Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-08-09

3
and when they talk of the unprospcrous
condition of the Northern States, and the
unhappy state Of their manufacturing
population, that they will allow us, who
live in those States, 10 he better judges
of that matter than they are. We ask.
them to believe us, when we tell them,.
as we do, that their condition is not -un.
prosperous; that the state Of their manu-
featuring population is not unhappy; that,
OH the contrary, our prosperity is great,
and daily increasing; that the vivid pic
ture, drawn Of that prosperity. by my
honorable friend from Kentucky, is not
overdrawn; it is true to the life; and it
belongs only to eloquencc like his to
give to the picture its true expression,
and its true colors. ! do not deny, re-
peat, the distress of the South; but de-
ny that the revenue il the cause, and
challenge them to the proof. Here we
are all equally competent judges; that is,
all have equally the means OF Judging
Show the conneXion between the reven-
ue as the cause, and your distress as the
effect; show it as matter of fact, and
without the aid Of the metaphysics ofthat
ignis tatuus of a science, called political
economy. For no ignis jaiuus was ever
d moie treacherous guide. II has no
certainty in it but its uncertainty; almost
every age has some new system Of the
science broachcd and bruted. lfit take,
the older system, its predecessor, is laid
on the shelf, or consigned to the tomb of
the Capulets. l do not know how many
of these systems have successfully mp
peared-each has had its day-and then
has gone into the dust OF oblivion. A
real science has not these mutations; the
geometry of Euclid is still the geometry
of the world. But if this pseudo science
were exempt from this uncertainty, it still
would be an unsafe guide. For it is not
predicatcd upon the actual existing state
Of the world but supposes state ofthings
that does not exist, and cannot; and this
is especially true Of the free trade sys-
TEN. That supposes the system to be n
dOpted by all nations, and then that all
would find their account in it. Even
then this result would not take place for,
to take place, all nations must be equal
in knowledge, and skill, and capital, and
political institutions, when they start in
the race. The metaphysics of this pscu-
do science-why, the legerdemain OF ne
cromancy will not show you more sur.
prising tcats. They will show you, for
instance, that the cotton planter, on the
banks Of the Savannah, pays tine duties
on the penknie in my pocket; and so of
any other article that is imported from
England. provided his cotton goes there;
and no matter who sends it, If these
metaphys sizes did not distress the Son,h
more than the revenue does, l believe
they would be much more contentcd
people.
Show me, ! again ask it, the connex-
and your distress as the effect, and show
it without the aid of these Juggling met
aphysics. Your complaints-what ure
they? One is, that your lands are worn
down, and that your crops are unprofita-
BILE. Pray, is the revenue the cause Of
that sterility? Another is the low prices
Of your crops. Now, but for the rcve-
nue., those low prices would be still low
er: for that cnlargcs the demand, and
sustains the market ofyour crops The
last is, the prices you pay for your sup
plies. But these prices are lower than
they were before the 'accursed tariff was
imposed. To this, you say that these
low prices would have been still lower
but for the accursed tariff. Here lies
your whole case: for, unless you show
this, every cause Of complaint against
the tariff, as the cause of your distress,
vanishes at once. Now, this is ques-
tion Of probabilities, and admits Of 10
certain solution. All we can do is, to
weigh the probabilities, pro and con, and
strike the balance as well as we can.-
The probabilities, pro and con, have
been stated in this debate, & need not now
be re-stated. 1.-THE foreigner had now
the supply and control OF our market, as
he would have had we no tariff, to me it
appears probable that these prices would
be higher than they now are; to you the
contrary appears probable. AT best,
then, the thing is uncertain. ask then,
are these gentlemen willing and prepar-
ed to break up this Union, because, it
may be, that the low prices they now
pay for their supplies would have been
still lower If we had no tariff? to do that
irreparable injury to their country3 and
to themselves ns part Of the country9--
and to themselves more than to any other
part!
The gentlemen Of the South seem to
think there is wanting TO them fraternal
feeling in the North, that refuses to do
them justice in this case. This is not so.
When has the South appealed to the JUS