The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-07-30

efforts of other great sections of the conlederacy to
augment the revenue, and squander the surplus IN APP
preparations to all sorts Of objects. 1t enables us also
to comprehend, In some measure that poltcai para
dox-which, to a simple and plain man, involves
perverson of language and confusion OF ideas that
national debt is public blessing Dir, II mas peeh
blessing to that great section OF inns country "ch
has been cheered and invigoraed by It's refreshing
streams; but positive evil upon the whole region OF
the South
To superficial observer, ours seems to be, in fact
what it in theory, Government OF the many lor
the benefit of the many. closer investigation DIS
closes the truth that 1T practically, Government
of the smallest possible majority the largest pos
sibe minorty-that the largest minority is laid under
contribution to augment the aggregate Of exactions,
and the majority is let down to the lowest safe point
to enhance the value of the dividends; and that this
majority, thus small and effective in fact, welded
by combination Of monopollsts, capitalists and ad-
yenturing politicians who divide among themselves
the richest spos OF their triumphs, and throw but
crumb-if, indeed so much-to the mere serfs OF
party. And sir, where is the check upon combina-
tons for selfish and unprincipled exactons The
check of responsibility entirely fails for though the
dominant majority is responsible to their immediate
constituents, yet they under no responsibility TO
the millions who are Land under contribution. There
responsibility of the parts to each other Hence,
in a widely extended coniederacy, embracing large
sections Of dssimar and conflicting interests, COM
binatons upon the selfish principles may be formed
without fear of responsibility, and grind into the very
dust large and hourlshing regions This has been the
precise operation of the tariff system and the tariff
malorities Sir, say it with deep reluctance, but
feel my solemn duty to say it, that can scarcely
| conceive of any Government more dangerous than |
one which enables irresponsible and protgate maJo-
rites, a widely extended country, inviting to de-
probation and rapne by dlssimilar and conflicting IN
terests to lay under contribution whole sections and
all the profits of industry peculiar to those sections
The duty of every Government is to extend equal
protection to all the parts the correative obligation
is that all the parts shall contribute equally to the
support of Government But is 1t not tyranny, the |
most odious and detestable, to deprive one of the
parts without equivalent of all its natural advanta
yes, to bestow them on another!
Sir it is an utter msconcepton of the true nature
of Government, to suppose it is instituted to confer
bounties, and do acts OF munhcence. Government |
has nothing of its own to give, and it can only give to
one by taking from another, which, if done without
equivalent, is Naked palpable injustice. The South
asks for nothing The North Is clamorous for protec-
ton, which, if il anything, means that the Go
vernment shall give that which it has not, but that
which it shall take from Others
1t has been said that the doctrine of free trade
mere revival of the British colonial system, forced
upon us during our colon al vassalage. must confess
my utter astonlshment at the Introduction of such
topic, in support of this system of restrictions
should be wholly unable to account for it, had not
seen the dignity Of deliberation descend from the
gon of are to level with the passions That the
reverse OF the proposition precisely the fact that
in this protective policy is but to substitute New
England for Old England-so that the former may
burden free people, as the latter formerly did
her colonial vaSSas Let me examine 1t a moment.
What difference is there between Eng and compelling
her colonies trade with her alone for their supplies
of manufactures and one section of the Union, by
virtue of high prohibve duties compelling another
to trade to that alone for all supplies of manufacture
ed articles Is not this the effect of the system? Is
it mitigaed by the reflection that it is the brother of
my blood who compels me to yield up the fruits of
my tolls, to crafty his spirit of rapacity Is it miti
gated by the fact that the South is in effect cut off
Cror he neSt ma rletc in he iS
PEELED resort the dearest? Sir the adoption Of
system Of complete protection is the adoption of
system, as regards pecuniary interests ncompa-
raby worse than that of colonial vassalage. 1t is
worse than colonial vassaage, precisely to the extent
| that the market Of New England is worse than the
market of Great Britain. Sir, what is the condition
of the laboring classes at this day in Canada, in re-
spect to the taxes the necessaries of life when
compared with that of the aboring classes in this
| federacy of freemen?
Sir, the merry ploughman that follows his team
with buoyant spirits and whistles he goes in pure
gladness of heart little dreams of the insidous pro-
cess by which he and his little stripped of
| the fruits of his tolls When sitting by his evening
fire de the midst of all he loves upon earth, anu
sing simple infancy with the tales of other times
when recounting to the little praters that climb upon
his knees and press to his side, the exploits of his
cestors in the battles Of berty-his patriotism kind
ling and glowing the narrative proceeds little
little does he know that the miners and sappers at
work under the citadal OF his liberties. But, sir the
engage in manufacturing, and escape the evils Of
which she complains-may in that way throw of the
thraldom of vassalage to the tariff monopolists
Those who offer that alternative, know that it Is but
keeping the word of promise to the ear and break
ing IT to the hope y they know that it be
braced Wi hout runous sacrifice. They know that it
would involve a sacrifice of at least half the capital
of the South, to wit draw it from planting, and in
vest it in pursuits. And, sir, it is but frank to
say that they neither expect it nor desire it. For
though their philosophy might enable them to bear
with commendabe fortitude the loss of half capt.
tal-for many things are more difficult than to bear
with patience the msfortunes of others-yet what
philosophy could bear the destruction of all its golden
dreams? What mortgage could look unmoved upon
his mortgaged estates, abandoned, dilapidaed, and
rapidly vergng to hopeless decay?
There are those in the South that indulge in the
deluslon that we are capable Of becoming a manufac-
turing people. That might succeed, in the int j.
or, to a certain extent cannot be doubted. But that
it could become the predominant interest that
should be able to compete with foreign rivals,
wholly impossible. We destitute Of the great
elements slave labor is too careless We desti-
tute of water power the seabOard of navigation to
water power in the interior. We destitute Of
coal and that salubrty of climate necessary pre-
serve health, the summer and autumnal months, in
the fotid atmosphere of deDsey crowded factories
And above all, thank God we destitute of the
cheap labor of half starved beggared, and depend
ent population, fit to be packed in factories to drag out
miserable savish existence Tor the paltry equiva-
lent of the bread that they eat and the rament that
they wear Sir, these establishments favorable
to liberty, to morals' In other countries, these
operatives are every way degraded In this, these
establishments are too new to afford fair sample of
their bitter fruits Is there not immeasurabie diff
ference in the scale of being, between him who plants
his foot on his soil, feeling high and manly
sense of his personal independence-lhe master Of
his own little domain surrounded by happy, indus
trious and virtuous family and the day aborer with
a scattered family, toilmg from sun to sun in a
crowded factory breathing its noxious and fetid air
dependent for his daily bread upon the mast of the
establishment; and crnging to his testy humors or
lo.i his Sir | no told that the denendenCe