Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-03-19
THE NEW TARIFF MOVEMENT.

exist between the assumption, direct or
indirect, of the State Debts, and the re-
newal of The Tariff, seems TO have been
fully understood, though it was denied or
evaded, by the friends of that monstrous
proposition. tits connection, now, not
more established by logic than by fact,
and every day is accumuating the evil
dence. MIR. Clay, the great champion OF
the tariff, is also the protector of the mea-
sure for paying the State Debts by the
produce of The public lands. Tariff Con-
ventions have been held in Massachusetts,
in Connecticut, in Rhode Island, and
Pennsylvania. In the same presses thro'-
out the North, we find the two topics Of
distribution and tariff pressed with equal
ardor, They are nearest of kin, and not
more remarkable for their direct affinity,
than for the injustice and oppression which
they equally threaten to the producing re-
gion OF the South. The operation of the
tariff has been often pointed OUT, The
States of South Carolina, Georgia, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkan-
sas, furnish about two-hirds Of the exports
on the produce of which the duties are
levied. The only part Of the revenues of
the Government which are not raised from
the public lands. 1t is now proposed, at
a time when with its utmost means the
Government can hardly pay lis expendi-
lures, to take away the revenue arising
from the public lands and distribute it a.
mong the States. The entire expenditure
of the Government must then be provided
for out Of the duties levied on imported
goods, the exchanges for our cotton. The
distribution ofthe public lands is proposed
TO be made according TO the ratio ofrepre-
sentation in Congress. Let US see how
that would affect the cotton growing States.
The six States above enumerated, have
20 Representatives in Congress, out Of
243-less than one eighth Of the whole.
While they would pay therefore Two thirds
of The additional duties 10 replace The rev.
enue from the public lands, they would
receive bv the distribution scheme, less
than ene-cighth Of that revenue. The
justice and equality of that scheme has been
lauded by its author and his partisans-by
State Legislatures and grave assemblies
the justice Of plunderiEg one section for
another: the equality Of the lion and the
fox! But the scheme does not end here.
The movement at the north is directed not
merely 10 all increase Of duties, but 10 the
restoration of tariff of protection. We
find revived and cherished by Conven-
lions, petitions to Congress and The news
paper press, all the rankest doctrines Of
The old tariff school. Not long since, a
Senator from New Jersey presented a Pc
li,ion from certain manufacturers (of lace
we believe) praying an "incrcase Of duty
on their branch, and stating as their griey-
ances, that untler the present duties, for
eisn lace Of the very best quality could be
imported and sold for less than their own
which was of The coarsest! Congress was
asked to exclude valuable fabric, 10 en-
courage the manufacture Of miserable
aud worthless counterfeit. The impu-
dence of this reason could only be equal
led by a petition from the late Cashier Of
the Schuylkill Bank, praying for heavy
penalty 10 be laid on all kinds Of honesty,
on the gronnd that as things are going, the
rascals found serious obstacles in the way
of their monopolising every profitable of
fee in The country! Yet the petition of
The Newark Iace-makers, with all its bare
faced and solid ilnpudence, embodies the
very essence Of the protective system
Have these people of the North really no
honest occupation they can take to? Must
the Union be forever harrassed by their
schemes for making money not only at
the expense of their neishbors, but Of the
constitution and every principle Of repub-
licauisln? Do they wish to make the Fed
eral Union perpetual and grinding tyran-
nv upon the South! Do they not see that
the persevering obslinacy with which
they burden the Union, not only with all
their selfshness, but all their fanaicism-
insisting that one half its time shall be
given to filling their purses, and the other
half 10 gratifying their passions, perfectly
reckless that The first is to be attained on
ly by legalized robbery, aud the second
only by sanctionins murder, insurreclion
and the utter destruction of one half The
confederacy-do they not>see that by this
incessaut warfare upon every principle
Justice, equality, toleralion and brother
ly kindness, tney are daily dlSglnS dow n
the foundations of this noble Union and
making its continuance impossible? that
so sure as we have loved it as The guardi-
an Of peace, liberty and justice, so sure
shall we hale and reuounce it, if il is to be
turned into a rod to scourse, or serpent
TO sling us!-Charle,ton Mercury.
John Randolph's opinions Of Henry Clay.
The Washington Correspondent Of the
Baltimore Republican, writes to that paper
as fellows:
THE late Johu Randolph, Of Roanoke,
was keen and close observer, man who
scanned the objects Of men minulely, aud
found no difficulty in defining them. Some
years before he died, he said that j, was
plain, that one ofthe frs, and dearest objects
ofMr. Clay's heart was the political de-
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