Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-09-04
Tte constitutional agtDtn.
From the Charleston Mercury.
LETTER OF
ROBERT v. IIAYNE,

Trade Party embracing a reply TO Col. Dray-
toms tate address.
GENrLrMrY-l have had The honor ~ receive
your letter enclosing Resolutions adopted at a
meeting of the S,ate Rights and Free Trade
Party, in appreciation of my public conduct,
mud especially of my vote in opposition to- the
new Tariff, and requesting my atendahce at n
"public festival" to he given at the earliest day
convenient to myself. While feel tho deepest
sense Of obligation for the distinguished honor
conferred upon me Ivy tho proposed festival,
MN induced To believe that all cclebr atoms OF tho
kind regarded by a respectable port n of
our fellow citizens as unfavorahlo To the health
of the city at this time, and Difference to that
opinion beg leave most respectfully, to decline
the invitation which has been extended TO me
through you in such flatrering terms.
With regard gentlemen, TO the unqualified ap-
probation ct my public conduct, aud especially
of my vote against tho new Tariff Bill, which
my fellow citizens have been pleased 10 express.
can only say, that | receive il as the hig hest
reward which ! could possibly obtain at their
hands. Though IL is due to caudur to saw, that
in taking the course which | have done, was
well aware that was acting in accordance with
the known wishes of my constituents general
~ throughout the State, yet 1 must at the same
time declare, that | was by means prepared
for that warm, cordial, aud enthusiastic burs,
Of appreciation with which have been greeted
from the mountains 10 the seabonrd. ] shall re-
tain to my latest hour decpi.lt and overwhrI-
ming sense of gratitude al my reception in this
CITY, on that day, the prOudest of my life, when
appearing before my fellow citizens as the he
RAID not of victory, but of defeat, and having
nothing TO boas, of. but faithful though mnavai-
ling efforts in their behalf, ] was rcceiy el with
higher honOrs han civic triumph. A life Of
devotion 10 such generous constituents, would
he more than repaid by such hour Of heart
felt satisfaction.
Although have, on several occasions since
my return home, found my self called upon pub
hcly to present my views in relation to the true
character of the new Tariff Bill. aud the con.
'iition in which The Soulh has been placed by
ITS passage, yet it may perhaps no, he deemed
inappropriate To this ocrasion TO ufler some adj :
ditional observations. My vote against the new
Tariff was mainly influenced by "A conviction that
u embraced not only a distinct recognition Of the
principle Of protection, but that il carried out
that plnciplc IN ITS most Objectionable form
Ivy making so broad and understandable a dis
elimination between what called the PRO
TEcTED and the UNPROTECTED ARTICLES, as tn
shew fixed and settled purpose of relieving
the latter entirely from taxation, and throwing
the whole burden Of supporting tho Government
upon the former. Ii could have hccn salts
fled that all the statements which have been made
rs to tie aggregate reduction ofdulies. were per-
fectly correct, should, for tis reason alone,
have sill voted against the Bill From the mo-
ment the American System became thr subject
of serious dispute ,tho point on which the whole
controversy DdS turned, IaS becO, whether uiI
ties not necessary for revenue should be impO-
scd merely for the protection of domestic man
utactures. Against duties imposed for revo
nue., not one word of objection has ever been ur
ged. The South did NOT plain, that teas g.
wines silks, and laces spices. vciyets and jewel
lery had duties imposed upon them to raise u
rcuenue for the support of Governmet, and the
payment Of the public debt, but thu, sugar and
salt, WI 0llcns, cations, iron and other similar ar
ficles, bad duties imposed upon them beyond
the revenue s,andard,and for the avowed purpose
OF ailoTdiug protectiOn,-as ii was called, to the
American manufacturer of similar articles. II
wss because tile cotton, rice and tobacco of the
South, were exchanged in Eui opean markets
for the very articles thus exOrbitantiy taxed, in
order TO secure TO our rivals advantage in
our own markets, that we protested against the
imposition Of these protecting duties, as an act
of the grossest injustice towards us, rendering
In effect our Industry tributary to the industry
Of others. La This aspect Of the question: il is
manifest, that nothing short Of the present or
prospective abandonment of this sy stem ny bring
ing down The protecting duties to the true rcve-
nue. standard, could possibly satisfy tho iusl
claims Of the South. According to my views
Of this great question: il would have been utter
ly impossible inr me to have given my suppoEf
10 any Bill, which proposed 10 arrange the du
ties qlicr The payment If the public debt, os 10 cf-
feet to relieve the unprotected articles from tax
alton, lille the duties on The protected articles
careful examination of The condition OF our f.
naDccs had satisfied me that duties ranging from
l23 to 10 per cent would under system Of free
trade, have been abundaDy sufficient, with the |
other sources Of revenue, TO meet all the neces- |
sary expcnces Of Government. This indeed |
was admitted by the Tariff party themselves, on
several occasions during the last session of Con
gress and especially in fixing the duty on ud- |
go at ID per cent, when it was left to them by |
the Southern members TO say what was a fair |
Teaenue dsty. Any scheme therefore, by which |
the Tariff was 10 be adjusted as TO keep ~,
the duties on the protected articles at 40 or 50 |
per cent while the du les the unprotected
articles were To be carried down To ) or 10 D. r
cent or 10 hc entirely repealed, could not have |
received my support, for besides that such an Il
raDgemont of the Tariff obviously increased the
inequality and aggravated the injustice Of which
we had so long and so loudly complained, il was
impossible not TO perceive that il was cucula-
ted TO establish the protecting system on M i'm
movable foundation The extinction Of the ua-
tiOnaI debt was most Interesting crisis in our
affairs, aud one not likely to occur agau The
country was now 10 he relieved from a demand
upon IT'S Treasury equal to $4,000 600 per an
nuSn. and If this was not to ho followed by a
CORES !, udug reduction Of the duties on the
protected ell rs the unprotected nrticles-fI
ivy new aBd uncalled for extension Of lie an
proprintions-or Ivy a total repeal of the taxes
on the unprotected ariiclrs,-high duties on the
protected articles should 10 rendered necessary
20 meet the expenses Of the Government it was
perfectly obvious that no further reduction on
those articles could he reasonably exuected es