The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-03-18

must specie continue to be imported. and the ex-
broke down by the expansion M' the currency,
The consummaiion, therefore, Of the system,
must be one of two things: explosion, or the re-
dncion of the exports. so as not 10 exceed the u
mount ol the unprotected articles; but either ter
ninaIion must prove DISASTROUS to the system;he
former by sudden and violent overthrow, andtho
latter by the improvcshncnt Of customers and
raising up Of rivals as they ceased to be customers
To have il sjust conception Of its operation in ihR
particular, t"rlil be Decessory to bear in mind that
the south and west are The great consumers Of The
products Of the horlh and east; and that the capac
Nv Of tho south to Consume, depends on her great
agricultural staples almost exclusively; and that
their sale and consumption depend mainly on the
foreign market. What. then, wonid be tho elect
Of reducing her exports to the point Indicated, say
to thirty or forty millions Of dollars? Most certainly
10 diminish her capacity 10 consume the products
OF the north and east in the same proportion, fol-
lowed by a corresponding diminulion Of the reten-
10, and the commerce and navigation of the coun-
try. But the evil woud not end there, as great as
it would be. Itwou!d have mn equal or greater ei-
fec, on the consumption of the west. The great
and growing section is the provision portion OF the
Union. Her wide and fertile region gives her an
unlimited capacity TO produce grain and st, elk Of
every description and these for the most part find
their market in the staple States. Cut of their ex
ports. and their martetswould be destroyed; and
with it, the means OF the west, TO Il great extent,
fJr carving on trade with the northern aud eastern
States, 10 the same extent. they an! the staple
States would be compelled to produce their own
supplies, and would thns, from consumers, be
doynrIed into rivals with the other section.
How much wiser Tor all would be the opposite
system Of low duleJ, with the market Of the world
opened 10 our great agricultural staples! The eff
feet would be n vast increase 10 our exports, with
a corresponding incrcass OF tho capacity 10 con
sumo on the part Of the south and wcst making
them rich aud contended customers, .inscad of i'm
poverished and DISCONTINUED rivals of the other sec
ton. 1t il time that this subject should de regar-
dad in ils true light, The protective system is
neither more or less tlmn war on the exports.
again repeat, five cannot import, we cannot long
export; and Just as we cu of or buyden The i'm
ports, to the same extent do we, in effect cut oil
and burden tho exports. This [ have long seen,
aud shall now proceed to prove, by reference to
the public dQCumants, that my assertion is sustain
ed by facts The table Of exports shows that dur
ing the seven Years from 1924 to 1881, our domes-
ito exports remained nearly stationary, notwith-
standing the groN. inorea &c Of our population dur
ing that period. >dr salute book will show that
during the same paroh, The protective system was
in its greatest vigor. Tho first relaxation took place
in December, 1880. under the act Uf the goth May,
of the same year, which made great deduction IN
the duties on coffee and tea tshaiiuuw turn to tho
table, and give ha exports Of domestic articles for
those years, beginning with 1924
Here Mr. c. read the following statement: