Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-06-30
K CHI NJ ON ID:
wEDNEspA V MORNING. JUNE 10
THE TARIFF-.Nt,c yie,rs.


GOOD service by inserting an able doeumen, upor
any topic Of public Observation-Disclosures may bc III,
particular views advanced-we have copeJ to
day, paper of that character upon the subicc, n
the Tariff. Many of tho views and susses,ion,
will be new TO the Virginia reader-for il hiss bscr
the wont here to regard any word in favor Of IN,
iaTIh damnabe heresy. That odious tern, Thrift
Is No ? in Riichie's famous category of stale war
cries, which he has been mumbling with tootbress
gums, for 30 years. Bunk, Tariff Internal I'm.
proHemcnt," or "ln,crnal Improvement Tariff
Bank" Take it which way you will il comes So
cond in the list of abomnations. This ineess,n,
Glamour, runs with ceaseess din throughout all the
borders OF the Commonwe ah, has had the efr.c, IN
ioresal the public judgment, and preven, all calm
confederation ofthe subject. Il may be, and we think
4 II probable that It is So, that a majority of the
people of Virginia, operated upon, unconscous'v
by this c'amor, or by o.her cause, may dissent
from most OF the leading views Of the paper which
we publish. But dissent or not, the document !, IF
character which all thinking men will read with
7 pleasure and proft-ior its tendency is to suggest
new trains OF thought and to enlarge and liberalize
/ the mind.
Long and deeply stepped ourselves IN the popul,r
prejudice sgains, the Tariff, our minds have no,
.
We affect not, however, to have wholly overcome
tina; prejudice. But we have seen enough TO osca.
sion doubts, where, before, We thought there was
absolute certainty. The bold and confident predic-
tons which were promulged respecting the operation
OF the Tariff by distinguished statesmen, have been
so completely fAlsied by results, that the mos, un
compromising opponent OF the Tariff mich, well
doubt the soundness Of his conclusions The whole
North with MIR Webster in the lead, resisted the
frs' Tarh-prcdicting that il would work the ,o,nl
prostraticn OF Northern commerce. The event Dis,
appointed their forsbcdinsS and they have become
from bitter assIian,s, the advocates Of the system.
John Randolph, although supposed to be gifted with
more than ordinary foresight, in opposing the Tariff
OF nc, pIophesed that IL would annihl;e the reve
nues Of the Government, and render a resort TO di
rect taxation necessary to supply the daily wants
There Is not more remarkable Instance OF the "a.
lacy Of human judgment upon record. So far from
the TcSu,; predicted being realized lust the oppo
site sff;c. ensuei. The treasury began to fill apace
the national debt was speedily .iguidlted, and an
immense surplus, noiUthsta nding an unprecedented
prodigaiity IN the Administration, was accumul,teJ.
Again It was confidently asserted that the high
Tariff Of rs would arrest the production of cotton
IN this country, and prohibit altogether the intro
ducon Of certain adices. But instead of this, cot.
ton never bore so high average price as for several
years succeeding that act and the articles expected TO
he excluded entirely, actually fell in price-whiIs,
others, on which the duty has been reduced. have
advanced. These add such like facts have caused
US to doubt the business offoregone oncusions and
we would not now-Is we have done beiore-assert
without qualification, that under the existing com.
mercal regulations Of the world, a high Tariff wouIJ
not he beneficial TO this country. But the fact is
there Is no subject on which human reason is so
liable to err, as that respecting the effects to be pro-
duced by the Increase or diminuton of duties
Here political economists are at fault, and with all
their boosted science they are unable to devise any
rules for the production of any ixed certain and in.
variable results. The difficulty springs from the
complicated and comprehensive character Of the
subject That which to-day, from the lights before
US, may be deemed calculated TO lead to beneficial
results, may by tomorrow, produce eff cts lust the
reverse, in consequence Of some new invention. or
some new regulation abroad, 10y which the produc.
ton Of the particular article in question, NAV be
increased or diminished.
AL that we design by these remarks, is to per.
suide the country and our Legislators particularly
TO approach the consideration Of this great oues.
ton Invested Of passion and prejudice and in spiri,
Of enlarged craftsmanship and enlightened patrio.
tism.
Wills, upon this topic, i; may not be amss to in.
troduce the views OF Member Of Congress from
Pennsylvania IN relation to a Tariff and a Bank
They have about them tho character of novelty
and We can well imagine how the rnl isteri,l abIo-
mems Of Rtchie's last generation readers willqulke
with terror, when told that the author Of these abo-
minabie heresies is a lhofough.gr Locofoco. But
I to the extract:
Extract from the remarks Of Mr. PoRSAscE, Of
/ Pa on presenting petition in favor of the Ia.
riff
/ II had been said upon the floor Of this House. by
friends Of the present Administration too that a
/ National Bank would I'LL our Treasury ioiihog any
additional duis on imports.
/ This, Mr.. FOrnance said, was, az he THOUGHT,
very strong argument in fyor Of tho propricty Of
discussing Bank on question Of instruciiry n
/ Committee IN favor Of a tariff; md was also
/ tong reason Why the N)rtr should demand pro-
tectiye tariff.
] II appeared there were some who thought n Bank
the enemy Of Northern industry. lie believed the
time would soon come when II would he the opi-
mon Of the whole North. The time would come
when every mcchlrlc, every manufacturer almost
every Norlht interest, would Zee. that the opera
ton II a National Bank would always be 70 bring
European labor IN the door Of american manugsc.
tories, INTO competition wh the labor Of the North
crn States and that u a Bank bc established their
only refuge, their only safety, IS under the prutcc.
ton Of a high tariff, not tariff Tor revenue. but "a
tariff for protectDn-a prohDitory tariff.
Mr. Fornance sold thl, he did not doubt in the
least but thata National Bank would our Urea.
, sury, without my additional duty upon imports.
I and that m this fact was shown tho spIng from
! which much evil TO Northern industry must come.
d. II there be O National Bank established with a
z capital n either thdy one hundred millions give
r u, too TIC credit and the patronage of Government
and will venture TO predict dot within two years
Il from the time Il rs IN complete operation thore will
y BIO surplus revenue IN our Treasury az the urc.
sent duties. The expansion of tho currency bro.
duced ~ such an institution, would 20 increase the
10 imp1raiionE, thlt orr revenue would upJly rise
beyond the wants u Government. The effect nj
- tlus would be IN h'l our ports with foreign MGR
ch'ndIBe, ~ hll our Treasury with the notes Of ID,
National BlnE, % presB our Northern manufacturer
with foreign competition, 10 stop every furnace, q
D. stop every loom and spindle north Of the Potomac
.e lie had heard Il said that Bank was the frien,
e. Of tho South, and 80, perhaps, il would he, n no
ls checked ny countcrvailng measures, IN its opera
D tons upon the manufacturing and agricultural in
nj torcsts Of the North.
I'd A Bank may be the friend Of the South but il i
ID equally fair TO suppose Tariff may be tho frien
al Of the North. And II Bunk Of issues and discount
DO acknowledgements tho preservation
be of constituents, will compel the members iron
C. the North 10 meet such Bank with tariff 10 pro