The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-10-22

~ .,e" produce diminished. 1T is not to be feared
.h", 'le Viguanl sngaciy of our people will over
look CONSIDERATIONS like these: and at no distant
pe''ou We may expect mat public attention will be-
urecled towards subject of so much in,erest :
When the enterprise of other State shaIi T..
brought as they soon will bring, their raroad "',o
our borders, the means. am satisfied will nv, w
wanting, OF continuing them through onr o, 10
State. Foreign and domestic capital, and rd;,;a
ual enterprise, will unite to accomplish the oI;o".
and the State, by outstanding its resources wh,'
reference TO such an event, may Undoubtedly b,s,
en- its arrival.
There are other subjects of legislation, which
are not less interesting and important to the inbnh.
ltants of this state, but over which you can have
no immediate CONTROL refer to those powers
which have been delegated 10 the government of
the Union for national purposes, and to be exercise
ed Tor the genera benefit. But although thus del
ega'ed, they ought to be lost sight of by the legs
laures of the states. On the contrary 50 VASTLY
important is their exercise to our PROSPERITY thst
it is our imperative duty to satisfy ourselves ,hn,
they are not permitted TO lie dormant in the hands
of those TO whom they are delegated, and thar
they are exercised in such manner as will pro-
mote the public welfare. This duty is the more
incumbent on us, because it is also our right, if il
should appear that the powers of the general
government nave been insufficiently or unwiselv
granted, TO apply u remedy by uniting with tie
other states in an amendment Of the Federal Con-
stlliou.
The exercise of none of these powers is of
snch vital Importance to the agricultural interest of
this state. as that which enabled Congress 10 af
ford protection to domestic industry, BY imposing
duties on the importation of foreign products.
An entire prostraton and stngnaton Of business
arising principally from The absence Of any efiec-
tive protection TO domestic industry, while the
states remained separate, led, more Immediate
~ than any other cause, TO their union. To rem.
edy the evil, steps taken, at the earliest nc
nod after the adoption of the Federal Conslilu-
ton, TO establish discrmilve system of revenue
from duties on imports; and the country, under its
operation, emerged with uneyampcd rapidity.
from embarrassment 10 wealth, power and national
greatness For more than thirty years the consti
tullonal power OF Congress 10 impose duties for
The purpose vi protection, remained unquestioned
Every successive Congress exercised the power
without suggestion ola doubt as to its Constitutional
ily; and if the constitution itself had not been ns
it's, perfectly clear on the subject, vet time.
usage, constant legislation and universal acguies-
ence, have fully established its possession by the
genera government, After all his, however af-
ter generation had passed away, and when the
pursuits and business of the country had been
o"'' "p' upUH DdslS VI pIOlcCIlOn IL SulteQ
sectional and party purposes 10 object TO it on the
ground that It was unconstitutional und strange,
and unjust as it may seem, a long established sys
tenn of laws, designed to encourage and protect
domestic industry, has been for the present at
least, abardoned-not because the people of the
country so wIlled it, but because n single southern
State, denying the coustitulionay of such legis-
lntion, threatened violently TO resist the execution
of these laws And this has been termed a COM
promise-a compromise which Yields all that is
demanded to violence and breach of faith, and
quietly consents to the ruin of vast portion Of
the country for the exclusive benefit of conpara-
lively small section.
II is needless to say much of the causes which
have thus led to dscontinuance Of protection to
domestic industry A remedy for such an evil can
be ionnd only in the intelligence and spirit of that
portion Of our counirymen, TO whose existence such
protection will be found TO be almost indispensable.
am not aware that you,as Legislators of this state.
can directly participate in applying remedy; but
you can at least urge strong necessity of shel-
ding, by an adequate tariff, the domestic industry
OF the county, against competition with the pauper
labor and solid capitalists Of Europe.
II the constitution Of the United State does NOT
authorize Congress TO afford such necessary pro-
lection to domestic industry, language would fail
to accomplish the object, and any amendment of
the constitution would be fruitIess. The states
have surrended 10 the General Government all
power over the subject When they gave Con-
greSs exclusively to lay duties they deprived them
selves forever OF all power 10 protect domestic in
tustry' They snrrended this power to Congress,,o
the extent to which they possessed it themselves,
ma Tor The same purpose, for which they them
selves might have used it, not only for the pur-
pose OF revenue, hut of protecting the industry
Vt our citizens against ruinous foreign competition.
u Congress do not possess this power, then the
states themselves possess il for the states hayo
eralncd all power which they have not granted to
he government of the Union. But nothing would
10 more abused than construction of the Consti
u,lon which would thus distribute the power Of
aging duties giving it 10 Congress for purpose of
eyenue, and 10 the states for the purpose of pro-
ecion.
II would be superfluous 10 attempt TO show that
protective tariff is essential to the prosperity Of
bis portion Of the Union. The value of our opri-
cultural products, and especially Of wool, depends
'ntirey upon the success Of our manufactures, and
very farmer of Vermont is deeply interested in
ar'ng them from The ruin which, it is feared, is
impending over them. We cannO, raise wool for
,Xporaton, and if we abandon wool. growing what
ire we to do with any other kind of produce which
sc may raise in It's place, Wool will no, be re-
'eivcd in foreign countries which have supplies of
heir own, and who in our own country will con-
ume il. when manufactures shall have been de-
troyed and manufacturers, who have been its con-
umers, are compelled to cultivate the soil as their
nly mode Of subsistence? What would our farms
r oul produce be worth, if those now engaged at
he loom should come back to the plough (! We
ouId hardly give away the contents of our over
nrdened grannrcs Manufactures are vet in ,hei,
infancy, and although during the short period of
heir existence, they have acquired strength will,
'nexampcd rapidly, they cannot be supposed to
,e stronger than those in older countries, where
hey have been much longer established and where
nbor is cheapest. Yet in all countries, protection
as always been found to he necessary to their ex-
stcnce: and no government on earth has ever been
o blind TO It's own interests and those Of its c-
ems, as TO permit free trade with other countries,
n articles offs own manufacture. There are two
cry sufficient and obvious reasons for this One
bat i