Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-16

us IN lie other.
In fact, the most moderate revenue duty i'm
posed upon imported manufactures, while simi.
lar art c.cs OF domestic manufacture are entirely
exempted, IS discriminating tax upnn The mo
ductions OF the cNp"'t.rg States, while he ven,
same productions If the mannri cturinu States
made by labor Of different kind. pnys mo- tax
al all Ii these views be not utterly crrrucous
n proper regard for the principle OF c0ul ,axa-
ton would require that Imported manufactures,
which cone Ill competition with similar do,rc$-
tic manufactures, should he admitted free of du-
", or bc subject In no higher duty than similar
domestic m'ruioc'urcs. impnrtcd manufactures
are The productions OF southern labor and cap;-
tni domestic m.anu!act"rcs are the productions
ni northern labor and capital; aud nnthinu shor,
OF an equal exemption of both from TAXATION, or
the imposition g! equal duties u1nm both, c,n :,
care 10 these two greet rival branches OF do.
'ucstlc industry. fair and equal comDc,i,i,n j.,
he market. Tie very lowest rate of du,y i'm
posed upon ono Of them, while the other is who'll
iy exempt, is an act oil par,iahty aud inius,,ce
OH the pat Of the government, which dos, rows
the equally Of the comp; t,tion
Entertaining these opinions, the committee
feel that they owe 1t To the House to cyniain thu.
reasons winch have induced them TO Law as hiri,
rate OF DUTY on those imports which come in
competition VITA untaNcd domestic manufactures,
as upon any other description Of iniror;s -
Nhie the manufacturing Interest dclaands tina,
protecting duties should DC imposed thrcc or four
times as high as may DC necessary FIR the con
S'tuionol purposes CT revenue, and when Ius-
&C obviously demands that 20 dutv at all should
be imposed upon one rivai interest that is not
equally 'hposed upon tho other the utter iupos.
s 6l!v OF adjusting u tarfI'of duties upon prin-
c'pcs OF strict and cqna Justice will be at once
perceived, when y Is considered that large mn
! J"r,iy ct both Houses Of Congress are in favor
oil lhat interest which pats forward the NEST OK
tTavagant demands 1t is contest between
mower on the ono side, and right cn the o;hc';
and although the very eX RENE demand of the
minority Is tor nothing more than Justice, yet il
| Is obvious that no compromise can be made un-
less the minority will 0cgulcscc in an arrange
mon, which gives the majority more han justice
! What tho minority comedies, is a portion Of its
nndoubfed rights; what the majorlty comedies,
II concession it can be called is ortion OF its
unlawful gains.
Though such arc the terms upon which the
committee have adjusted the duties-terms of
the utmost hherality 10 the protected branches
OF indnsry-it is to be apprehendcd that the
manufacturers Will be moro opposed, than any
other class, To the bill reported. That thew will
have no Just ground to complain Of it, is most
certain. Even under the provisions of his bill
they would he the decided lGv07itcs Of the 90
vcrnnen,, rs the committee will proceed - show
as briefly as possible. 1t may be assumed that
Mt least one half of the revenue accruInp fr,u,
imports, will he derived from from salt. suoai
hemp, end flax, and from other imports which
come IN competition with domestic produc
tons. rs 10 this half o.! the federal taxes, no
thing Is moro clear, than that the manufaciurino
ar protested interests bear no portion of tn,
buTt?eh they impose on the community. The
duty imposed upon iron, sugar or cotton manu-
features, for example. is no burfhcn at all but
bounty 10 the manufacturer Of these respective
artc!cS, Whlc II Is an undoubtCd burihrn To tho
o'her classes or the community. II this were
not so, they would desire reduction instead of
an increase of The duties. Bu, this is not ALL
Each manufacturer sells more OF his mauulac-
lures than &c consumes all other protected ar
uclcS; perhaps five or ten times the amount
lie not only gains, therefore, more than he loses
by the duties imposed upon imported articles
similar to his own inanutu cturCs, bur he nains
more than he loses by the whole protecting sys
TEN considered in the aggregate This II is
which constitutes the IndissOluable bond of that
great conedcracy of interests which has become
almost too strong Tor the government and the
people united. If the manufacturers ard tho
producers of protected articles were all assem-
bIed III common corn.il, ana the question were
submitted, whether all toe protecting duties
should be fifty Or twelve and 4 hal! pcS cent il
is not TO be doubted that the unanimous voice of
The assembly would De in favor ofthc higher rate
OF duty. This fact cUnc.uSIvcly demonstrates,
that the protected manufacturers rs an entire
Class, bear no portion OF the burthcn imposed hy
ihe projecting uhtieS, ana, consequently, are
tIrcly exempted from oil partiCip atom in one
haif OF the federal taxes, while it is not prc-
tcrd2d that they bear more than their equal pro.
portion of the other half, which is derived from
articles not manuac urCd III the UiiicA States
'ndcrd, it would not be cX:Tavagant to saw that
the protecting system affords Il bounty to all the
protected interests, considered in the arrrerlte.
so large, as to indemnify them, and more Than
Indemnity them, for all the taxes they nav 10 the
government. If, in the splendid career Of ma
derD Improvements, political philosophy should
make the blessed discovery Of ain art by which
government could be carried on WilhC ut money
and the system Of federal taxation were 10 cease
entirely can II be doubted for moment that The
Whole OF the protected classes would regard it
~ pccuniaTy point of view, 0s The heaviest En-
laml'y that could bcfal them? Would it not
spread much wider scene of desCafion over The
whole manufacturing region OF the Union, than
the most gloomy imagination can anticipate from
the bill reported by the committee? Yet such is
the strange infatuaton which prevails on this
subject, and such the magic power qrcribed TO
particular form of taxation, that many who are
prompt 10 discover that one portion of the Union
VIII be greatly injured by The repeal of the taxes
do not perceive that another portion of the
Union would, as necessary consequence. be as
greatly benefited by that repeal. Can there be
d more extraordinary instance of the power of
scI-nterc5t 10 deludc the human undo -standira
ana deadcn the sense of Justice in the human
heart, than that which Will be doubtless eyhib;,
cd, OF the entire class Of manufacturers. crarnor-
ing against system If taxation, not because tho
taxes are too high, but because lrev are not hjqh
enough Tho complaint, upon the VERY face crl
IT, acthtS That there 10 some radical vice In the
SyStcm OF protecting duties. For vs. hat right I'm,
man or divine, can any class of the community
nave, TO invoke the power Of the government To- |
promote the prosperity of that class by IMPOSING
q fi.,rS