Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-08-10
M TnE PEOpLE or Souru cAEoLiNA.


tvcs in Congress of the United States, feel il to DO
their painful, but indispensable duty in the present
extraordinary crisis of your affairs to submit, Tor
your grave and solemn consideration, tho follow
iug brict views OF your present condition and future
prospects, as they affected by the unconsttu-
tonai legislation of Congress. Whatever hopes
may have been INDUCED nj the commencement OF
'he session, That returning sense otJIstce ON the
part OF the majority would remove or materially
mitigate the grcvous load of oppression under
which you have SO long la6orcd and of which you
have so justly complained the undersigned are now
reluctantly constrained to declare that these Hat
tcring hopes, too long deferred, and too iondly
| cherished, have finally and forever vanished. a
dspassionate review Of the history and progress of
the protecting duties and OF those kindred mca-
surss, which, in their combination, constitute the
"American System" has brought their minds TO the
deep and deliberate conviction, that there is no
principle of re action in the system itself which
will warrant the belief that Congress will ever
unfairly grant To the planting States restitution
OF those sacred rights, without which property has
| no value ard liberty itself is the mere mockcry Of
empty name. On the contrary, experience has
conclusveiy demonstrated that the system Is
TALLY progressive, each successive advance crea.
ting additional motives and supplying additional
means for future acquisitions. There is princi.
pie ofhuman action moro steady in it's operation
and more bouudlcss in its desires. than the thirst of
pecuniary gain, not even excepting ambition. And
it would bc just rational TO expect that mill
tary cOpqucror would voluntarily arrest his own ca
rcer Of conquest, and retreat before his quang ad.
versaries, TO hope that tho rresTs isblc MAORI
ty who control the legislation of Congress on this
subject will voluntarily arrest their Of legis
lativc action, urged they by tho instinct
of self interest, UNDER tho guiso of PATRIOTISM and
subject to no human restraint but their own will
In tho history OF tho protecting system, there
are three distinct oras each of them cGuivocally
marked by the extended combination aud increased
strength of the manufacturing interests. and not
less uncquivccally by the increased protection of
those interests. In 1916, at the close of war
which gave an unnatural stimulus to domestic
manufactures, the berality, the gratitude and the
patriotism Of Congress all conspircd 10 recommend
that in reducing and adjusting the revenue duties
OF the war to the requirements of a peace cstab
lishment, the manufacturing interests, which had
generously sustained the Government while other
interests had deserted ii, should he saved from the
| ruinous shock OF too sadden transaction, by
making tho reduction gradual and progressive
Accordingly the duties upon cotton and woollcn
manufactures were placed at the ad valorem rate of
twenty-five pcr centum, with the provision that no
cotton fabric should be estimated rs of less value
| than twenty-five cents per square yard that being
about the existing price of the coarse cotton ma n
| ufactures then usually imported. The duty on
hammered bar iron was fixed at the rate of forty
five cents per hundred weight which did not cx
coed twenty-five per centum the existing value
of that article, and the duty on all manufactures
of iron was placed at twenty-five per centum ad
valorem In fact il may be stated generally, that
the average of tho duties imposed upon the pro-
tcctcd class of articles by the Tariff of 1876 was
not more than twenty five per centum on their
value having reference to the then existing prices
of such as were subjected to minimum or specific
duties; while the mere revenue duties upon coffee
tea, and wines, averaged at least fifty per ccptum
The principle was here distinctly assumed that the
unprotected ARTICLES were the more appropriate
subjects OF taxation, and ought to pay higher du
ties than the protected articles, for the obvious
reason that the protection given by the duties on
these latter articles to one class of American pro.
duceTs' necessarily imposed an equivalent burthen
upon an other class
But even these of duty upon cotton and
woollen manufactures, were temporary upon the
very face OF the act which imposed them, il being
expressly provided that in three years they should
be reduced from tn enty-ive to twenty per cent ad
vaiorem So far, therefore, from being placed nj
this rate, for the exclusive purpose of protection
those duties were actually lower than others which
were exclusively designed for revenue; and so far
from giving an implied pledge that they should be
retained and extended without reference to the is-
cal wants of the Government the act of 1916 con-
tanned an express declaration, that the Incl
dental protection of the rates should not
continue above twenty per cent. for than |
three years. Instead however, of acquiescinp i'm |
the provisions of the act of 1916, the manufactu-
ring interest was the first to disturb them by pro-
curing the repeal of the clause which provided that
in three years. the al valorem duties cotton and
woollen manufact res should be reduced from
twenty-five to twenty per cont.
But, still unsatisfied with the protection so pe
ncrously yielded to them, the manufactures contin
ued to clamor for yet greater increase of the |
duties, until they succeeded, nlS24 in having them
raised woollens from % to 33i per cents on iron
to 90 cents per Hundreds; while, on cotton manu-
features, the minimum raised from 25 to 30
cents the square yard, being equivalent to an aver
age increase OF 10 or ID per ct. ad valorom; and
on most other manufactures, q very considerable
addition was madoto the duties. The tariff of 1924
was passed with the almost unanimous opposition
Of the representatives from all the Southern States
and nothing induced the people of the South at
that time, to acquicsce in ii, but the solemn assn |
rance of it's leading advocates that no further call
for protection would be made in behalf of the
manufacturing interest This pledge was most
distinctly made in Congress during the discussion
OF that measure. But this was seon forgotten or
dlsreGardcd, and, in 1925, renewed efforts were
made TO extend the protecting duties, particularly
on wool and woolen manufactures efforts which
were Prcsevcringy prosecuted until 1928, when
they were crowned with complete success by the
enactment of what has been appropriately demon
mated "bill of denominations This act increased
The duties on woollcn manufactures on an average
moro than 20 per cent and most of the protecting
duties to a considerable extent though not quite
so much.
Such is a brief history of the progress of the
Protecting system since the late war-a history
Which the people Of the Southern States can con-
emplate with no other than the most melan-
holy reflections They cannot but perceive that
'hat was modcstly solicited and generously grant
d as temporary protection against the disasters
i a sudden change produced by the act of the
government itself, is now importantly dcmGpded
18th a more than two fold increase, as matter
I rtghf, and as measure of permanent policy.
hey cannot fail to perceive, also, that, after the
rogress and improvements Of forty ycars-sixtoen
them under protection of freln twcnty five TO
fty-hve per ct--durlng which manu- factures
ave had full time reach their maturity a
itc of protecting duties is now established as the
policy of the country, four times as high
$ that which was recommended by Alexander
hamilton, when those manufactures were in their