over all
| the interests OF the country, and obsarvng
their mutual relations and dependencies
should intimate TO the representatives OF the
people, what particular business OF life has
been teo warmly chershed-Nhat too coldly
neglected. 10 adjusting the details Of the
Tariff, Congress has dono what il deemed
best for the general good. To reach the EN-
Payments of life, il must go down 10 parti-
cuars. If the President is still dissatisfied, it
might have been hoped that be would have
designated the precise error. Ii will alwas $
| be borne in miad, by practical men, and they
compose the mass OF The nation that abstract
theory, however splendid, does but little
good, unless il coDes 10 the aid of every mus
Gle of labor In what consists The defect OF
the existing Tariff individuals mas di.coy-
er imperiections, bot the collected wisdom OF
the nation has repeatedly declared that ma
tenal change is not demanded. Nothing BET
ter under existing ciroumsttn noes can be done
| Then let doubt aud uncertliniy be avoided
!, They are evils next TO the surrender Of the
whole SYSTEM.
The message ADVISES Congress that sob
| Jects OF National importance alone ought 10
be protected, of these, the productions Of our
soil, our mines, and cur work shops, essen
tial to national defence, occupy the Erst rank y
+, 1t is 10 be presumed that Congress has not
| been unmindful of productions essential 10
national defence" But the President says
''thc present tariff taxes some of the corSlorts
! OF life unnecessarily high They are not
! defined. In the minds OF many, what might
be essential to national defence, might also
promote the comforts of life. If the message
meant only guns, powder aud bullets, differ
ence OF opinion, even then, might exist, as TO
the extent Of protection, which ought 10 DC
atioy ded TO the various elements, of which
they are composed. IL, practical meaning is,
/, therefore, obscure. iron, 1t is presumed,
would be considered essential to national
i defence" and being the product of sour
mines" should be protected But that pro
lection which would produce the material
/ for mu:ket, would also furnish it for axes
! and poughs 4 duty that would give us do.
/ nsestic bullets, is all that might be required
to supply the country with domestic lead for
/ every use. But are muskets and powder
and bullets, oil that may be essential 10 ina
tionai deiencc?' An army might be most
bundantly provided with them, and yet be
totally inefficient in the field, If it wanted
hats and coats and shirts and shoes and blan
kets. The conditisn OF our country. during
the last war, furnished well defined Has.
tr2tioD Of tals sentiment. Variors manufac.
lures, then, were considered Of national i'm
portenGe, which the doctrines of free trade
no,c erase from the catalogue. But a duty
imposed for promoting the domestic manu-.
facture of these articles, icr military purpos-
es alone, would be an anomaly in the annals
Of any nation That protecting policy which
could supply the wants Of an Army in war
must ne tiioWcu 20 operate Iupeace. Hence
the difficulty Of any classification ofintgrests.
while all are distinctly ans equally governed
by the same great constitutional power deriy-
ed from the States. 1t is also TO be renem
bered that peace with the world, is the patu-
raj condition Of this country. 1t is not the
foreign bayonet that we have the most reason
to apprebcnd il is the "selfish and destruct.
i've policy which might be adopted by foreiga
nations" To guayl against this is an OBJ
ject of national Importance For peace
or war the protecting policy is equally adapt.
ed, and it is believed by the committee, that
the best preparation for national defence
may be found in the rigorous cultivation of
the arts of peace. Our people ought not to
10 Eerpetuay Dependent Oh orders In coun-
Gil or DEGREES Of Emperors. Our country
ought not 10 wait, until invasion surrounds
it, and then beg blankets from invaders, to
warm shiveripS army, engaged in "na:ion-
al defence"
The President alludes to another species
of industry having the Importance to which
he before had referred and which may be ex-
pected, after "temporary protection, to com
pete with foreign labor on equal terms" This
species Of industry, in his opinion, merits
",he same attention, in a subordinate degree
while in speaking Of objects essential to na-
tional defence" he prescrIbes no limitation,
either as to the extent OF protection or its du-
ration. The ether class he considers entitled
TO the 'saIne attention" yet qualified by the
EXPRESSION in "a subordinate degree This