The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-04-23

occasion, he uiu not utef one worn ih wy
degree inconsistent with the remarks made yesterday
not wordand he would beg leave to read single
sentence from those remarks:
81 hope that duties on imports will be 80 imposed
preserving as hope may be done without sacrhcing
any great national interest, the policy OF the Compro
mise act. That while we shall have revenue enough
to meet the economical wants OF Government Inc
rich shall not escape taxaton by receiving Their lnxu
ries free of duties the poor shall be relieved from un
due and heavy burdens and the industry Of the coun
try shall be protected from the injurious policy and
measures of foreign legislation
These remarks, continued Mr.. BARNARD, are re-
ported with great accuracy and the only Is given,
ia which, speaking of the future and not Of the pre-
sent, demonstration could arise; yet, upon this
slight foundation, had mountain Of Misrepresentation
been reared
Mr.. JOHNSON said he should not 90 into any i'm
vestgaton Of the fact whether the disclaimer Of the
gentleman from Massachusetts, (Mr. Cushing,) to
which he had alluded made before subs, quent
the speech of his worthy friend from Georgia His
impression was that the disclaimer made prior 10
the remarks Of the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Al
ford)
Mr. CusHNG begged leave to say, that it was cor
rect, had been suggested; that his remarks were
made prior TO those the gentleman from Ca
and whilst up he would add that there might he no
misunderstanding in regard TO his remarks, that what
might be the precise meaning OF the Compromise
act very serious question, much mooted in that
House. As TO this, he said nothing of course, say
ing nothing TO what may be the precise import OF
the Compromise act, he could not have undertaken
TO say and did not now say, whether he adhered to
as a specific compact What he then said what he
says, Is that he for pursuing spirit OF mode
ration compromise and Cancellation on this subject,
and did not ask had been stated for an exravagant
protective tariff
Mr.. AFFORD said. He alluded more particularly to
the gentleman from New York. (Mr Hunt,) who had
hut recently given an explanation.
Mr.. JOHNSON resumed, and said he should not
yield the floor again, unless some remark which he
might make should render explanation necessary
but he would ask the gentleman from Massachusetts,,
if he would permit him. whether, by his present re-
marks he meant 10 qualify vary his remarks made
the other day, and published in the lntclgencerl
Mr. CUSHING said. In respect in either letter or
spirit
Mr. LINCOLN said. My colleague speaks for his
constituents, and not mine
Mr.. JOHNSON continued. That the original propo
son Of the gentleman from New York may be dis
tncty understood he would ask the clerk to read that
portion Of which audes to the plan of raising
nue. and to the Compromise act. II was then read as
follows
Second To bring in bill imposing duties for
additional revenue on wines, silks linens, and
SPICES, and other articles being Injuries imported into
the United States, but in such manner not to con-
fict with the principles policy and spirit of the act OF
March, 1888, commonly called the Compromise
actm
Mr.. JOHNSON said that his object in requiring the
reading Of the proposition was TO revive the ecollec-
ton of the committee, and show that there no
hidden mystery in t-no plan object to create a
high tariff TO disturb the legitimate intention of the
Compromise act and though the Interruptions which
he had encountered for explanations had kept him
much longer the floor than he expected or desired
yet he must express his qualification at the frank
al of his friend from Georgia, (Mr. Aliord) and was
pleased to find that that genteman's apprehensons
removed since he had first taken the floor Hc
discaimed any purpose to excite feeling prejudice
in any quarter Of the Union and if any thing he had
said had been felt it not owing TO the temper
motive in which had been uttered but to the truth
of the remark itself No one approved more than he
a vvt w tba
gia always defended his position and the interests of
his State; but the very feelings which actuatcd him
should convince him that the right of opinion and dis
cussion should be allowed to other gentlemen, who
represented other interests this toornsrests which
were not antagonistca but far more harmonious and
homogeneous than some members believed. His OBJ
jec in inviting attention to the past to understand
better the present, that the policy Of the Govern
ment could be wisely directed to the future. II was
for that purpose alone that he had alluded the state
of facts which existed but few years ago. and the
arguments then urged. These he wished TO contrast
with the present Of things and desired that gen
tlemcn would reconcile and explain them SO that he
might vote Understandings, and conceive Alright the
existing and future course of policy TO be pursued in
legisating for the whole country. To this end and
with this view, he going TO show, when he was
interrupted by his friend from Georgia, Mr.. Afford
that at the time of the high excitement, few years
ago, in the South, we had National United States
Bank and Tariff-that it then urged that these
the fgreat oppression the grow
ing interests. Now the facts which he wished pre-
sent these drawn from the report Of the Secretary
of the Treasury in 1886, the subject of cotton by
resolution OF Congress and from Fortunes stocks. In
1901 the amount Of cotton exported from the United
States was about twenty millions of pounds and
1t gradually increased until 1886, when amounted
to fodr hundred and twenty-five or three millions Of
pounds that for the greater portion of that time the
bank existed and the tariff in force, and that dur
ing all that long period with all the vicissudes Of
commercial fuctuation and misortune-al the incl
dents ofexchangcs and currency the Secretary ofthe
inf hiatt a.fl
cotton was from 1901 1885, srteen cents per pound
lie also states that al ten cents per pound the culture
OF cotton afforded good profit to the producer, and
the auth ry to which he had referred will show that
within that period, after paying all the expenses Of la
Dor and production and investment, and beyond
profitable regular business, at ten per pound
the cotton planters realized profit Of upwards of sixty
millions OF pounds sterling.
But the United States Bank has been destroyed
the tariff has almost entirely faded away by the
graduating Compromise act, and how stands the price
OF cotton now Has averaged since 1896 sixteen
cents per poundI Does it sell at this for half
that prcef We all know that it does not He would
be pleased If gentleman would expa in the cause
of the present low price Of that important staple Can
they reconcile the present low prices with the sophsy
OF the forty bales theory"
Mr. THOMPSON, Of Mississippi here said, that he
wished to call the attention of the gentleman from
1899
Mr.. Johnson responded--that il was not his pur-
pose 10 uwe on details, but he spoke OF general pro-
positions and manifest facts He knew that the price
OF cotton varied between those years and that var
ed between the years 1901 and 1886: that sometimes
1t rose as high twenty five and thirty cents but lac
was speaking Of average price, given by the Sec
retaIy OF the Treasury He was anxious 10 see con-
illusions drawn by Others from the facts which he had
presented as these facts forciby impressed his mind
with the belief that the question revenue should be
settled by calm reason, and not by mpassoned decla
nation, addressed TO the fears rather than to the nm
derstanding of the Committee. He did not mean TO
urge protective tariff, but was most slrenuously oppo
sed To system of direct mir