Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-11-07
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.uo.NnlY, .AOyE.ABER !. lsl2.
TIKI. TARIFF SYSTEM.

The last number oi the Republican hoior5 with an
elaborate review ii what it is pleased To term ''..
T1iers docirne the subject Of 4 tariff o jaiics
inporlatlons from abroad To which propose brief
reply
The frs, assumption IF the writer is that the federal
c,,,~1nnrn has right (, Ivy duties for any other
purpose than 10 pay The debts Of Tie United States, Se
And, strange il may seem, in this assumption
daily concur. Bui then We confess DO not know
what our f,sicwer means precisely ly that very prey
nant "Sco II may be very restricted in lis meaning
and sc, il may very broad ground. Al all events
the rer comedies b, lis use that the government may
imruse duties fl ohn pnposes than tic payment y lis
debts, Un what those purposes? We d. M, know,
unless ii be 10 throw sheld Of protection around oil the
great interests of the ountry,-wici in opinion,
ought be the primary jet Of all governments ioun-
ded the popular will as it uhitoeiioaaly Of
ours
We ae,ee with reviewer, again, in the declaration
that at is not competent for Congress 10
else any power granted by the consti,utiun''--bul
then affirm TINT the i,ar@ To impose proectre aud
refaatoy duties granted by the constitution,-whch
he denies Does lac lorlci that The very first proiectjre
duty ever imposed duty of cents per h. OF about
80 per cent al valocm up,nror cotton, for the pur
pose Of promoting domestic manufactures, (r the duty
against the manufacturer 5ui for the purpose of Pro-
tcciing tic efotrer Of the steo? Have he grow
crs pronounced ha duty unconstitutional Protec-
tive dnes are levied upon wheat, -four, woo hemp
beef pork ccese butter, lard, poaiocs-al asriculta
raj products ranging from 10 TO 100 per cent al rio-
rem, How happens it that they have never been COM
planned OH Did not Mr. jefferson recom, nd he adop-
ton Of "fhat policy rhch places The manufacturer and
; a. I'll.
TIE door II eyesJ one, that exchange n ibor which
we have hitherto sough in distant countries in valn!"-
Why. here Is recommendations by the treat Apostle Of
RcpuLlcanism, d Gulios witch were at the same time
protective and friaatory! And vet the "Rpputcau, y
which proi,ssos 10 bc disciple of jefferson. declares
that Congress has gi. 10 impose either prucjyc or
Realistic ~ 2ut,stolh being rn,didly alioeoh,x for
biddcn;--for although he admits that the goycrnrecn,
may "rcgulac commerce By treaty, and only BY treaty
Qhougs a.,dsr wh,se he finds thai in the conetitu-
/ tom set ~c wsrld viii, all dcfercace ask INN hy
what means commerce can be regulated by ao.ty clone
treaties descending from principles to dclas?-
Blu, take his own View Of the subject. although i, is con
radlcedh by almost every pagc Of the statute book; hay
ing reference 10 the nIcuai commerce,--our tlEags
having been protected by law, well area, agr
cultural staples n2 before the idea Ct s ring our manu-
lectures seriously entertained, ard snppnsc treat,
TO be concluded between Great Britain and the l. States
provldog that in ndcraon Of reduction Of the duiy
ON our tobacco, would make like reduction OF
coarse woolens the fabric Of British o1ms-and suppose
the Seiato should salty The treaty, bot that the Iou
of Representatives should refuse lis 10 the lnudii
cation OF the 6nty on the Aforesaid woorns- W hici
would be the law OF thc and hslisanctioned treaty. O
an oarpeaed law? The idea lat Congress can oe
'tr91!de commerce" by treaty, is ahsurdlt may b
that it could nerer be rceulated and that could
done only By to,r. II has been done, almost un.fnly
by law, and not by irr,'r. Indeed except genera
principles, NE do,5t Isl! her it ere. done by treat,
at all. The fact is, the power is unlimited. "Cungrrs
shall have power TO regulate comercc"-Thi is in sub
stance, the language o the constitution. Il does not sa
that, it shall be, that it shall not be, dor
Iby heaig-fhat it may be done by treaty,
the parties prefer that mode, doubts b,
that it can be dosc lie no other way is info
c1ce which utterly decay The Constitution confer
the po,ccr in The broadcast sad unqualified terms
The OF erecuias thai poscer within tie unn
tied discretion of Congress and we have just mucl
right, sd it were equaly proper. say that Con
grcss can only exercise this power by Tar, and that
would be an assumption Of power 70 attempt to do So b
ireey, opponents have asas.me that " can b.
done alone by treaty. and that to attempt to do i, by law
wouh be 10 usnp an migrated po,ccr.
The constitutional power to impose protoctin, and re
laator, ,lniies indeed, doubted or dcHied
though Thousand Times affirmed aud acted upon. prior
we believe, to the year S2iccrtaln anterior Il
the year 1916 But when the denial was first made wa
deemed 81 abSG1d. that attemnted seriously Il
con,rovet an opinion which was looked upn tn
conception of schy brain or Of faciious temper
Hence. while VIC have the imposition ol high dutc
opposed, on grounds Of policy, and in reference suppo
sod sectional interests, there never has been time whe
the denial of its consiitutionaity found any conscrabl
degree of favor beyond the immediate circle of Mr. Cal
houns paszsns and of his partizans only s1lee he
caaied has original adrersc opinoa. iIorcc. amon
the advocates Of The tariff Of 1916 which was passct
by Republican Congress. and received the sanction
the usrous Mdson. the cohfdentia friend of Jt ltr
son, we find the &C John c. Calhoun and Rchar
NJ Johnson-ta Eiynr Of that of 1924, the names o
Andrew Jackson Thcmas H. Bentoo Marlia Haa Blu
ren, Richard NJ. johnson Mlhlon Dickeisun, an,
James Buchanan-Ol that Of 1898 Richard NJ johnson
Martin Van Buren, Mahlon Dickerson Sias Wright
James Buchanan and l humas Ii. Benton. All thts
were protective ariilsthc latter the celebrated ''b
of sbomnations,' which Mr. Calhoun and lis coufcd
crates nnlifad The Republican will see, therefore
that in denying the cc1lstit,lton.tliy Of either pre-
'ective or reta liaoy tariff, it pays poor compliment