The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-03-22
MIR. SHADES SPEECH.
CONTINUED.

CONTINUED.
pass without Comment from this 10 the annua
message OF President Jackson, of the 9Th OF Dec
| 1880, 10 which have already alluded, as con
tairing statement orthe argument in support o
protective tariff, dawn from the transfer, by
the States, OF their whole power over imposts 1,
the General Government And here is the ar
gument, 10 the language Of The President:
The power tn impose duties On Imports orig.
inally belonged to the several states. The RICH,
TO adjust these duties, with view TO the enconr-
a1ement of domestic branches of industry, is SO
completely incidental to thar power, that it is diff
ficut TO suppose the existence Of tie one with
out The other. The STATES have delegated their
whole authority over imports 10 the General gov
eminent. without limitation or restriction, saving
the very iHconsiderable reservation relating to
their inspection laws. This authority having
thus entirely passed from the states, the right To
exercise il for the purpose Of protection does mol
exist in them; and. consequently, ifit be not pos
sessed by The General Government, it must be
extinct. Our political system would thus pre-
sent the anomaly OF people stripped of the
right to foster their own industry, and to ctun-
teracl the most selfish and destructive policy
which might be adopted by foreign nations. This
surely cannot b. the case. This indispensabi be
power, thus surrendered by the states, must be
within the scope of the authority on the subject
expressly delegated 10 Congress. Ia this conc lu-
sion | am confirmed, as well by the opinions of
Presidents Washington, Jefferson. Madison. and
Monroe, who have each repeatedly recommend
ed the exercise Of this right under the constitu
ton, as BY the uniform practice of Congress, the
continued acqueScence of the states, and the gen.
eral understanding of the people,
We now come TO an eventful period in the his
n TtOuUh had
we haveseen, become the settled policy of The
country; though It's consiilutionaliiy had been
confirmed by an unvaryin9 current of executive
authority, by the uniform practice of Congress,
by the continued acquiescence of The states, and
the general understanding of the people, yet it
was now to be met by determined spirit of re-
sstance. Notification reared its brazen front,
and bid defiance 10 the power of the government
thus constitutionally exercised.
A state convention assembled al Columbia, in
South Car Dlina, in November, 1882, and passed
an ordinance declaring the tariff laws TO be null
and void within the limits Of tina; state, and max
Ing it the duty Of the legislature 10 pass such
laws as should be necessary tn carry the ordl
nance into effect. How promptly the Legislature
obeyed This mandate, need not say.
The convention having 'nulfed' the revenue
laws, put forth an address to the people of the
United States, in which they said:
IL remains for US 10 submit plan of taxation
in which we would be willing 10 acqulesce, in
liberal spirit of concession, provided we are met
in due time, and in becoming spin, C) by the
States interested in manufactures In the opin-
ion Of the convention, an equitable plan would be
that the whole list OF protected articles should
be imported free of al duty, ard that the revenue
derived from import duties should be raised ex
clusively from the unprotected articles; or that
whenever duty Is INFUSED upon protected ar'i
Giles imported, an excise duty Of the same rate
shall be imposed upon all similar articles manu-
featured in The United States
Such was the plan, submitted in liberal spir-
il Of concession! The convention proceeded TO
say:
They are willing 10 make large offering To
preserve the Union; and, with a distinct declar
alton that it is concession on their part, they
will consent that the same rate Of duties may be
imposed upon The protected articles that snail be
imposed upon The unprotected, provided that no
more revenue be raised than is necessary 10 meet
the demands of the Government for constitution
al purposes; and provided, also, that duty sub
stantiaIly uniform, be imposed upon all foreign
imports
Thus, as a matter of concession was large
off ring to preserve the Uhion'-a principle Of
revenue was proposed which utterly abolished
all discrimination for purposes of protection, and
prescribed as the only alternative 10 civil war;
what has, in this debate been denominated a
horizontal tariff that is. tariff Of duties sub
staniially uniform upon all foreign imports
And here is the origin of the compromise law
of the 81 March, 1888. That law was 81 far
compliance with The demand Of South Carolina,
as 10 fix horizontal tariff Of 20 per cent, 10
axe effect on the Isl day of July. 1912.
And now, Mr.. Speaker, upon the near ap-
proach oil that period, we are called on tn consid
its horizontal operation, or whether we shall
still maintain the policy which has for more than
fifty years, protected by discriminating duties,
our domestic industry.
In this stare of things, am happy to find in
the message Of the President at the Opening of
The present session, continuance of executive
authority in favor of The great principle of protec
ton for which we contend. | allude to that part
of the message whose proposed reference is now
The subject of consideration.
l am as little disposed as any GIN be 10 hold |
On to the skirts Of Executive authority; and hay,
referred to the messages of preceding Presidents,
as expressing not merely their own, but the SEN
mens Of the country, during their adminisua-
ions. But as President Tyler has spoken on
he subject, and it is proposed 10 refer mat part
If the message TO committee, may pc eXcuS-
Il for considering what some have affected TO
eo.rd ,be doubtful question as TO tchat he has
aid:
6. Tn ;mnosins duties (says The Presidency for
l.. n,,,ose of revenue, right 10 discriminate as
. me arriclc. on which the duty shall be laid,