Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1832-09-06
POE.E'ElCAI..
ADDRESS,
TO IUE IEOPLE Of 1WE CDNGRES-
.SIO\AL. DISTRICT OF CNlHLlSl'ON

afoac Oh Tue lefiud NhcH inc payment oi ttt pun
lie debt was anticipated, i, WAS naturally expected
aud desired that the late cougress, before It's All
iounmcut, would IL, lse and 50 modify the tartl
act OF 1928 as 10 reduce, considerably the amount
of the revenue VI hch II provided for and also the
rate of the duties winch were levied under it, upon
the importl,iolvot projected articles, As early
January lo3! 1.-Two resolutions Of the House Of Rep
resentativcs directed The Secretary Of the Treasury
10 collect information Ia certain manufactures
IN the United States, and 10 communicate the same
l. the House with such Suggestions as hc might
thiuk useful, with view to the adjustment Of the
,,riii and with such a tariff OF utc, imports, as
might, in his opinIeii be best adapted 10 the al
vu,ceincnt of the public interest" In the report
made 10y the Secretary otthe Treasury, IN eonpl-
uace with these resolutions, he remarked that the
inpost system = Of the United States has been for
mtny years, incidentally bal So Intimately connect
I'd with the growth aud protection Of Amer
lean copItai and labor, To have raised up great
national interests indispensable TO the prosperity o,
tie country, aud which cannot be lost sight Of III
any new uIi is.men; Of the system. In the elrcum-
stances which REQUIRE, at present general reduc-
icu of the res nue., II Is hot deemed practicable To
pursue for any length oil time, the degree OF protec
ton hitherto afforded 10 those tcrcsts winch haye
grown up under the past legislation. Tho State oi
1n1ilr cling throughout important portion Of
the rp1atry, which, with greater or less intensity
calls Tor revision Of the existing tariff is not TO be
disguised Both patriotism and wisdom dictate
that this sentiment should DC respected and rs far
As may be compatible with the common we'd, that
Il b. satisfied not from any unworthy MOTIVE but
anler that Obligation Of duty which requires That all
s regarded with an equal eye that all he borne
Pln with an equal hand and under that no less
solemn obligation, toprescrve by any reasonable
concessions, our inestmable Union" In ite spirit
nt thesc sentlmelts which rebound much 10 the
erei, Of the head and the heat OF the Secretary he
prepared bill for Congress, which with some alter
atens, would in my Judgment, have been peculiar
y adapted to meet the exsences ofthe times. This
bill was referred to the Committee Manufactures
Of thc HOUSE of Representatives, who protessed 10
make II the basis Ola bill reported by them which
after having received various Amendments, becam.
aiaw on the ltth Of July, 1873!
20. the vote which was given by me upon the
fal passage this bill, all the newspapers through
III the STATE, which are attached t, the doctrlnc OF
Vii dcaiIon have charged NE with having sacri-
feed the interests oflny constituents, &Wlth having
acted lnconslSten,ly with opinions which had been
previously expressed. Anxious that my teliow-cit
izens whether they be my political friends foes,
should bc mpossession ofthe motives ofmy political
conduct, IN order thet they may be enabled to deter
mime whether merit ther confidence or have lust
lY exposed uyselfto their ccnsure Will submit To
then, the reasons tht governed me upon the subject
under consideration.
The provisions of the Tariff Act ofls32, arc, by
10 means, such us desired them to have been bu,
when they were uud:r discussion, before Congress
problem Tor the solution OF the members of that
Body was not, i'll ordinary circumstances, What a
tai!l act ouS Int TO be- nor in what munnerlt should
be drawn SO as to satisfy the manufacturers OF the
North or the agricuituralists of the South-tEc c.
elusive friends Of protection on the one hand or of
free trade, on the other but whether any middle
course could be devised which would reconcile con
tlctng pre- udices and lncrcss-tIlay the fury "a
eng III the bosoms of the two great tar parties IN
u which the people were divided and prevent that
COLTS on between them, which might not only dis
tllrb the harmony, bI ehdan ger the existence ofthc
Union.
The difficulty Of elcctins this arrangement, was
probably, greater than any which had ever been
presented TO The deliberations Of Congress since the
adoption of the Federal Constitutions Whist u
larse minority of the people regard protective ta-
riff To be Unauthorized by the Constitution Il major-
ity ofthcm have arrived at il danetricaly opposite
conclusion. If all those who were Hostile 10 "a pro-
and all those who were in favor of it, pronounced
II TO be constitutional, ii might, naturally, be pre-
sumcj that these docorant differences resulted fon
sectional prjadices OF individual interests Bot
such is NOT The relative position OF the contondine
parties The advocates Of protection are unani-
nous, on their side OF the question, whereas It's ad
versores differ among themselves. Many OF the
most Intelligent delegates to the Free Trade Con
vention which mel ia Philadelphia in September
last, expressed their conycticn of the Legitimate
power of Congress to pass protective tariff acts,
though they CONDEMNED their principle, as fi.augit
with evil and injustice and the same opinions ere
avowcd by Mr. Gallatln, the author OF memorial
from the Convention, III which the injurious consc-
qncnccs of lcgislatye interference with the capital
and labor of individuals, are demonstrated iii an
ability and clcarncss, which have no, been cquaIled
by any production which has issued from the Amer
ican press. The majority OF tue people not only
think that protective duties are constitutional, but
they are as confident, that they are essential 10 the
general veal and in support of their views. they
rely upon the numerous protective tariff acts which
have been passed and upon the appreciation of them
by every President Of the L. States. The minority
arc as thoroughly convinced that protective tariff
impaIrs the property ofthc great mass ofthe commit
nifty, and subjects them to heavy taxation for the
benefit Of the comparatively few. When the people
thus differ upon subject in which their interests
are deeply inyolvcd-whcn those interests are be-
evcd to be fostercd or depressed, by legislation,
according to geographical positions, ii must be OBJ
v'ous, that Congress could pass act so modify
my protection us TO give a complete and general
satisfaction The only course, therefore, which
tie late Congress could adopt to calm the public ex-
citement, and TO arrest the perous march of deep
and bitter discomfort, was to propose u law upon
the basis of mutual concession and compromise
Upon this basis tho act Of July, 1881, was founded