Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-09-13
SPEECH OF Mir. CALHOUN, OF SOr1u CAROLINA,
In Sematc, .30gust ;, lsi2,
on TE!:riSSAGE OF TIE TARIFF BILL.

the variety and magnitude Of lis branches; and such the
proportion in numbers which those "ho are t"'f'!cu
IN it, dircci!, and indirectly, bears To 'ose WHO arc ~
Ike manner, employed III manufacturing iheus"y'
- ,h;s vos. and ynr,nus amount Of industry employed
al home and drawing from the :'res Inc wafer, ana
rho soil as i, were by cIeatcn, ihis immense su'rns
wealth 10 b. sen, abroad and exchanged Ter tle pro
,c,ions q. the yes, o The globe, that sgmhzed Us
forecn industry. And /, is HAT, Senators, "hch you
urc now called 10 tax, ~ imposing ne High au'es
proposed in this bill the ARTICLES imported IN x
change in order TO exclude them, IN whole or rar', II"
the supposed benefit O! every MINOR interest, "hch
chooses 10 regard itself as exclusively entitled TO your
protection and favor Are You prepared to respond Ia
vorahy 10 The call by voting fer this bill: Waving
The high questions OF justice and constitutional power
propose 10 examine, the next place, the Eere ques
lion Of expedlency aud FOR that purpose the operation
of these hnh protective dutj,sirac,ng, ii's heir e
tects on the manufacturing interest INTENDED TO be be-
neG,ed; and afterwards tie export interest, against
winch they directed.
And here lc; me saw he fore enter this part o
nv subject that enemy 10 The manufacturing
interest On the contrary, lew regard them win
greater favor place higher estimate on Their I'M
portance, than myself According To my conception,
The great advance made IN tie by mechanical ana
chemical inventions aud discoveries, III tie last three
or four generations, has done more tor cv'zation' ana
The elevation of the human race, than all oier causes
combined IN the same period With tins IMPRESSION,
behold with pleasure the progress OF the arts IN every
,iepartmcnt and look to them, manly, a The great
means Of bringing about higher state OF civillzaon'
with all the accompanying blessings, physical, po-
Ii,ical, aud moral. 1t is not 10 them, nor to The
manufacturing interest, | object; tut what | be
lieye 10 be ,.e unjust The unconstitutional, The ms
taken ana pe:n.cous means Ct lettering their con-
diiinn By that IS called The protective system.
IN ,racin, VIA; would he the etiec.s OF Tie heh
protective dnes proposed b. Tie L.ll, shall suppose
al the grounds assumed by lis acvocaies 20 he rne;
,ha, The low prices comp ned Of are caused by The
imports received IN exchange for e5Pot's; that t:.e no
ports have, 10 great extent, taken possession ol TIE
hat
on the imports would exclude tkrEi eiher WHOLLY, or
10 great extent and that the market m consequence,
vouid be relieved, ard be followed by she rise OF price
desired assume It.! 10 be stated because 1t IS the
suonoson most tavo5a5ie to ,ao>c who ask TT high
dntipa and Inc one on which LEY fely 10 make cut
thei. case. Il is my WISH 10 treat he subject with
The fairness, having no other object IN view but
truth.
According, item to the .uppos:;on tie Grs' leading
effect cf these high protective duties would he to ex
clnde the imported articles, against winch 'hry are
asked, either e..;irey, or TO great extent. IL licy
should fail in that II is Obvious that they would 'ai
IN the immediate obiec, desired, md that the whole
wand be an abortion. What i!en, ASA inus! be the
necessary Consequence Of Tie exclusion Of tie articles
against which tie protective duties are proposed 10 be
lad: The answer is clear. The portion ut the ex-
por,s which would have been exchanged for hem
must then reurn in the unprotected and free arti-
cles; and among the latter, Specie III order TO pur'
chase from the manufacturers at hote lie supplies
which bat for the duties, waud hive been purchase"
abroad And w,a. would be the effect OF that, bus 10
1nrn The excan.e a7tclaly, cur favor, as AGAINST
other countries and in favor OF the manufacturing p"r
lion Of the country against all others: Ana What
would that be- but ciGi concentration oil Inc spc-
Gle Of the country the manufacturing region, accom-
pauied Ly n corresponding expansion OF :hc currency
IRON that caue and stu more irom The discounts OF the
tanks next ask what must he the elects OF such eX
panson Ln; ,ha; of raising lrccs there: and what OF
that but Of increasing the expense Of manufacturing
and that continuing I'll Tic imcit ased expense shall
raco cf ps duc'nG so hci, as to be equal TO
liza, of the imported article, with tie addition OF tie
aay, when tie n,poralons VIII aga'n commence, and
On additional da'y be dcu;anaec:
THIS ,nc vi,at,e rcsrl; would 5e accelerated by two
causes. The effect If the duy in preventing E,poa-
lion ycu.d cause falling oil OF the demand abroad
and co.iseo.cu' falling Of temporarily, at rrice there
The ex;pnt would depend on lie extent OF The fuing
OH compared with the general demand Tor the article
and OF COURSE would be greater IN some articles ana
less in others All would bc or less affected; but
none 10 an extent so great w2s insisted en- by the
chairman and other advocates u the stem, the other
day in the discussion Of the dr'y cottonbagc;rc:
hul still sufficient in N os, cases, 10 lie sensb'y felt
say temporariiy-tor the great laws when regulate
and equase p;ices would, IN time, cause, in .aTn
corresponding falling off in the prod@con o; The arti-
Gle proportional u the falling oil os TIE demand.
Bat another and more powerful cause would be put
in operation home, which would tend still 10
shorten the periods between The demand Tor froteciion
The stimulus caused by the expansion o! The currency,
and increased demand and prices consequent on the
exclusion Of The article from abroad, would tempt nu-
ncrnus adventures to rush into the business often
withou: experience capital: and tie nc eased pro-
ductiom in ccls,qu"Hce thrown into The market, would
greatly acce,tGte he period 81 renewed distress and
Embarrassment, and demand for additional protection
The history Of the system July illustrates tie opc-
ration Of these causes, hnd The truth ct the c9nc!u-
SION drawn from them Every protective Tariff that
Congress has ever laid has disappointed the hopes OF
It's nayoca,cs, ;nd las lcon oilowtd, IL short "er.
yas hv a demand fr b. !rt duties, as lave shown
on a former occasion. Tie cry mas been protection
hli :..tI I'd Of |
succeeding c.; aciors tl9n The preceding -
Repetition tu increases lie demand, III! The whole ter
,ninot,s universal explosion, such as that i.cm
which the country is ncw struggling 20 escape.
Such are the effects or,Ae system tie interest IN
favor of which these high r:o Give duties are iaid and
shall now r7ooe d so trace IL, in tho great expert
interest, against which they are laid. start al the
po,n,,he exclusion, ~ part or Whole, OF me ii'-
por,aon of the articles ga'nsi winch ihey are iaia-
their very chg az have stated; and Which, not
effected The whole mast fail. The necessary conse-
arence of the falling off of Tie imports, must be, rlti-
lnate!y the falling oNot The exports They are huiu-
ally dependant each ether 1t IS admitted that Inc
amount Of Tie exports limits TIE imports; and that,
taking series o.: years together, their sa!ne, fairly
imaed, Will IL equal or neatly 80; tul,t is no less
certain that Tie imports limit, in Ike ma1er, The e&
ports Ii all imports are prohibited, all exports mGs'
cease ard If cyt amount ct imports only bc admit
led the experts must finally sink down 10 the same
amor:t Fer Ike reason, If such high duties be i'm
posed that only limited amount cen he imported with
profit (Which The case IN question: The exports must
N like manner, sink down 10 the same amount In
This aspect it proper to trace Che flee, oan",ie and
powerful cause, intimately connected with that under
consideration.
This falling eff Of the imports would necessarily
cause falling oT of the demand in he market abroad
ir our exports The capacity of our customers there
10 buy from Us, depends, in great measure, On thci,
capacity Of selling to 10 impair the one IS 10 impair
the other The operation OF The two causes would be
highly adverse to the export Industry OF the county,
iii should not cause an actual decrease OF The exports
il would arrest, or greatly re,a'd, their increase and
with il. the commerce. the navigation and their
cate Interests which xplans Why those great branch
rs of business arrested IN their growth under The
n-o,.ct;vc Tariffs ofIo2i and lSs ard received such
a u;ah,y impulse from Tie reduction OF duIes under
.he Compromise act as is shown sscm the commercial