The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-10-07
TARIFF FACTS CONDENSED.

TO their homes full Of glory for deeds not theii
own. We notice Mr.. Fillmore as one OF these
He has been complimented as a great spoke IN
the Tariff wheel, and has not yet TO our know
ledge) seen proper TO contradict so gorgeous an
error Mr.. Fillmore and his friends who wish
ed to keep the Tariff question unsettled as
hobby to eleciioneer for Mr.. Clay, conlrived' al
the very commencement of the last session, TO
open an useless debate upon the reference OF Tue
Presidential recommendation. This debate be-
tween the Chairman OF the Committee oil
Ways and Means and the Chairman OF the
Committee on Manufactures, (Mr Saltonstall,)
carried the House through December and pretty
well into January. II was al last decided so as
I, require both committees TO report Tarfi bills.
MIR. Saltonstall then asked for an investigation,
confessing the total incompetency OF his com
mittee TO act without information from manuIac-
turers aud others.
The House might as well have given The
subject TO the Committee on Commerce or thai
on Agriculture, as TO the Committee on Manu-
features There are many interests embraced
| in the Tariff question, and any Committee al
most had right TO claim the preparation OF the
| bill. Mr. Fillmore called on Mr. Forward Tor
| a project Of plan. He had much right 10
call on Henry Clay. Bills were at last report
ed, but the time 10 discuss them was so short that
| the odous twelve line BILL or The President
uap, was brought forward, passed and vetoed,
| the President not being willing TO be trapped
by Mr.. Fillmore, nor to suffer the country to be
| imposed on through Congress
Then came the de speralion of caucus, and
| determination 10 adjourn without passing Ia"
| rG Then came forward the Democrats and
tn Corporal's Guard, determined to give the
country that aid The Wings refused, and II is to
tni, influence that we are indebted for the Ia
| riff, such il is.
| We have repeatedly exposed these Wing
chalmers of Democratic acts, but seeing that
the Wings who opposed Tariff to the very
last, are claiming whatever credit It may give,
we have thought proper TO throw together this
| little condensation Of facts to meet these polili-
cL plagiarls,s.
At the very last throw of the die, there were
still twenty members. with Mr.. Adams at their
head, determined, if possible, to leave Congress
|
sage of Tariff act. And what would have
been tie consequence had they succeeded? The
public works would have stopped for want OF
funds in the Treasury, and thousands OF poor
wokmen would have been thrown out of en-
ployment. The vaults would have been left
comparatively empty, AMI these gentlemen
would have enjoyed the prospect of Govern
| ruric tha
sion, they allowed the Government to remain
under protest Ca state of circumstances which
never occurred before in the country and at
last wished to deprive it Of all power to pay sin
gle dollar. Let them enjoy all the applause they
can raise from pampered adherents, but, at the
same time, let all the circumstances be kept be-
fore the public in plain and unvarnished form.
We are permitted to make the following ex-
tracts from highly interesting letter shown us
by gentleman in this city, to whom it was ad-
dressed, not long since, by distinguished resi-
dent of Wisconsin. The writer formerly re-
sided in Connecticut, and may be considered
good authority on abolition and the right of pc
tion, as against the madcap J. @. Adams, who
has been recently haranguing his constituents
on that subject. 1t will be seen that his views
are strong, manly and original. We ask for
them an attentive perusal.
GRtxs BAY, Wisconsin Territory.
My DEAR Sin:
cit has become the fashion, in certain quarter,
to ring the changes upon the value and Importance
of the right Of petition and is therefore pronounced
to be of the dearest rights Of the American peo-
ple.' And have indeed come to ths-that the
right to petition, the right to beg, among the dear
est rights left to us Is this the condition of Ameri-
n citizens, who have ranked themselves with
kiogs-each in himself sovereign We had vainy
supposed that had the right to command our
agents to do our bidding and in case OF disobedi-
ence, Indignantly to dismiss them from our service
"That the right Of petition should stand foremost
among enumerated rights, marks the force OF ha-
bit. 1t really of some little Importance to our
English ancestors, under the Tudors and Stewards
not that the right of an oppressed people to beg of
their hard and cruel masters TO redress their grey
ances directly available for that obj ct but
when there was neither freedom of speech nor of
the press the petition used TO give utlerance and
publicity to facts and ntiments calculated TO rouse
the people TO a full Of their injuries.
g" The right Of petition may have been justly dear
to people who enjoyed higher rights, but to say
the right of petition should be dear 10 freeman a
solecism of terms; the poor, ptiful privilege is
merged in the exalted rights of American citizen,
like the rain-drop in the mounta 1t is, how
ever perfectly in character for John Quincy Adams
to contend soutly for the right Of petition. The
thor of Pubcola would find way to restore il to
all its pristine importance.
But we find the important right Of petition SOL
EMMY guaranteed TO the people in the Constitution Of
the United States, and we have heard Of late loud
clamor about the violation of this right. 1t is true