Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-11-09

Pio'Nu ny loui HI your commencing votes. both fUr Con-
gress and the Convention, and it has since received the
sanction OF your appreciation. You will forgive hi, brief
explanations; for, though l am no candidate for your suHra-
ges, your good will and good opinion will always be dear
10 me.
1t has now been about twenty years since a portion OF
you gave me a voice In your Legislative Councils; and l
have been the Representative of the district for ten wears
in Congress. You will pardon me for saving at this mo-
meni, that ] have devoted my best faculties, with perse-
vering fidelity, to your interests. For your generous for.
bearance aud sustaining confidence through that time, I
can never cease To DO grateful. ]. s. BARBOUR
Caipepe, October llth, 1882.
70 TIE EDITORS or TME RlcHWovD ENQUIRER.
MIR. AND THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM.
MIR. AND TRUTH-No. L.
In May last, MIR. Bernard A. Reynolds, Of ST. Johns,
Colletoh, ). Carolina, anxious for accurate information as
to the true character Of the Tariff of 1916, and reposiug
special trust in the knowledge and integrity of Mr.. Calf
houn, addressed N letter to him, asking for the desired in
formation, generally; and parucularising, among other
points, "the nature of the arguments used for and against
its adoption" To this letter, Mr. e. lost no time In re-
plying; and his reply closed in these words: "You Of
course will consider what | have said ms not intended for
publication. There are many reasons, which how ever I
need not state, that render me averse to appearing in the
public prints, unless il be absolutely necessary"
On the eve of the late election in South Carolina, hi.
necessity occurred; aud Mr.. C's letter made its sppear-
ance IN tho nuliiication papers Of that State; ushersd in
IDy an introduction from Mr.. REYNOLDS, who states. that
Mr.. C's objections TO its being placed before the public
are now ioregone at my earnest solicitations;'' and that
many years, but more particularly within The las, month " been %si iodn !.
.hod.iy circulated through all the organ. Of detraetiou and abuse, to
Roman name"
10 this letter oil Mr.. Calhoun. | deem il highly impor.
tant that the attention OF my fellow. citizens be- directed.
From its effect upon MIR. Reynolds, we may Judge OF that
which II Is calculated TO have upon all whose ocou,in,.
ance with the subject may be as limited as that of hi,
honest enquirer. Upon my mind, however, it's effect il
very different. Ii has confirmed the belief, previously
forced upon me by the impartial consideration OF stubborn
facts, that Mr.. Calhoun is utterly destitute of all re.
gard for truth,--that, in his bosom, this vital principle of
honor and OF honesty has succunbcd under the stifiny
power OF some sinister influence; and that his contempt
Tor That pu6Hc inteifgence-the fear OF which, is The only
check upon such u man-is stamped with a character Of
audacity and recklcssness. altogether withou, parallel.
These are not words lightly uttered-ths effusion Of
personal or political hate. They are the deliberate ex-
preston OF dispassionate, solemn conviction: a conviction.
uttered from the solemn conviction OF the necessity that il
should be uttered. Animosity, do feel. But il is the
ruii, no, The parent, OF the conviction. tits the snimosi-
" that must kindle in every honest heart that ha, a ihrob
ior country at The contemplation Of the unprincipled aud
reckless course oi an influential public character, below
ed to be AS depraved, as bold, as energetic,lly wicked. as
any that ever worked to bring confusion and ruin upon
his country.
This belief is well grounded. or it is not. If il he nm.
warranted by the evidence on which il rests, il cannot be
propagated; for, the ground which it would occupy is al.
ready III most minds, strongly pre-occupied by its antago-
MIST. Any evil, then, whatever it may be, which can re-
suit from its utterance is OF infinite Insig nihcance, when
weighed against the mischief which, if it be well ground
eu, may be averted by p~roclaiming il. IL it be a Just and
iully supported belief, it is certainly Of great, perhaps Of
ihcaiculsble Importance, that it should be entertained bv
erery henesf man ia our section IF the Union. No man.
10 whom ii may be communicated, should omit any effort
by which 1t may be impaired to others, by which il NAV
De made 10 penetrate into every corner, aud 10 peryade
'NN' VI ~ POitlCd duO lie OCCu-
pies, Mr.. Calhoun is now exercising q marked influence
over the desiinies of this Union. Thousands of honest,
SANDS are thus directly or indirectly welded by him; and
they conGde in him, because they believe him TO be no.
nest. II this be a delusioD, il is a most dangerous delu.
sion, and ought to be dispelled. 1t shall be, unless TRUTH
have totally lost its power. Unless there be no longer
such a thing as probative force in facts,-unless, by some
mysterious change in the nature of the human mind, oil
avenues TO conviction have become closed, and the now.
er of proof annihilated, the evidence now to he adduced
VIII compel every honest man, under whose eyes it may
come, TO think OF this man as | think Of him.
Among the topics on which Mir. Reynolds asked TO be
enlightened, was, as l have already stated, s'thc nature of
the arguments used for and against the Tariff of 1916.
ms topic, so obviously the most important of any, 10 the
calculation OF the subject, is, in Mr.. C.'s reply, passed
over without a notice. OF the two great speeches deli
vered by him during that session, one was exclusively
devoted TO the protective system; in the other, il was also
introduced, as part OF a still more enlarged policy. Olher
speeches were delivered by other men, directly AMI
polhtedIy against the system. Yet, TO these facts. not
so much as an allusion! The reason will become ma
Diiest, on a perusal Of the suhjoined extracts from those
" arguments" Mr.. Reynolds will now get what no ask
To begin at the right point, however, we must here re-
cur Tor a moment to those 90 contemplate SANDERS" al
winch Mr. H., in the honesty of his zeal, cvinccs such in
dignation.
Somewhere, and at some time within the last two or
tnree years, the assertion was advanced, with reference to
Mr. C.s present course, that he had once given his coun-
en"hce ana support to the protective policy and his
course IN relation 10 the Tariff Of 1916 was referred o.
mus assertion, and others arising from its contradiction by
MIR. u organs, are the " contempible slanders" 10 which
Mr.. X. here alludes. Within The same period, and recent.
N' IN particular, great pains has been taken, through the
Telegraph aud the Southern presses which draw their
supplies curing the winter particularly from that father
fountain, to impress the people OF the South with the be-
hei, mat this assertion was utterly destitute OF foundation.
VI the numerous devices rcsorted TO for the purpose, that
which was The most striking, and with reference 10 which,
indeed, all the others were cOntrived, was the denial thai
any evidence existed, that Mr.. c. had " ever defended mr.
supported a protective Tariff, us distinct from a Tariff for
revenue This was unquestionably an impregnabIe no
slIon: as TO lis dPpOsifencsS, no matter, so il made the de-
sired Impression. To confirm this impression, certain sub
slulHIltS were tDen Drought IN :. such AZ tho accordion that
much as "t anne from The Committee Of WAYS and
Means; greatly reduced The existing amount of duties.
and liked The scale no higher than the public wants re.
CURED with the existing debt" About the date of the
correspondence now under considerations, much hbored
editorial matter on the subject appeared in the Telegraph.
from which the above quotations are made. II bore inter-
nal evidence OF having been written or dictated by MIR.
calhoun and this evidence, rs a glance sufhces 10 show.
Is strikingly corroborated by his present letter; which
consists oil 4 sort OF historical (hiStorv may be true or false,
argument, in support Of the writer's affirmation. that he
mas " dhc0ys considered The Tariff Of 1916, as in TedIifu
q measure ~ TeUente, as distinct from one Of protectiOn. j."
10 meet the assertion which had been made with re.
gard 10 Ms. C:s course, by a call for evidence, that he
ever defended or supported a protective Tariff, as dis
tinct from a Tariff for re venue, :" was to resort TO a double.
dl'uIled subteriuge. In the first place, fhe question real
w was, not as TO the character Of the Tariff OF 1916. but az
TO Mr.. Us coursc with reference 10 H.. The Tariff itself
might nave been ever so pure a revenue measure and
yet The principles and policy advocated by Mr.. G. ON that
occasion, might have been Of most ultra protective stamp
In the next place, admitting the question 10 be, the ma.
lure OF The farm: who ever heard Of such A Tariff az that
with regard to which proof was here challenged? This
snb,eringe was exposed al the time through The columns
OF the Enquirer.
In MIR. C's letter IL is e-produced-thouch in a shane
sonewhat modified, and not quite so palpable. Still The
eHect IS me same. u throws the question concerning the
nature OF thc arm into a form, which iinpresses The mind