Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-07-14

before the House, and on the 9th of Eebr,
airy, (see Journal III. II. page 1887 one mon,
aud one day after the passage of the land hi
through the Senate, The House passed the com
promise bill and sent it to the Senate. Tn
, two Houses, then, were con,emporaneousl
engaged iii the consideration of the,lyo bills.
the House of Representatives having the Ian,
bill before it and Senate the compromise ac,
These subjects progressed together and
finally, on the first day of March, 1883. IN,
Senate passed the compromise bill, and on IN,
same day the House gave its sanction to In,
land bill. with an amendment, which wa
promptly concurred in by the Senate. Boil
oiiis were then sent To, the President VIII,
signed the tariff bill. but withheld his assen
from the land bill, whereby it was lost Whe
ca, eouot, from tins simple narration of facts
independently .oi every other consideration
ina. 'hese two bills had mutual relation to
each other; that they were connected topeth.
rim the minds Of those who passed them
mat they had mutual dependence upon each
other; and that, together, they constituted that
grand system which compromised and adjust
ed for the time the difficulties which had shnk-
EN- this Union to its centre !? Or who can Cor
moment believe that II entered into the con-
temptation Of Congress- that the land fund
should continue 10 be source of the perma-
nent revenue Of the country at the very time
that they were, by solemn Legislative ACT.
parting with it, as they believed, forever?
| Here Mr.. PIcKENs, Of South Carolina, in
terrup'ed Mr. S. and asked him to state villa,
was the limitation of that land bill?
MIR. STUART replied that the bill provided
ior distribution for five years but he sub
ihi'ted II to MIR. Pickens TO say whether il was
NOT regarded as aPcrmcnem system, of which
The Dill introduced by Mr.. Clay was but the
commencement Was il not discussed rs
permanent system Was il not rested ON reo-
sons winch applied TO permanent system?
Am not then sustained to the fullest ex
eht IN The construction which have given to
tne compromise act by the whole context of
circumstances which attended its inception.
MS progress through the two Houses, and its
final contamination
Dut mere are other circumstances, sprinrinq
out OF the peculiar condition of the country ai
me time OF the passage of the compromise bill.
which tend TO throw much light upon its truc
meaning and objects We must look TO The
purposes which were to be accomplished. TO
the interests which were to be consulted. IN tho
sources OF the difficulties which were TO he adj
!us'ed, and TO the motives and reasons which
Influenced the parties interested, before we can
nave right apprehension of the true scope
ana bearing OF this important act. propose
very briefly TO advert TO some of them.
"hat, ther, was the condition of the coun
Try at The period referred to? The State of
couth carolina had, by her ordinance ofnulli-
hca'ion, declared that the tariff law Of 1928
and she lad adabbbY the Constitution of the
ccution within her borders by military force.
Congress, on the other hand, had, by the pass
age OF the force bill, clothed the Executive
with lull power to enforce obedience to the
laws; and, If necessary, to use military force to
reduce her to subsection. United States troops,
under the command gallant and experienced
ofilcers, were already assembled in the neigh
horhood OF Charleston. South Carolina, on
her part, was not inactive; thousands of her
sons rallied beneath her palmetto standard, an
mated by the most martial spirit. Congress
was upon the eve of adjournment, but eight
Gays OF The session remaining. The whole
nation was in condition of dreadful suspense
ltsecmed that without special interposi,ion
OF Providence, civil convulsion and the she'd
/ ding of blood were inevitable When the com
promise act was introduced better spirit hap
PLY began to prevail in the councils of the
nation, andin few days the scheme was ma
tured which dspelled the clouds from the
W
ed to sunder this Union.
In order to understand the principles upon
which the difficulties were arranged, it is ne
cessary TO advert to the points which were
the subjects of dispute, and to the respective
Pfe'enslons OF the two parties. The contro.
versy was between the n orlh and the extreme
South The North commended for protection
TO It's manufactures and other great interests b,
system Of impost duties. The South, on tn,
other hand, repudiaed the whole doctrine O
protection, and insisted that the duties on for
eign Importations should be brought down a
once to the revenue standard These wer
The extreme positions and as they were di
rectly IN conflict with each other; it was man
2 Hest that unless there should be a spirit {
2 Cancellation and mutual concession bctwee
The parties, an appeal to- arms would. he inc,
= liable. Fortunately; the spirit Of peace pre-
: vailed, and the compromise assumed midd]
S ground. The South having demanded an in
4 medtaic reduction of the duties on imports
II the revenue standard, the North declined a.
= ceding to the proposition to the full extent. b
C agreed that gradual reduction OF the du,
should take place, which at the end OF I'll,
e years would bring those duties down to II
If revenue standard The North thereby gain,
If Tor their manufacturing interests a Temporal
i but gradually diminishing protection, and Il
1t oou'h gained an ultimate approximation
5. ihe'f doctrines Of free trade. As equivaler
G, Tor these concessions, other supulatiobs we
e. introduced, which are enumerated in the thu
lie section OF the act which have already quote
lie These equivalents were, first, home vaiuati
IN instead of forp;,,, 't'L:s =.