The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-07-07
From the Journal Of Commerce.
THE PRESENT POSTURE OF AFFAIRS

1t is one W hch, like the figure in Kaleidoscope,
could never be anticipated, but comes up from the last
shake of political parties. Wehave told the manuac-
turers thousand times that the politicians would de-
sert them with The most entire indifference when the
game of party ascendancy might tempt them to do SO
yet quite impossible beforehand to see how that
Jesertion would come about, or when Look at It,
The high tariff politicians In Congress declare that
there is now no law for the collection of any duty al
all on mporlaons and they also declare that unless
their party arrangements can be carried out they will
make For three years. they say, they will leave
the manufacturers entirely exposed to the peltings Of
foreign competition. They will not even pass the
cessary regulations for the enforcement OF the Com
promise ACT. This ruin which ii has been loudly
proclaimed would overwhelm the country under
riff of revenue merely, is to be poured upon with
out even that hindrance. TO the manufacturers this
treatment is cruel barbarous What is to become of
the millions millions of dollars SO often stated as
invested in manufactures, and the thousands of per-
sons employed? If this immense amount OF property
is to be suddenly thus exposed what will be worth2
But tie political friends of tho manufacturers say it
to be thus exposed. This is thousand times more
cruel than fee trade for that never recommended less
protection than would be afforded by judcious tariff
ofrevenue. Free Ira lie will join the manufacturers
against their ungenerous friends. If the declarations
ofleading politicians true, then in addition the
total prostraton OF the manufacturing interests of the
country there is to be total want of supplies for the
Government The Army and Navy, and even he
civil officers of the Government are to go unpaid
Disgrace and shame to cover every side-
All this goes in one scale, and-what in the other?
Why the maintenance ola w hig majority in Congress.
1t is for this poor triumph of party that all these
evils are be visited upon the country. 1t is an
swer to all this, to call the President traitor or
fool Suppose he both are both houses of Con-
gress to commit suicide upon the country for that?
The President for cause, has vetoed the little
bill, and he will veto any bill which places the Dis
tribution project in any other attitude than that
which it holds in the Distribution bill Of the extra
session. Is the President weak, and yet so strong
so contemplate and yctso respectable that to break
down his obstinacy or himself, the manufacturers
and the country are 10 be sacrificed? 1t seems to
US that the reason, as set FORTH has nothing to do
with the But the truth is, that it requires
these two things together Distribution and High
Tariff, to sustain Wing supremacy. If both
were given up, the great measures Of great party
would have been abandoned. If the two things are
separated the Wing party separated and defeated
We do not believe the country will consider the game
worth the cost We tn nix the people will, as they
have already done, require of any party which has
the power to at least carry on the Government hon
orally and fairly If you cannot get both Tariff and
Distribution, take the one which you can get and if
you cannot carry high Tariff, carry such
you are able to carry. Then the country will say
you cid what you could, But if you refuse to ar
range the of the country, for the sake Of
carrying on boys war with Capt. Tyler, our opin-
ion is that the people will send other men to Con-
gress the moment they can get at the ballot-boxes
But there is another and brighter view of the sub
ec The President insists that the present laws enact
tariff of twenty per cent. on TIE home value to be
paid in cash and he will try at least to collect it,
This state of the case has set great many men to
figuring out the result of such plan, and those who
before have denounced the Compromise act as death
to the manufacturers, have changed their countcnan-
at the result of their figures, and declares that the
said act gives all the protection which is desired. We
hope certainly if Congress dares to hold out in the
stand which it has taken, that this somewhat doubtful
position of the President will be sustained by the Su
preme Court. Certainly the idea of having no tariff,
is horrible.