The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-07-30
IN SENATE.
SPEECH OF MR.. MANG
ON THE TARIFF

an entire demolition OF those est'oA'o''' $50
appeals have been made to excite every motVe OF IN
terest and arouse every selfish principle, 10 rally
around this tariff system, and protect IL IRON inc as
saults of its ruthless assallants
Sir these appeals have been made with admirapie
sagacity-with deep conviction that the system can
be maintained only by arousng the passions, and ex-
GLIDING the lights Of calm and sober reason But,
sir has this assumption any foundation In fact? Is
there any party in this country that seeks to demo-
lish the manufacturing establishments? Is there any
which is not deeply impressed with the difficult and
delicate responsibility of recognizing system OF
imposts and adjusting the duties, with due regard
all the great interests Of the country If there be
any such party, it is unknown to me- Sir, the great
object of those whom represent, and with whom
associate is to adjust tins system, so as to approx
mate, as may be, equal participation in the
burdens and benefits of the Government.
Equality under the present system of taxation is
wholly unat anabe. The agricultural and planting
States WILL of necessity pay more than their equal
vious and incontrovertble. The Southern States
have never complained of that inequality while the
power fairly exercised, and with refer
ence to the necessities of the Government. In war,
as well in peace, they have borne the necessary
burdens without murmur. But now In time OF
profound peace--the public debt being pad-they
unwilling to be taxed not for the benefit of the
Government, but for the benefit of large, wealthy,
and hourishing capitalists. system SO unequal and
unjust cannot be endured. AS permanent sys-
4
Blu, sir, suppose that there exist no constitutional
impediments--s i'll the injustice, and the fragrant me
quality OF the action of the system are denounced by
all the principles OF enlightened political philoso
ply The inequality of lis operation upon the dife
rent avocations of The same community, is 1agranly
unjust; but ii upon the great sections of the
federacy considered with reference 10 the grand geo
graphical divs of the county, that The inequality
rapacty, and oppression of the system, are most mani
fest and most rulnous
L,
for selfish purposes, with principle OF cohesion
but mean, base passion for money, unredeemed by
any great public and patriotic fruits and unmtgated
by the slg hest for bearance in the punder of all her
pursuits Of industry for the ben fiji of the protected
classes Yes, sir, this structure SO huge and gigantic
is reared by the aggregation of the most dlssmilar
materials, here the polished Parian marble; there
the rough msshapen rock, piled upon each other, In
perfect contempt of symmetry, beauty and general
utility Sir, it is money-nolhng but money-and
money exacted from others, without equivalent, that
holds together this system. These bandit interests
have feen rallied to its support by thirst for rapne,
and they battle In It's Defence with vigor proper
TONED to the magnt ude and enormity of its exactuns
These favored classes of industry are bounted and
thrive while all other classes bear the burden and
dwindle Agriculture, the great paramount interest,
is taxed to exhaustion he who tolls the EARTH and
he who poughs the MAN, Plundered, under color
of law, of their legitimate profits, to sustain band
of monopolists who by contrvance and concert have
drawn into their views majority of the country, and
affect to give law to political parties and have long
since assumed tone of dctation to Congress and the
Executive. Is it possible, sir that this state of things
can endure' Is it possible that the people, an
wheming majority of whom laborers, and de-
their support from the cultivation of the EARTH
can be much longer guled into acquescence, dra-
gooned into submssionthat they will sustain poll
cy, the effect OF which to make the rich richer and
Il e poor poorer
The great difficulty, and the only difficulty, consists
in opening the eyes Of the people to their true cond
ton. The most of them have been too much engag-
ed in their necessary avocatons to study and to
prehend this multfarious subject. 1t is the interest
of monopoIists of capitalists-of all those who con-
sumo Of the fruits of the earth, than they pro-
Sce by the sweat Of their browto disseminate false
opinions to league together appropratng to them
selves the bounties conferred by the Government,
in specializing upon the distresses occasioned by this
rulnous and accursed policy.
Sir, regard the adoption Of the present mode of
taxation the deepest and most unfortunate OF
the sages Who formed and adopted the Constitution
1t is arfuly disguised that it may insinuate itself
into the community reach every class and condition
of society," diminish the profits of labor and impair
the springs of industry, unseen, and almost
pected 1t enhances the price of almost every thing
of the salt hat seasons the poor mans DISH the iron
that points his plough, the woollen that his
body, the glass that lights his dwelling, the beverage
that slakes his thirst it burdens almost all the com
forts and enjoyments Of his life, in eating, in drink
ing, in rament, in walking in riding, and in sleeping
and in articuo norris it clings to the coffin that re
ceves his mortal remains and the spa e that prepares
his last home, where he may sleep with his fathers
and mingle with mother earth. Sir this indirect tax
alton has operated as whitening blight upon all the
fruits of Southern ndusry-it is converting the finest
region of the earth into hopeless steriity and compa
rative desolation
Look, sir at the relative condition of the grand d
visions of this conederacy at the adoption of the Con
stitution. The North and East were not only com
paratvely but positively poor the South, with &C.
NAL climate and kindly soil, was teeming with The
rich fruits of the EARTH and rejoicing in the midst
abundance. The export of the raw material of the
plantation States gave employment 10 the principa
part of foreign tonnage; and streams of wealth
were pouring from every quarter of the globe, upor
that delightful region But, sir the first great ac
under the new Goyenment-the funding of the deb
of the Revolution laid the foundation of system
policy, and gave efficiency to mode of taxation
which have enriched regions naturally poor, and i'm
poverished regions naturally rich.
How has this strange, and, at the first view, amos
incredible result been effected 1t has grown out 0
the diversity of pursuits in hese great sections acte
upon by mode of taxation Onerous to and bene
fetal to the other.
In the early period of the Government, the who'll
war debt Of the Revolution funded a large por
ton of it belonged to the Northern and Eastern
States, and their citizens became purchasers of muc
the largest portion of the residue that is to say thu
whole debt of the United States, contracted by tn
old Congress, and the war debt of the several States
were made the debt of the new Government. 1t is
sued certificates, subject to be transit rred, which
held by the creditors, and the interest re
gularly paid, in like manner shares are held in
bank, and interest paid to the stockholders.
The people to the South, then unburdened by ex
cessive taxation, could make larger profits upon ca
pita invested in land and slaves than the interest upor
the public funds. They therefore, instead of pur
chasing, anxious to sell their Government stock
and invest the proceeds in the planting business Ii
the North and East agricultural labor being less pro
ductive, the people there anxious to invest the
means in Government stock The interest, there
fore, upon the whole public debt flowing regular
ly to the North and East and when we reflect tina
at least hree-fourhs of the taxes raised for the paw
ment of principal and interest, were levied upon tn
South, and the whole amount disbursed in the Mort
Al. rf;.,nrA Aoc4l.