The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-08-26

try, are delayed put Off, and defeated, in the hope
of" heating" one President, and paving the way
for the election Of another.
| The vita! interests of the country are TO he sac
rifced at the shine of political and party ambition
The great Tariff question is to be defeaied, in o.
der that the country may be kept in constant aga-
ton Tor the next two three years, or until the
Presidential election in 1914, and Then the attempt
Is 10 be made to make this question the grand in
strument, the great lever, 10 elevate n THRICE
REJECTED aSplrant to place and power. Deeply .
to be regretted as this procedure must be by every
sincere Friend of the great interests Of the country,
II Is too lamcntably true. II may not, therefore,
be wholly Improbable to review the history and
circumstances which have attended this measure
from the commencement Of the present session of
Congress, down TO the present time, that every I'M
prcjudlced aud candid individual may see where
the certain defeat and consequent heavy RESPONSE I
bility should be thrown. In doing this we shall
appeal TO FACTS, which cannot be controverled,
and ask candid and honest people to decide
where the responsibility properly belongs
by the Tariff Law of 1888 commonly known as
Clay Compromise Act" all duties on imports
ran down 10 90 per cent after the 30th day of June
last. This low rate of duties was on nearly all
hands, at The commencement of the present session
of Congress admitted and deemed inadequate 10
cessary to an economical administration Of the gov
ernment The necessity of an increase of duties
became apparent TO every one. In raising this
revenue, large majority of both houses of Con-
gress approved of doing it by discriminating duties.
This is, in raising this revenue to give by protec-
tive duties, such a preference to domestic over
foreign products in our own markets, and so dis
crimnate between those articles which we can and
those we can not produce at home, us to afford
sufficient encouragement TO all branches of Amcri
can industry thus, to make the burdens imposed
upon the people, Tor the purpose of government,
productive Of double benefit.
The President called the attention Of Congress
in his annual Message in Dec last, to the npor-
lance and the mpcrlodS necessity of increasing the
duties on imports, in order to obtain revenue adj
cGuale to the immediate demands upon the Tre,s-
ury, in the following language:
"Snoud it he necessary, in nny view that Con,rc,y may
take Of the subject to revise the existing tariff Otdatics
beg leave to say, that in the performance Of that most
delicate operate II, moderate cOunscs would Ia be
the wis"st. The governments under which it is our hap
pECsS to live, owes its existence To the spirit OF
promise which prevailed amongst its irumers-arring aud
dScurant opinions could only have been rCvunCc by
that noble spirit Of PATRIOTISM which prompted ConCil,-
Iion, and resulted in harmony. In the same spirit the
compromise bill rs it is commonly called was adopted at
the session Of l,3l.
While the people of portion Of the Union, will ever
hesitate pay Gl necessary for the support Of Gov
CrnmC yet an innate r1pugnunCc exists, the To imposition
Of burdens not really necessary Tor that object In i'm
PG2ia@ djca, h0Wercr, far The pNpOSe ~ rCrCHU',
rjg6i u dsyiHaatc as In the ar}iccg trtich me U
~ sHW be- hjiHy uoN as Hp aHDHnt, HcrCssdrjiv qgd
mast property criytS Otherwise the Government would
be placed in the conditions having tolcyy the S1c du
ties upon all articles, the pr0ductircas well rs the HHpro
dVc'rc. The slightest duty upOn some might have the
effect cleansing their importation 10 ctayc, whereas 9th
entering extensively into the consumption OF the
try might bear the heaviest, without ANY sensible dmn
lion III the amount imported 50 also the government
may he jStfi in So diycrimiH0tiEg b5 reference IN
OibCr srdti0HSO NJ dgMcSic DOirV c0HHCctcd Wh
ORr m7jUt"irrs Snong rs the duties shall he laid with
distinct reference To the wants Of the Treasury, WW
tJ"udd 0jcrij0a can criSt dgniHH H0H. II might be-
esteemed desirable TINT no such augmentation Cl the uEc,
the and proceeds Distribution Act otc last sCsSinnw which
i' is dcci7rtd 10 h. imperative the a0mcW me dHos
are incrcq'r1 bcyoa ~ per cent ne maximum rac es
/ h'b'jyhci by thc Compromise .ict."
Thus did the President lay before Congress the
condition Of our financial affairs; the propricty of
IN cariy adjustment Of the IarW; he likewise ur-
res the policy and necessity Of INSTRUMENTATION in !
the duties; and the dcsirabIcRcs aud necessity of
lcgisalina to meet the last change in the compro-
mise Acl,--IIc also ndhcrcs to the principles upon
which the Distribution Act was passed, which was
that distribution sa0UN cctsc the momcm the du- |
lies wcre McreaSM 0borc 20 per cent. And what
was the action of Congress, large mHolities of both
| houses Of which were supporters OF the admins |
iralion, under these recommendations in the crii-
cal condition Of the Treasury, aud the cmblrraSs-
mcnt which pervadcd the country, They went I'M
/ needed, -und notwithstanding the Government was |
running behind hand al the rate Of fourteen mil |
Hons annually, and was Obliged to resort 10 Loans
and Treasury Notes TO keep along from day 10 day,
! This vital subject, was, we have good reasons to
suppose ,purposcy put of for nearly seven months,
until near the 80th of June, when, in hot haste,
they brought forward and drove through what was
! ,,IIoI tho littln Tariff pilI =,
ty days the laws for laying and collecting duties, /
and suspendng the distribution Act for That peri |
cd. Tins great subject was brought forward at
the heel of long session, and in such a manner /
ms would bring embarrassment and odum upon the |
! President ard for no other purpose. This long
delay was, under these circumstances, nothing |
less than plan to dcteat the adjustment of this |
question, aud to " hcad" the President. Here
was witnessed the spectacle of an American Con
grcss gravely celebrating aud acting on n bill which
every individual in the land had COOP REASON
| TO ENpECr WOULD III VETOED, md it was vc- |
| toeh.
The President refused to approve the Arcasurc,
assigning two reasons thercior-one, that if the .
payment was to be delayed and the duties kept 40
only thirty days, and then the distribution was TO .
go on, so short delay would afford no relief TO
| the Treasury and occasion an unnecessary incon.
ycncncc TO the States. The other, his DTrgmoyDl
objections that he could not ri0Iaic the settled nm
dcrSiaadi0g on which the Land Bill was passed,
which was us follows:
ls "1hnt the DistrbutionShaH ccnsc in case Of wur
ID THAT ii shW ccaSc ms soon and 50 long rs the rate
of duties shall for any reason whatever, be raised aJgir
20 per can't"
1t is well known that the original Land Bill, Of
the extra session, was passed through the Senate,
and signed by the President, with the ar0tcci Uadcr-
sfdndiag, and only upon the condition, that when
ever the duties upon imports Uerc rGiscR Gborc
20 per cent. The distriJgtioR StOaid cease. The
above express clause 10 that effect was inserted in
the bill, becGusc, piihom ii, every one hhec that
II could not become Il law, as the Senate as well
Us the President were decidedly against it without
such proviso. Could any thing be palmer, than
hni The hisiIhllinn shnnLL cnnsn lhn lnnu,nnt Ill,