The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-09-27
n. BELL, Editor and Proprietor.

power of common defence" against such
process OF draining the life blood of the
country Impossible! The trainers of the
Constitution must not be reproached with
the weakness and the folly of having formed
a government possessing no self protecting
energy; government which leaves the
country in regard TO all its commercial re-
latlons, helpless at the feet of foreign pow
ers. We raise armies and build navies to
defend our soil from the tread of hostile
invaders; and vet when the government is
called on TO give that protection to in
dustry which can alone make the soil worth
possessing, it is instantly struck with a con-
Slituiional paralysis. and stands powerIess
and defenceless-a monument Of republican
imbecility and folly
Sir. this power of protection which is so
much denounced, is great trust, commit
ted TO this government by the people of the
United States; and we are solemnly bound
to execute it, as the wants and interests of
the people of this Union shall require. The
government would manifestly fail of ac-
complishing one of the leading purposes of
its creation should it become recreant to
this trust. The oath, indeed. which we have
taken TO support the constitution, rightly
understood, binds us to its faithful execu-
! ton.
So clear is the constitutional power of
protection, and so just and strong is the
claim of the people for IFS exercise, that it
is impussible long to neglect it without great
" and dangerously weakening their attach
ment to the government and the Union
Whenever this leading purpose of the Union
shall have been abandoned whenever the
solemn decision shall have been made that
''protection" forms no part of the constitu-
tional duty of this government, then will a
blow have been struck at this Union which
will shake it to its deepest foundations. The
strength of the Union is not in the parch-
ment on which its constitution is written
1t is in the conscious enjoyment by the peo-
pie, and the whole people, of the benefits and
blessings which it was intended TO secure d
perpetuate. Throw them back to the Stree
trade" which preceded its adoption expose
them to a return of the dreadful paralysis
which it produced, and from which the first
revenue law. enacted expressly for 'the en-
was the signal for their deliverance, and you
produce sense of abandonment which will
be insupportable, and from which you can
expect none but the worst consequences to
the Union.
But sir we are to have no such results,
because we are to have no abandonment of
the protective policy. The thing is impos-
sible, unless the whole structure of our gov
eminent shall be changed, and the people
shall cease to be sovereign. Protection
may be denounced here, and this Congress
may abandon it; but if the people are 10 rule
If party deception and party machinery
shall be unavailing permanently TO blind
them to their true interests, they will
fill these halls with men who will fairly
represent those interests,--men who will
bring here the intelligence and the spirit of
the Congress Of 1859; and who will, with
that Congress not hesitate TO lay duties with
the boldly and honestly avowed purpose OF
encouraging and prstecting' the industry
of our country. Such a result as this is
certain. because the evils of want of pro-
lection must necessarily, in the progress Of
time, come home to the business and bo-
SONS of all, and produce manifestations OF
feeling and opinion by the people, to which
visionary theorists,a and worse than visionary
politicians will be forced to yield. Indeed
such manifestations of opinion and feeling
have been already decentralization TO
which "Northern men with Southern
principles" will do well to take heed.
But we are met with the ''compromIse.
Protection, it is said, has been surrendered
bv the compromise" The constitutional
objections seem to be abandoned, and the
opponents of protection are taking shelter
under the compromise" as sort of supple
mental constitution.
And what is this compromise. which it is
claimed has surrendered forever, the princi-
pie of protection! 1t is supposed TO exist
in law of Congress passed in March 1888,
by which it was enacted that one tetnh of
the excess of duties under the existing laws,
above 20 per cent. should be taken of, BIZ
ennially, commencing with the lst day of
January. 1884, until four teuths of such ex-
cess should come to be deducted, on the
LIST of January 1910 and that three of the
remaining six tenths should be deducted on
the LIST of January 1912, and the remaining
three tenths OH the LIST July 1912; after
which time the duties should be levied IN
ready money,and be assessed int the form OF a
per- centunl upon the home value, and to an
amount necessary to an economical admin
istration of the government.
If 10 assumed that, since this law provided
that all duties shuuld be reduced 70 20 per
cent on the first of July 1912, therefore the
amount necessary to an economical admin
istration of the government was to be RAJ,
sed by one rate per cent OF duty applied
unfortunately to all importations-that is,
that discrimination above 20 per cent tor
the purpose of protection was virtually pro-
hibited. So far as the act itself is con-
cerned | admit that if 20 per cent would
raise an amount sufficient TO supply the
economical wants of the government,
there could be no discrimination above that.
for purposes of protection, or for any other