, 1841-09-18

THE IDENTITY OF THE ENGLISH
TORY PARTY, AND THE AMERI-
CAN WING PARTY.
We commend to the readers, attention the
following passage at arms between Messrs.
Clay and Calhoun. A motion had been
made to exempt foreign Sumach from duty.
when
Mr.. WOODBURY. objected TO the exemp.
ton of foreign sumach from duty. 1t is an
article of native growth in this country. and
the cultivation of it for domestic manufacture
ing purposes ought to be encouraged. He
thought the farming interest as much Untitled
10 protection as other interests, when il could
be appropriately afforded.
Mr.. CLAY of Kentucky said it was verv
true it was an article Of home growth; but
he understood it was abundant where it was
not wanted, and where those manufactures
existed which would require it, there was
none TO be found. Under these %circums.an-
ces, it had not as yet been cultivated for
n-''tacturIng purposes. and probably would
.ong as agricultural labor could be
ftably employed. Imported sumach
III countries where labor was much
s'Nh ~ thio S'tht ohe hS u
~.S for the interests of our manufacturers
TO obtain it upon the cheapest terms they
can. Our agricultural labor can be much
better employed in other channels Of indus
try.
Mr.. CALHOUN was very glad to hear
the Senator from Kentucky at last coming
round in support Of this sound doctrine. II
was just what he (Mr. Calhoun had long
expected he (Mr. Claw would be forced to
conform to, that those articles ought to be i'm
ported which can be obtained upon cheaper
terms than they can be produced at home.
The Senator was perfectly right in his posi-
ton that our manufacturers ought to import
the raw materials which they use, whenever
they can obtain them with advantage from
countries where labor is cheaper than at
home. But the Senator's argument did not
apply to this amendment only; it applied to
the bill, and TO the protective system, which
the Senator has urged with so much zeal, the
whole tendency of which is TO force labor
and enterprise from their natural channels
into artificial ones, by the bestowal Of pre-
miums, in the shape of protection.
Mr.. CLAY of Kentucky thought the
Senator from South Carolina was not emit
tied TO his Interpretation of what he (Mr.
Claw had said. The Senator converts 4
few words expressed in favor of continuing
the free importation of sumach, under pre-.
sent circumstances, into a general approba-
ton of free trade-a thing wholly out of
view in his (Mr. Clay's) mind at the time he
made his remarks. 1t was certainaly owing
10 the peculiar habit of mind in which the
Senator from South Carolina was so fond of
.nI,1D.nr ,hot ha vroe ,b,,c 81 ,, ~, ,rr.ox 10
reduce every thing to his system of abstrac-
lions. Now, what he (Mr. Clay did say
was, merely that sumach had not vet drawn
the attention of our farmers to its cultivation
for manufacturing purposes, and therefore
they could suffer no injury by the importa-
ton Of the foreign article free of duty, from
a country where labor was cheaper than in
this country. That was the whole amount
of what he had said, and let the Senator
make the most of it.
MI. CALHOUN observed that The Senator
from Kentucky had evidently very strong
prejudices against what he calls abstraction.
This would be easily understood when we
take into consideration what the Senator and
his friends characterised as abstractions.-
What he and they called distractions, was
the principle of scrutiny and opposition SO
powerfully evinced by this side Of the Sen
ate, against the loose estimates, ruinous pro-
jeets, and extravagant expenditures which
constitute the leading measures of the pre-
sent Administration. This opposition is
what the gentlemen understand by the term
abstraction" and no wonder they hated it,
and sought to cover it with odium. But, if
he (Mr. Calhoun) was too much Of an abb
straclionist, certain he was tina: the Sena..-r
from Kentucky was too much disposed to
the opposite: he was too much in favor of
pushing measures on account of their popu.
larity, without regard TO their abstract ius.
tIce, or their ultimate tendency. II sacred
regard for the letter and spirit of the Consti.