New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1842-04-08
THE TRlBUN n r.
THE PRINCIPLE OF PROTECTION.


no;u,ca 10 consider the General Interest OF ilann-
features and of American Labor, and the neces-
sitv Of Protection. reports
The several Produ Interests of the Country
whether Agricultural Manufacturing or CONNER
c;,l be;no Otherwise referred to able and enlight-
.oed Committees, i, seemed the more appropriate
duty of your Committee to consider generally
and abstractly the Principle and grounds of Pro-
lection:
Projection is the fundamental necessity, the pri-
mary object of all righful government. To pro-
,sct each other against the eonions practices of the
syindler, the burglar, the assassin, the more
formidable assaults of barbarian horJcs, of am
bilious chieftains Of invading armies, the mem
ters OF a community unite to bear the bnrthcns
and submit to the restrictions of natural right in
cidental TO the existence of government. Each
individual, on his part incurs the obligations, sub
mis- 10 the restrictions, and assumes the burthen
of citizenship, on the implied but Pal pablc con-
tract of the government 90 protect him n=thc tul
endowment of those rights reserved 10 him under
the social compact; in the undsiurbcd and abso-
ne use .f the products of his own labor and skill,
md in the right to employ advan,agcously all his
faculties in the requirement of an adequate sub
sence.
Very few have ever denied to Government the
right aud duty of protecting its people from overt
act, Of aggression aud violence. That an invad
Ing foe should be resisted law-brcaking villain
arrested and confined domnecring, encroach-
ing nation checked and resisted, are propositions
,slEHflt that writer of note on Government has
I doubted or demurred to them.
Now it cannot be seriously, considerably de-
MED that nation may be Injured as certainly and
j vitality by the policy OF 4 rival as by its arms. An
Order in Council, an act of legislation, may Grip
Bale the Commerce and blight the Industry of dis
stant Nation, when open hostility would have been
wholly unavuiling. The Navigation Act of Great
Britain did more to destroy the commercial impor-
lance of Holland than all the fleets that ever issued
from Portsmouth and Plymouth History is full
Of examples of the decline and destruction OF ma
lions from causes which they failed clearly to re-
cornise, bur which later and clcar-sig GIFTED obscr-
vers have readily detected in the grasping policy
and deep-laid plans of subtle and determined
rival.
Your Committee, therefore, hold it selt-cviden;
that it is as clearly and fully the duty OF govern
ncnt to guard its citizens against the nsidious
Influences of hostile foreign policy, as against the
more direct and manly assaults OF foreign armies.
And they insist that wise and patcrna govern
ment will rs carefully guard, unslecpngly watch,
against the Vaccinations Of fore gn cabinets as the
shock OF hostile meets una l)dtLdiiohE-
To illustrate this position let II, adlncc n case
such rs has SUBSTANTIALLY happened at least once in
The history of our own country. Let US suppose
that the great mass of our People are satlsae-
oriIv engaged in Agricultural pursuits, and that
hcv obtain their Manufactured goods by an. eN-
change of tncir surplus Wheat for the fabrics and
wares of Great Britain No duty, or very mod
crate one for revenue merely, is charged on either
side At length however, Great britain resolves
70 produce all her gram, and TO ths etlo I'M
,oies n heavy. a prohibitory duty, on its importa-
,;on from abroad Bv this act our farmers are
eff without marke, for their produce, Its prlce
,epreciatcs. and il remains drug en- their hands
British fabrics are still pourng INTO our ports, arc
sold for fe,cer dollars than 1t would cost 10 pro-
duce them here and thus I'LL all tie chahneiS %
trade What is the duty thereby imposed on our
Government? Free Trade aHlrnS that II should
do nothing, but simply want unnl me 'hcv!'"oiI
hankruptcy of our business classes, the continued
decline in price of our great staples the With
drawal Of our specie and the degradation or de-
stn,cton of our circulating medium, shall have
reduced the price Of American Labor and with II
al, rcsul,s OF Labor so low that the Manufactures
we need can be produced hcIc=at rs low money
rr;cr ne IN Enslaud This is what Is implied ny
leaving trade to regulate itself. but we INSIST
that it is neither wise nor s'ape aol''s''" ,'s
of the difficulty 1t is not wise, ior II lNo1.es
our peonle in an infiai,y of suffering, siagnatish
and pecuniurv loss; it is not stable, tor tue hrs'
rlsa,n of prosperity in our land-lt sucl Siea''i
could be under that policy-woud DRAW h''''''
cargo after cargo CT British goods. ana ehsuie
u repetition Of our disasters. NO" ''
and manifest policy Of our Government ' - ~
pears mos, obvious to us,ls 10 meet Luz
policy of our rival ut the outsct-to couH'c'' az
tny bv duty, restriction 10y rcStrictioh-to l'ro-
,,cI md foster our Manufactures as last ana l'.i
- R,,,n ut our expense shall favor hcr Asli-
ru,,u,e-and thus to preserve our cope ,t'" ''''
=bo,,on,ss abvss of foreign debt ana paihlo
o>a,,d Tho sphere of their industry, and lay dee,
Ia .,,d,,r;ne tbe bases of substantial National
INDEPENDENCE of all foreign policy whateyer:
Irtus offer another illustration. Great pr'a'h'
about Two hundred years ago, passed hcs iNa>
ton Act, allowing goods 10 be 'mPor'e' nv ~.
ports in British vessels ut lower '"'e " -
than the same goods must pay II is'Poi'e" !" r'1
eign vessels This simple act OF aSsresS'Se .'s-
=tcrins her owl, commerce is the foundation o' ei
long career Of overwhelming Commerc'ai ''la -'1
rinc ascendancy-an ascenaancv wh'cn "ou"
never have existed to any such exten, !. the o,ci
nations Of Europe had at once percelvea t!'e aoSo-
lu,. necessity OF coun,ervaili,g this advantage
They did not, however. and the consequence Is
seen in the decline their Commerce and Marine.
TO the verge of extinction, and N the elevation OF
their once humble rival to the proud station OF
Mistress of the Seas. Under the bl'sht'ng effect
Of this graspipg policy our own Commerce 6. IAN
quShed during the whole term OF our peaceful eS-
,,ence as confederation -,
Blu, when the TERMS Ola more perfect union 'au
scn agreed on. aud Congress assembled cio''eo
18th power to watch overland protect the interests
{ our People we find that one OF us hSsta
.yas aimed at the express Protection ana eneou's
semeut of Manufactures on cur own son. os
Sc c,r.,,c Goods and