Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-02-14
TUESDAY. FEBRUARY IA, 1882.
Mr.. McDUFFlE's REPORT-Coatinued.

Unjust anu uneqnai IN It's operation, as d sFs-
tenn o! protecting duties must be 10 all countries,
and under all governments, it Is only in a coun-
try Of such great extent, and such diversity OF
cot Ctlng interests as the United States, that 1t
becomes absolutely ruinOus to entire communI-
ties All other objections to it dwindle into abb
solute insgni6cance. when compared with its I'M
equal action upon the different clusters OF States.
comprising the geographical subdiv islons OF this
Uuinn. In this aspect, the subject rises INTO the
most sole mn and e'entful importance, and gives
rise 10 a range Of inquiry, much higher than any
Investigation Of mere abstract questions OF politl
cal t, onomy. In a country Of small extent,and
with homogeneous population, (such "a Ens
land. no commercial restriction can long pro-
du, great inequality or injustice. The people
ha,r certain resource against this sort OF OPP
preston, in the facility OF abandoning one pursuit
aud taking up another, when government restric-
tious render the one less profitable and the other
more so. This easy transfer OF capital and IN
du-,ry from nne EMPLOY to another, soon re-
du,es the profits Of the favored pursuit to The
common level. AMI restores the profits OF the pur
SUI which had been injured by the restriction to
a fair average. The whole result of a restrictive
system. III such a country. il to diminish the az
sresate wealth of the community, by changing
the mode Of producing certain articles, and IN
Gre .sing the cost Of thei production. But no
class is permanently oppressed by any PARTICULAR
burhen, as all have the option OF participating
in the gains Of the favored pursuit. " uley diff
ferent. however, is the effect Of commercial re-
strlcuons IN such country as the Y. States,
composed of twenty four political communities,
many Of them Of larger extent than England, and
distinguishes by diversity OF soil, Climate. pro-
ductIon, and pursuit. greater than that which
distinguished England from France. But even
in the U. States, commercial restriction which
affected the pursuits Of single State only. or
which affected the pursuits of all the States alike.
however unwi,e IL might be, could not long "pe-
rate unjus,y upon any particular branch OF III
dustry. Unfortunately, however, the existing
restrictions, which are known by the denomina-
ton oi the protecting system. operate injuriously
upon the great leading pursuits. which employ
three tourths Of the capital and labor of region
of country more extensive than any civilized EN-
pire in Europe; while. on the other hand, they
operate btnefcially On the great and leading pur-
suits Ut another region. not less extensive. The
capital Of the Snuthern States, too, is already in
vested ia description Of property, which is adap
ted only Ia the makIng OF those productions.
whcn il is the tendency and the design of the
restrictive system to exclude from the natural
market Even If the planters were willing to
abaUdnn their accustomed and hereditary pur-
suits, and embark IN business of manufacture.
their entire capital would be deprived of more
than halt its value. Ov the very act of transfer
ring it, When ,r MS we add the consideration.
that ione probation Of disastrous experiments
void be the only mears Of acquiring any thing
like ,he skill necessary TO successful compet-
tioa WITH their northern rivals the reason will be
Oh, lous why the SOurnern States have not evad-
eel. and why they caunot evade, the bnrhens i'm
posed upon the prnductiCDs Of ;reir industry, by
abandoning their present pursuits. and embark
ing in the favored branches of industry. Moth
lug an be more eXtravagant than tn suppose that
the people of an immense exteht of country em.
braNng eight sovereign States, can transfer
thoL and millions OF capital from agriculture to
manufactures. WITH the same facility that hat
ter Ur shoe maker can avoid tax upon hats or
shoes, ~ taking up some other trad"
As he restrictions imposed on the productions
ri s"nthern Industry. are affected bv the agency
OF indirect taxes, the burthens imposed upon the
planting States, bS the protecting system, are
not very lnaccurate.v measured by the amount
ct taxe> levied upnb their productions. Ard
when The inequali, of the government disburse-
mems are added to the inequality Of the contri-
bu,ions exacted b. inport duries, it may be con.
fiden,ly affirmed tina, he burhens imposed upon
the planting States BIZ The taxation, prohLition,
and disbursemer.7S Of the Federal Government,
are more than equal tn The amount of taxes le-
wed upon those imports, which are obtained in
exchange for the three great agricultural Staples
Of elton. tobacco. and rice. That duty upon
roport is equivalent to the same amount Of du-
10. ne export which has been exchanged for
self evident proposition. to all who
comprehend its import. The planter
9,auouslv affected BY III. one duty as he
DC by the o;her, without any reference what.
'v his own consumption. Let it be suppos.
LAT iwo planters should each send hundred
Of cotton to Europe mango them for ma
'actures, and bring these into the U. States,
Ncidswei> trr sale anu that one Of them should
az sn expor, du;y IF forty per cent. on the va.
0t hs cotton, as II went out, and the other.a an
iogort duty OF forty per cent. upon the value of
h.> manufactures as they came in. II is perfect
!, OBVIOUS, that each OF them would obtain the
same quantity of manufactures fur us cotton in
Europe. The same price for them IN the U. s. g. at
the mature. of their bonds ne ustom house.