The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-08-05
From the Missouri Reporter.
THE TARIFF.

| HE Tariff.
| The Philadelphia Ledger Of the 18th nst con
ains sensible article on the subject of the tariff.
| IL says;
| "Whoeyer will carefully watch the debates in
Congress upon the tariff, can hardly doubt that The
majority DESTROYS of preventing any adjustment
of the subject, for the purpose OF keeping IL Tor
theme the stump in the next Presidential election
All admit that the treasury is bankr pit and that
revenue must be raised by duties. The majority IN
sis that duty of 30 per cent, imposed by the COM
promise is not sufficient and contend further that no
law exists for the collection of this rate ms ma
jority. admitting the nsufcency OF tins rate, airm
ing that law exists for the collection OF any ting,
will pass no law without the distribution of the pub
lie lands. They know that the President will sign
no bill with this provision and that constitutional
majority against the President cannot be obtained.
Yet than yield this single point they will leave
the treasury bankrupt all the public officers excepting
themselves unpaid, and the country IN disgrace
All this wears very much the appearance of AN at
tempt to force the people, by Distress into the sup
port Of some particular candidate for the Presidency
Ii contends that all that is said about the principle
of protection by its advocates, under present circum
stances, is frivolous; and proceeds thus
'sIf the law be silent upon the subject, they will
yield nothing upon the principle; and if the duties
be high enough they gain all that they want in practice
Equally frivolous are all the wide distinctions made
by the ant-proectioniss between horizontal and
discriminating tariff; for, upon this question, precedent
settle nothing, and law IS binding only till re-
pealed Let Us suppose horizontal tariff Of 20 per
cent, upon every thing, either silent declnatory
abou, protection Is this law beyond the power of
another Congress- Not at all. The nert, the
may destroy its horizontal character by raising
duties and repeating Others and 1t then becomes
discriminating tariff. And will any lawyer pretend
| to choo,e syllable in the constitution TO prohibit
such alteration The whole dispute is too ridiculous
because the subject is plain, to leave any other
opinion than that The sole otec! Of The dispute is Presi-
dent making.
We here have the truth from a neutral paper-but
one wi ch is friendly to the manufacturing interest
1t says truly that 'the sole object of the dispute is
President making"-and all know that il is the ultra
Federasts IN Congress who are forcing this dispute
on the President.
| If it probable that the revenue from duties
would be fully equal to the necessary expenditures
| of the Government, the course of the majority in
| Congress would be less Objectionable, or might be
| justified by those who advocate distribution but
when it is known to every intelligent man, that suf
| fcent revenue scarcely be expected from both
duties and the public lands, the yciousness of the
proposition to deprive the Treasury of the land fund
| must be obvious to all The game however, is as
| the Ledger says, president making"
| The majority in Congress have persuaded them
selves that ey not to be held responsible for the
condition of the Treasury They seem to think they
have separated themselves from their President, and
that the nation will hold him. and not the awmaking
power, responsible for all that may be done under
the present Administration. If the Treasury should
be left empty it is foolishly supposed Congress viii
be held guiltless If the officers of Government, ex-
cept Congressman go unpaid and the creditors of the
nation suffer in consequence of the bankruptcy OF the
Treasury, II is imagined the majority who brought
MIR. Tyler into power, will not be censured In a
word the Federalists still presumng on the gull
libllity OF the people-s relying on the effect which
may be produced by another senseess hurra, and on
impressions to be made by new promises, to be as
shamefllly violated those made in 1910 have been
| Instead of overreaching the people, the gentlemen
are overreaching themselves Their policy is under
| stood Even the honest portion of the Wing press
have denounced it game of President ma
king, in which it is admitted that the credit and hon
of the Government and the interests of merchants
manufacturers and farmers to be jeoparded If
not certainly FRUSTRATED.
| We take this occasion to repeat the opinion we
have heretofore expressed that II is by pro-
| babe revenue enough be obtained from duties
and the public lands and that, with this prospect be-
fore u.s. distribution cannot be justified, and the PresI-
dent will be sustained in the act, should he hmly OPP
| pose 1t.