Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-06-29

tnrerS hy assuring them, as the southern people |
nave oecn so often assured, that they had no
cause whatever To complain as producers, Tor
TINT the whole burtbcn of the duty must ncces.
sariy I'll on the consumes. Thus then, bav-
ing seen the two extremes, II is easy To find the
uiddIc ground of compromise which lies he
tween them. Ii is this we say To- our advcr-
Saries, 1t you will permit imported mann
tactures to come IN free of duty, wo will permit
your domestic manufactures to remain equally
exempt from taxation or, to place il on n fnot
ing better suited To the wants of the govern
ment, whatever duty you will consent To- have
levied ON Your domestic manufactures, wa will
agree To have levied on our imported manufac
lures. u this were an original question, ! sol
emily believe, indeed know, that this would
be The true point of equality. Ii would be as e.
quail MS system Of indirect taxation could he
rendered. You will perceive, therefore, how
liberal is the concession which tho bill before
You makes to the manufacturing interest, aud
how Tar IT still liz from putting the South upon n
footing of equality with the Nor.h. One half
oil the whole scheme will still he tax upon the
productive industry Of the south, and II bounty
tn that of the North.
he moment sir, you impose n ,luty upon the
manufactures Of the north, you open I e eyes
OF the manufacturers TO the al,surdity of
the doctrine which maintains that the whole
burthen of the duty falls upon tho consumer
u never was true in any country, or in any
condition of trade, thut the producers Of com
modiucs upon which impost or excise duties
were levied, could throw the whole burthen of
those duties upon the consumers. Even in the
state OF things most favorable o this result mere
me duties are imposed upon the -u,rc quantity
oil taxed commodities sons umed IN the country
me tohote hc:inen cannot he thrown from Il o
.:"uucers To the consumers. though the principal
part OF II undoubtedly would be in most ius tai
cts. III, for example, on any emergency, 40
excise duty should be 'ovied upon hats aud
shoes. d" 80: Imagine that the whole burthen oI
these duties would fall exclusively on the wear
ers of hats and shoes So far from it, The me
chancs engaged in producing these ,nanufac-
lures, guided by the uner,ing instinct of lf
interest, would bo the very first to complain oi
those duties as partial aud unequal. Aud If
political economist shou d rise up aud tell them
to make themselves easy, for that M part Of bur
then fell upon them as makers at the hats and
shoes, they would Indignantly reject his conso
laion as VAN philosophy.
But sir, itfit be true as a general proposition,
that all indirect taxes levied upon commodities,
operate, to SONS extent, burihens upon tho
producers, it is much more obviously tho case,
and TO II much greater extent, where the du,ics
not equally levied upon the entire qmanri-
~ of these commodities consumed in the couu-
try, but where partial and discriminating duties
are levied on the smaller po; ton only Of the
tional consumption. Aud such is precisely the
condition Of things, and the opeIa alton of the
protecting duties IN me united states.
will illustrate my view by referring to the &C.
tual state of the imports aud consumption Of
cotton manufactures.
The value of cotton goods produced in the u
nifed States. for sale, at the varioIs munufactO-
ries. may he estimated at twenty four millions
at dollars the value of similar articles import
ed from abroad, has been taking an average of
several years, about eight millions Of dollars
making the whole mass Of cotton manufactures
sold and consumed in the United States, amoun,
TO lbirty-two millions. In this state Of our trade
the Government leves duty, il will he assum-
ed, oil fifty per cent not upon the whole thirty
two millions worth of cotton manufactures con
Sumed IN the country, but only upon the eight
millions worth winch arc imported from foreign
countries. And i'm this state of fhcts i! commended
that the domestic producers of the imported ma
nufactmres-lhe planters ofthe south, are not sub
Jeced to any peculiar burihen by these discrim-
inating duties upon their productions, but that the
whole burthrn of duty is thrown exclusively upon
the consumers of cotton goods. Let us examine
this proposition and see to whar strange con-
illusions II would lead us. duty OF fifty per
cent upon the eight millions OF imported cotton
manufactures, yields revenue of four millions
of do lars, which is paid into the Treasury
Now, II tile whole hurthen OF this duey fails up
OH the consumers Of imported cotton goods. it
can only ho so by the enhancement of The
price of these goods fifty per cent in the ma, ke,
But hey come into aiket where there are
also domestic goods of the amount OF twenty
four millions
AS il is evident that the imported and de- mes
tic articles of the same kind ard quality cannot
! maintain different prices IN o common market,
II follows that II the price of the imported com
moditics is enhanced fifty per cent. by the duties.
that OF the domestic commodities must rise to
precisely the same level The whole rnrss OF
cotton manufactures would thus BIO enhanced
III price, fifty per cent. by duty OF fifty per cent
l,.y nnIu II, of
ton {; and a tax of foor millions of dollars cot
lectcd and paid into the Treasury, would con-
,equenIy opera'e burth' II Of sixteen mil.
lions upon the people of the United States
But this is nottho only strange consequence ,hat
70 lows: il tho Government were 10 imuose
duty of fifty per cent, equally. upon the eight
III Lions OF cotton goods imported, and the TWEEN
ty-four millions made in the United STATES. it
will not be pretended that this could possibly
raise the price ot cotton goods more than fifty
per cent. IL, then, the duty upon the eight mil
lions only has tie same effect, il establishes the
monstrnus paradox, that a revenue of four mill
Ons of dollars levied upon eight millions of pro-
ducuous, IS precisely as burthrnsome TO the peo-
pie AS a revenue of sixteen millions Of dollars
levied upon tlirry-two millions Of productions
[ call upon tho gentlemen who mnina;p that
tho whole buFtieD OF The duty falls upou Il @
consumer, TO abandon their theory, or adm I
these to no is lcgi Imnle conclusions mn a.
waro that the advocates Of free trade once main.
tanned these opinions and hence Inferred that
the manufacturing States were as much oppres.
sed by the protecting system as any other por-
ton Of The Union. But the people Of those
States, feeling, aud seeing, aud knowing, that
they were i'll state Of nigh prosperity, laughed
al these as mere speculative theories.
The truth j., that whoO small portion only
ola certain description Of commodities is selec-
ted for taxation, and discriminating au.y i, Ie
L cd hat 4 foil If