Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-03-22

ilcsc CouiiCiS CohiC Will al III S'aSc
from the gentleman from NNyland.-
He, too, is member Of a nihjoriiy--a
political majority. And how has the ad-
minis,ration of that majority exercised
their power IN this country? Recall to
| your recollection the 4th of March, 1899
when the lank, lean, famished forms, from
fen and forest, and the four quarters OF
the Union, gathered together in the halls
of patronage; or stealing, by evenings
twilight, into the apartments of the Pres
ident's mansion, cried out, with ehastly
faces, and in sepulchral tones: Give US
bread! Give us treasury pap! Give us
our reward Ensl bard was mista-
ken; ghosts will sometimes come, called
or uncalled. Go to the families who
were driven from the employments on
which they were dependent for subsis-
tence, in consequence Of their exercise
of the dearest right of ireemen. Go to
mothers, whilst hugging to their bosoms
their starving children. Go to fathers,
who, after being disqualified, by long
public service, from any other business,
were stripped oftheir humble places, and
then sought, by the minions OF authority,
to be stript of all that was left them
their good names-and ask, what mercy
was shown to them! AS for myself born
in the midst of the Revolution, the first
air that ever breathed on my native soil
of Virginia, having been that Of liberty
and independence, | never expected JUS
tice, nor desired mercy at their hands;
and scorn the wrath, and defy the op-
preston of power!
regret, Mr. President, that one topic
has, think, unnecessarily been intro
duced into this debate. l allude to the
charge brough, against the manuiactur-
ing system, as lavoring the growth of a.
ristocracy. If it were true, would gen
tlemen prefer supporting foreign accu-
mutations of wealth, by that description
ofindustry, rather than i'll their own coun-
try? But is it correct? The joint stock
companions Of the North, as l under
stand them, are nothing more than asso-
Citations, sometimes ofhundreds,by means
of which the small earnings OF many are
brought into a common stock, and the
associates, obtaining corporate privileges,
arc enabled to prosecute, under one su-
perintending head, their business to bet
ter advantage. Nothing can be more
essentially democratic or better devised
to counterpoise the influence of individ-
ual wealth. In Kentucky, almost every
manuiactory known to me, is in the hands
of enterprising and self-made men, who
have acc CURED whatever wealth they pos
sess by patient and diligent labor. Com
parisons are odious, and but in defence,
would not be made by me. But is there
more tendency to aristocracy, in man
ulactory supporting hundreds of freemen,
or in cotton plantation, with ITS not less
numerous slaves, sustaining, perhaps, on
" two white families-that OF the master
and overseer?
| l pass, with pleasure, from this dIsa-
grceable topic, to two general ProposI-
tions, which cover the entire ground OF
debate. The first is that, under the OPP
GRAFTON of the American System, the OBJ
jects which it protects and fosters are
brought to the consumer at cheaper prI-
ces than they commanded prior to Its IN
PRODUCTION, or than they would command
if it did not exist. If that be true, ought
not the country to be contcnted and sat
islied with the System, unless the second
proposition, which mean presently also
to consider, is unfounded! And that is,
that the tendency of the system IS to sus-
tain, and that it has upheld the prices Of
all our agricultural and other produce,
including cotton.
And is the fact not indisputable, that
all essential objects of consumption, ell
fected by the tariff, are cheaper and bet
ter, since the act of l824, than they were
for several years prior to that law!
appeal for its truth to common observa-
ton and to all practical men. appeal to
the farmer of the country, whether he
does not purchase, on better terms, his
iron, salt, brown sugar, cotton goods, ana
woolens, for his laboring peoples and l
ask the cotton planter if he has not been
better and more cheaply supplied with
his cotton bagg,ng' In regard to this
latter article, the gentleman from South
Carolina was mistaken in supposlng that
| complained that, under the existing
duty, the Kentucky manufacturer could
not compete with the Scotch. Ihe
Kcntuckian furnishes more substantial
and cheaper article, and at a more uni
form and regular price. But it was the
frauds, the violations of law, of which l
did complain: Not smuggling in the
common sense of that practice, wh'ch
has something bold, daring, and enter
prising in it, but mean, bareiaccd cheat
ing, by fraudulent invoices aud false de-
nomination.
I plant myself upon this FACT, OF
chcapness & superiority, as upon 'mpreg-