The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-01-25

the power, full and unqualified. is expressly
given 10 Congress to impose duties. In iacl'
the constitutional right Of Congress, in this par
ticular, was never questioned until the late
Judge Barbour, in some of his abstract vagar-
les, stumbled upon it. 1t was capital for the
so called Virginia School--and il has been used
in that way to the present day.
The constitutional difficulty removed. we
looked to the effects of Tariff upon the North
and South--so far as we could ascertain and
understand them. We have seen that all tho
predictions ofrhe wisest heads, previous 10 the
Tariff Of 'l6 and '2S. have been falsifed by
the results. Mr.. Randolph, one of the most sa-
gacious men that everlived, affirmed that the
increased Tariff would destroy the revenue,
and render a resort to direct taxation necessary
to the support of Government. Mr.. Clay and
Mr.. Webster both admitted tie probability of
such result. And yet in few years. the
great difficulty was 10 dispose of the immense
surplus revenue! Those articles, which it
was supposed the increased duty would exclude
altogether, or render very dear, were bought
cheaper than ever. And during the greater
period of the high Tariff the whole country
the South as well as the North--enjoyed de-
gree Of National prosperity unprecedented in
the annals of any people. The Tariff may not
have been, and we dc not suppose it was, the
sole cause of this palmy state Of national affairs.
But that it did not exert a banefu Influence is
manifest and that on the contrary, 1t was n
potent auxiliary in the creation of national
wealth, is greatly corroborated by the blight
which has come over us since its decline, almost
TO the point of admitting articles free Of duty.
A- fD ,f fbn
South and Virginia, particularly, we confess
that we have not been able to discover is inlu-
rious effects. All the articles we consumed,
, were Obtained as cheapy, (and many of them
more SOY after the tariff as before. In what
then consisted the iniury2 And on the other
hand, what benefit does Virginia derive fom
the one-sided free trade at present existing
Are her products favored in foreign countries,
because of the admission Of theirs into our
parts? Let the duty upon our flour, amounting
! 10 prohibition, and upon our tobacco, 3 shings
| sterling the pound, answer The cottoE Of the
South is the only staple Of much Importance
which is received abroad--and the signs indi-
cate thai it is only admitted Temporarily, until
TIE production of thai article in India, now rap
idly on the increase shall be sufficient to supply
the English demand.
There is no subject so complicated, and the
effects of which are so uncertain, as that of a
Tariff of duties. The effects of an increase or
diminution of duty on any article have not
once in ten times been anticipated, So far
from it. in nine cases out of ten. Just the oppo-
| site effect from that predicledhas ensued. Take
one striking example; the Tariff was increas-
ed upon coffee, the price fell-the Tariff was
| r. duced. and that which before sold for ten cts.
could not be bought for less than -, or in that
proportion. Many similar instances might be
adduced, all going to show the uncertain effects
of duty, and exploding that axiom of the po-
litical economists. that the consumer pays the
duty. BY the way. than this axiom, there is
no greater failacy exant. at least so FIR as it is
applicable 10 this country, as has been amply
tested by experience. 1t may be. that our pc
culiar position constitutes us an exception to
the rule-but we incline to the opinion that the
axiom itself is plausible absurdity, like most
Of the other axioms of that refined system of
political quackery, ycleped Political Economy