Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-01-22

sang tAan any ethsf pessisa e tAs Usisn. IL
psisss ~ he srsiels Aavs bssa assay, md an.
eisat 70 eeapsasass The plssAsr ~ ,hs lAhsus b..
5 aousd upon the producsioa. And vhydis t.re On
: relations with The Fossiga eustousrs 10 when -,
are indebted Coz the rod prices obtained during tn
. last crop foe the want Of money in our own mar
. kep to accomplish the airy schemes ofsome spccu
lstive poliiieiansf Do they hope to drive Enslan,
and France and the whole Of Europe, from thei
: purposesf They tell you that t is out OF no hos
tiity TO the tobacco interest Of this country tina
shey impose high duties the article, but becaus
, u" capable OF supporting higher reve nue. dut,
I 'han any other. Is this just en- use Of complain
: on our partf Or do We pretend to question thei
right OF imposins any duty they please on foreig,
/ articles to raise revenue? Oh no. These gag
Conventsonists. and our Ministers abroad, in III,
outset, diselaim any such purpose. Yet they say
+ 30 Tar grievance to us, a. to demand n coun
tervailins spirit on our part Have they cons ider
J co well the consequences Of such high handet
measure THE hostile feelings it must produce il
every country where our tobacco is received, anc
the course Of retaliation that is lk ely to grow ou
othf From one step to another we 90 on, engen.
dering bad feelings, till finally VIC nd all those
friendly commercial relations broken up, which nov
SO happily subsist between US. Already this bel
lcose Convention, assuming to represent the obac-
CO growing States of this Union, propose as par,
OF their system, that commercial treaties should
DO formed with foreign powers where they have ex-
pired, unless they repeal relax their duties on
the tobacco exported from the U. s.
Iprotest against their claiming TO represent truly
the opinions even Of the tobacco growing people,
before the Congress of the United States, upon
this subject In large district Of country, wholly
tobacco one as the chief staple have seen no in
telligent man Of either party, but who is opposed
to the proceedings Of this self-styed Tobacco Con-
vention, and the measures they recommend. So
| far as this matter is left with the Administration
and its Ministers abroad TO manage, by convin-
cling foreign Governments il is to their interest, as
well as ours, to have low duties, and particularly
upon this article, we can have no objection. That
the article heavily taxed, we freely admit, but i,
is a tax upon their own subjects, and not upon us
tax upon the consumption, and not the produc-
ton.
Ills excel!ency, who has certainly been praised
by MIR. Jenifer and the American Farmer. fully
as much as he deserves, for his unusual recon-
mendaton, alludes TO this subject in a way which
l do not exactly understand. After admitting that
the relation Of its external interests has been
confined to the Federal Government, he singuiarly
comes to the conclusion that at is nevertheless
our duty to watch over and foster those domestic
resources which supply the Foreign Markets, and
to see that they receive just protection" Does
he ask that Congress .hall interfere, and Law
cou ntervang duties for the protection of Tobac-
CO This is the rsdlt of the Washington Con.
vention, and presume he responds to their wishes
Ii is then the protective policy TO all inten,s and
purposes, in much worse form, ntendingto con-
trout the legitimate acts Of foreign powers, upon
the presumption that they cannot do without our
tobacco. The constitution has wisely provided
that Congress shall lay no duty upon exports;'
and this. humby conceive, wasthe protection in
tendedio be secured 10 our agricultural products.
The effect, il not the design, of this convention.
will be TO connect, if possible, the State of Virginia
with the Tariff party in 1912. new interest is
gotten up, by which the opposition of Virginia to
the Tariff policy is quietly to he sunk into acoui-
essence: and even South Carolina is expected TO
be rendered more passive, because her rice happens
TO be taxed abroad. And should it be discovered
by MIR. Dodge, that the great staple cotton, was
taxed IN any country in Europe, why then, we
should all be unanimously in favor of the protective
policy, and Mr. Jenifer would be entitled TO the no.
nor of having found out the secret by which this
grand desideratum was accomplished. The system
of retaliation is TO be the order CT the day-du,y
upon duty is to be imposed till it reaches prohbi
ton, and then we shall ind ourselves in the happy
predcament of growing tobacco for our own honor
able use, and for nobody else. This is a game at
which two can play, and England and France may
find out that they can dispense with our Tobacco
altogether. Almost every country in Europe is ca.
pablo of producing the article, to some extent al
though Of inferior quality. From considerations of
policy, the culture is limited and restrained instead
of being promoted.
You, Messrs. Editors, threw out some wise sug-
gestions. which it would he well for honorable gen.
temen TO consider before they go to the lengths
contemplated. We may be said, at present, TO have
a monopoly in the markets abroad, as well a. at
home. Whether we shall surrender this advantage
under the ideal hope Of gaining more, is we'll wor-
thy the calculation Of politicians England and
France are not the countries be driven from their
course Of policy, under the threat of having high du.
ties placed upon their manufactures in RETURN
" They know their rights, and knowing, dare nam.
tain" Our Minister at London tells you, that the
Government there is favorably disposed to promote
our interest IN this respect, far consist
emily without injury TO their fnances-That the
duty on tobicco was laid exclusively for rerenue,
and not protection. In so doing, while il looked 10
raising the highest possible amount Of revenue it
Yves not without due regard TO the consumption Of
the country. The same may be said Of France.
whose minister informs that the Reggie existing,
does not diminish the consumption Of the article :
on the contrary it is found to Increase every year
and furthermore that the tobaccoes Of the u S. are
not subjected TO duty in her ports but are brought
there exclusively under the fog Of tie Union.
which thus enjoys oil the advantages of navigation.
The shipping interest should look we'll to this mat.
ter before it sacrifices the privileges already enjoy
| ed. France enters our market a competitor with
tho other purchasers, and far contributes las she
essentially did, the last season, during the scarcity OF
money! TO the enhancement Of the price Of the arl
Gle. 1t IS stated, as a remarkable fact, that "when
the trade there free in tobacco, also its cult
walton, the price to the the same as j,
now iS-the only difference being that the monopo-
ly in the hands OF FIVE hundred manufacturers
whereas it is turned to the profit OF the State
IL is still cultivated in France TO a Limited extent
which may be increased by our ll-advised measures
Even in those countries in Europe where its cutva-
ton is encouraged, the price to the grower range:
from three to ten dollars only.
| Admitting that the duty on tobacco abroad wa,