Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-06-03

ing an exaggerated picture OF osr tuclhsns, "ihs mere
stinsSe o. The BRAIN" aud with having invented a 90
veltheory, before unhesrd OF, in order to rouse the peo-
pie to resistance snd rebellion, by the sense of imagi.
nary wrongs. Yes, tellow-eitzsn', while the presses
TO which | auude w re Ss sile o, as the z ave on the
subiec, Of that il iqui ous system OF uujus, aud op.
pie'sive taxation, witch they dare Tot openly vim.
d'sste, they wore 'edulously add necessarily devoted 10
the disparasemen, oil my veiy humbls Cfbr.s TO tn
marx tbs yelled monster who sat ike an Intubus Oh
our co Dm'rse. A foreigner who should have read
these jouinl., would have supposed that The Tariff
was a pa'ertal system Of prote eiion to South Carolina,
aud that the great enemy OF tie State, sgain,, whose
perDieiou' declines IL was most impor.e nj, TO " srm the
people,, was one CT their own representatives who for
'en years mad struggled with all hs hieIi,y and zeal
and dl'in efestednets OF an homes, hear, and with all
the in elieeiu,l powers with which i, has pleased God
10 endow l'n, to artes. the fatal march Of gigantic
schsinc oil afuuliy disguised tyranny and oppteNion,
whish must evitabiy exhaus, The ar a, sources Of our
agricultural aud conner ial prosperity.
AIN sure, then, l shall be excused by the intelligent
AMI patriotic men around me, IL L attempt TO demonstrate
mat my doctrines are not ABSOLUTE political he resi-s;
that The estimate l made OF our burtheDs is not the mere
work oil imag'n alton; but that exhibit. a picture too
fatally tue to mature; and hDaliy, that | am not quite
so great an enemy TO my constituents az heir cppres-
sors.
The doctrine, which, as l have stated, was deuounc-
ed ny some Of The p ,htcal economists OF this civ as a
pernieious novelty, having no { unda ton either ia au.
'nof'y or reason, was cothiDg more ror less than ihs,
the p'ehibi'ory duties laid upon those Imports which
wa receive IN exchange Tor our agricultural staples,
aud which inevitably tend, ss hey are certainly design.
co, 70 anhihhate ms htanch Of our commerce., operate
IN impose a burihen upon the planters, as such, indie.
pendeot OF the bur'hsne the bear in common with all
other cla"eS. a'ihe consumers oitsxsd articles. Now.
L VIII procsed to show you that, dive.ted of n e ccm-
piics'l'n aud my.'ihcauon in which this .ubjec, has
oeen afttuily involved, this doc trinc il susiaiued by the
common sense OF maEkind. as we'll as by r.a,on and
the authority OF a name d.servediy celebrated as a po-
litical economis', joan b ibiiste Say. On the contrary.
The opposing doc rlne has ro,hing to cts ain il but a
mere theory, coniradic'ed by universal practice and
uniVersai experience, and even ii true in ihe sbstract,
wholly inapplicable to. the case under cons dera.iop.
nat the thcO- v which assuInas that h. tyhla h,s,h..
OF an Indirect tax falls exclusively on the consumer,
10 co1trai cted by ,he comm n sense, The common ex
perience and univetSal practice OF msnk nd, will bs an
oy a g'ance at 1he history OF taxation in our own coun.
Try. During the Standardization OF The eljer Adam, ex-
else duuts, uodsia'e in the extreme, when compared
to our 4 'sent impcst duties, were IaiJ upoo vs,iou.
productions OF me h n!csi industry in the United States
The mechanics in soma of tn. northern ci lee, forth Nth.
raised a mighty ciLmor agains, this, as a psriiI, unius,
and oppressive scheme Of taxa ion and orgauized put
nc mee'rgs to ren onsIraie against il The minds Of
'hese men, unsophis'i' at-d 10y b; wILdesing the ories.
perceived clearly by the lAhi Of that gieAiesi OF ali
Code CITE, con mon sense, shat the prineisaI brrtben
OF the taxes | wed upon the reductions OF the i5dng-
Try was borne by them a. producers. II ,hey bad been
III SEQ az Genuine merely, they would have had no
more CAUSE OF complaint ,bsn any o'her class OF ci izsrs.
me merry 10 question II. also oPpofed ty ,he very
high au hori!y OF ;he di,ting writer, " bose I am.
l have Just me niioned, who distinctly lays down The
doctrine, that IN no case can the producer ihTo. ~ the
whole bur,hen OF an indirect lax upon he con. inner
but that the buTthen is divided between them according
to Tie peculiar circumstances 10 which they are placed
49, Wisu ndint nat WNtD Il Hrl4 adj
vanS'dthis dosTine in Congress, | had no. r al the
work OF Mr.. : y, aud consequently was 10, aw are O
the eminent authority by which | was tu.tsined. Ali
'hose who prefer author ~ 10 argument, | refer 10 I'D.
chapters oil 'his able author which treat OF taxation
Having on The qnes'ioa of Authority, said thus much,
l will proceed ' ~ bri ny to try .he doctrine in quss-
ten, by the Test o! reason.
Ii l have not grealy deceived myself-if all he al.
teniion L have bestowed upon this vital aud absorbing
question, during the whole FERN OF my public services,
ha, mol been worse than unp-o6iab y de vo' ed 20 it, This
doctrine can be as clearly deuonsir ned as ary theof.m
in gc,metry.
The sIons est ease h I can be suppo,sd for ,he,he,.
ry which lhfows tho whole bur'heE of taxation on the
consumer, is where she duty is imposed upon Tho en-
tire quanty OF a given producii,n, consumed in the
county. Tea, to' example, / an srtici- which is 10;
i'ou"sf" "a :" v GSs e9ah-ry' ana ne > iW GJRn 81 a .his y at L, O.
L'' us hr'' slpposs Tea 10 be Imported free Of all du.
y, and that IN this slate OF lhings, the peopl. Of he
United states can afford 10 consume 6vs millions OF
pounds, al hi'y 'eo's a pound, amounting 10 So 500
QUO. Lstu', then, suppose a duty Of fifty c.at. a
pound TO lie imposed by the GlveTument, This dn-
ty, IL 10 maintained, will enhance the price of tea 6fv
1snisa pound, Throwing the whole burihen on the con-
sumner, add ,hai the productive industry engaged in Tie
tea trade, will bear no special buTshtn Now mark, |
oeseech you, The monstrous ahsurtiiiss involved Ia iii.
lfoposili0n. We must assume ha! the people of the
United States can GHJcd to Consume az much ,oa Al a
dollar a Found, as they could at so cent?; and that
whereas they expended In tbs purchase CT his bever
age So 500. OOe, previous 10 The tax, they wil be forth
WIN able and VILE 10 exPend $4,000 600, for the
same article ai:er the duty Is imp0sed upon IL. In n
"ord, IL mus be assumed that Ibis duty, which plain
men ighoranIiy suppose 10 be q burthen, actually in.
creaaos the revenus of the ommuDiiy-,he fund
"hleh deifaYs 'ht expense OF i's consump ion-oecise.
ly 8 ,500,000 Butt i, Too obvious 20 escape The mo,.
q GRANT Prsteuder, WHO discusses this sutiist with a.
honest puTpos', that the TeveiuN of The society ia d-
unfinished by ths tax, exactly the 50, 500 900 which The
teofy IN QUESTION assumes that Il 10 increa.ed. What
Wen,-l put II 10 any practical merchant. acquainted
WIN .n iiinelplso OF trade, or 10 any practical man in
any walk OF industry, would be Iis inevitable Ell ct OF
thls tar, upon the indu try and capita, engsged in IN.
tax trade {! The first and most certain ei,et vyouId he
a graf diininui n Of the quantity OF tea COL sumed in
'hs Ohi'ed States. Very little more money would be
sxPenied IN The purchase OF tEs after The tax. th,n vas
expended before; and this would be certairIv the eos.
where the people could obtain any toIerabls substitute
LOT Yea Dut 'hls sum whish formerly purchased Eve
millions OF pounds, wall now purshase only two million,
ahu d nall we WI, however, suppose he eonsump.
10 DC clminishsd only one million Of pounds: even
ihis would be a dirninuti1n of 20 per cent. and indicates
he bufhen which would be sustained by The oroIu,.
1--WE agency employed In the tea trade, besides wba, il
mou'o sustain IN eoInmon with every othsr kind of in
ou''Ty' ron The increased price Of tea. This true ops.
ration oil the Tax would be simply THE: the tea mer
chants would very honestly sndsayor 10 .nfs,cs ~
he eon'unerS, tie theory | am at emptibr TO rsfuis:
'hey would ray TO them, we frmeIIy ioid YOU tbi, tea
al Dry cents a pound,b but we arc now comneIlsd IN
pay biiJ cents at the Custom House for he ptiyilexs
g. e. e I'm 70 you; you must, therefore, indemnify US
,ot ils oufthen, by paying a dollar a pound mate d of
my cshh' Inc consumers would reply with equal
hobesty and much mOrs radsOu, Eve cannot aH,,d
10 pay ihls sS'faVaglnt PRICE for your article. and he.
sldes, ne do not exactly understand upon whaf p,incini,
Q squ'y you "ouid maks us pay The toh0ie of ihs tax,
70 IsVy RON you Wa are willing to consent 10 an taul.
'sOie dlVisi0n, by paying yOn seventy. five cents far
your Tea, leaving you 10 bear 'bs Other bati af tbe bnr.
'hsn'' THIS reasonable compromise, il ius, about tbat
"men sc'ua'ly takes place bsiwesn the producers and
son'umers, IN ordinary cases o. indirect tsxaion, wbs.
ther oil impost or excise, B1t tbs n,u.r 10. - =,