The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-01-18
THE TARIFF.

A Government whether re i sentod by man
ar .,be million can learn experience but Fl on
two sources--is own experience and tho expert
.nce of other nations The former is expen
sive and dilatory mode or instruction and that gov
eminent ia BEST in this respect Mt least, which can
reap harvest Of knowledge fiom the bitter fruits
ofezpercnce ripened by others. Read tho follow.
ing:
PRUSSIA was prosperous in 1916, ~, ID and 'lo;
but fascinated with the theories of Adam smith
and J. b. Say she adopted a new tariff in 1915, on
the plan of letting trade regulate itself In this
Tariff she abrogated her'prohibl,ions, and lowered
her duties The country was immediately den.
ged with foreign goods--and, in duo course drain
ed Of its specie, have been in past gears to
nav for The surplus Of those imports, which lar ex
ceoded her exports The most, disastrous conse-
auences took place. Circulation stopped
Distress and wretchedness overspread the land
The manufacturers first fell victims to this mista-
ken policy. Agriculture next fell the shock, and
finally bankruptcy swept away large portion Of
those commercial houses, whose cupidity had paw
ed the way for the misery OF the country
Hero is experence--here are known aud unde-
nable effects, resulting from equally well atested
causes; and how was the evil corrected BY
turn 10 a Protective Tariff. The following exrac,
is liom the Emperor of Russia's Circular written
by Count Nesserode, in 1927 ,on the subject Of the
new Tariff;
CONNIE rciai freedom must he generally adopted
The State ochich adopts, schito others rtjett Mt'n
must condemn its industry and commerce to
pay a ruinouS tribute TO those Of other nations"
HFrom n circulation exempt from restraint, and
the facility afforded by rec procal exchanges, al
most all governments at first resolved to seek the
means Of repairing the evil, which England had
been doomed to suffer; but experience and more
correct calculations, because they were made from
certain data. and upon results already known, of
the peace that had just taken place, FORCED THEM
TO ADHERE TO THE PRoHBIToRY SYSTEM
NEng,and preserved hers. Austria remained
faithful to the rule shs had laid down, ganrd
herself against the rivashiP of foreign Industry:
France with the same views adopted the most rig
orous measures of precaution, and Prussia puo
iished now Tariff in October last, which proves
that she found it impossible not to follow the ex-
annie Of the rest of Europe.
sin proportion the p,ohibitory system Is crten
ded and rendered perfect in other countries, Mat
ohich pr sues the contrary system 7nohes Jfom
day TO day sacrifices more e1tens'c' and more con-
siderable"
at is with the most lively feelings of regret we
acknowledge, that il is our proper experience
which enables to trace this picture. The evils
which it details have been realized in Russia and
Poland since the conclusion of the act OF 1875
Agriculture without a market-industrY without
DIT otec ton apguish and decline. Specie is eXpor
led, and the most solid commercial houses are sha-
ken. The public prosperity would soon feel the
wound in Hcted upon private fortunes, i! new regu-
iations did not promptly change the actual state of
affairs
HEvESTs HAVE PROVED THAT OUR AGRICULTURE
AND OUR COMMERCE, AS WELL AS OUR MANUFAc-
TUREs, ARE NOT ONLY PARALYZED, BUT BROUGHT
TO THE BRINK OF RUIN.
Here is experience for guide against the the
cries oftbe free trade philosophers
Let it be borne in mind, however, that we do
not quarrel with the doctrines of free trade, when
rightly applied and understood. The very term
trade, implies dealings between two parties--and
to make il free trade ,thero must be restrictions
on either side Trade is an exchange ofcommod.
i,ies-money represents the value and settles the
difference. Let the exchange of commodities be-
tween US and England be free on both sides and no
one will complain. Make it free on cur side, and
restrictive theirs, and it 'scondemns industry
and commerce to pay ruinous tribute" 10 the com.
aeree md industry Of England. TO cali such
situation Of things by the name of free trado is as
absurd as to say that boxing nateb between two
persons, one Of whom has his hands tied behind
him, is fair fight, because, forsooth, is free
10 knock the other down as often as he pesses.
A friend whose opinion value higher than that
oil any theoretical writer living, has illustrated the
nbsurdity of free trade with country who will
take nothing from she do without, excep-
ing gold and silver, in return for what we buy,
in the following manner: go 10 my estate in the
country to pass the Summer, and am surrounded
bv with twenty farmers. They Interchange labor,
tools, horses, &c. with each o,her-and they cut
tivate their farms and get in their crops, by in
torchapge of labor and tools, without payment Of n
dollar. On my part, l am only there for Sum
mer-and buy Of them my provisions, and hire
what work wish to have done. In this manner
pay them five hundred dollars, which eat up and
consume. AT the end of the Summer, 1 Sc
much poorer in purse and they much the richer
In the illustration, am America they the res
of the world Now, America rich in gold
and silver my friend is ,t would be of little con
seauence, pro vided the mines would yield rapidly
enough, il the experience were TO BIO carried on
little longer; but. unfortunately, our wealth con
sists in exactly what other nations will not take
viz: the productions of the soil. They will rot 0
the ground, while the few glittering coins whic
are left us to set energies in motion, t
supply with the of making our othe
products valuable, raked up and shipped to iol
ejgn lands.