The North-Carolina standard., 1843-05-17

moe to the manufacturer is not, it is true, the OBJ
iect Of but only Incidental to- tariff for revenue.
Still It is not on that account, the less beneficial
to him.
| The position assumed by your convention, and
in which l fully concur, is, that the incidental
protection thus derived is all the Legislative favor
which can at this day be conferred upon the manu-
facturer without great injustice to other interests
The expedipncy Of the adoption by Congress- at
any time of temporary measures OF retaliation,
when likely TO be- efectual III counteracting for
eign legislation Injurious to American Interests is
question involving different considerations
/ We have it from quarters entitled to respect,
THAT the most considerate of the domestic manu-
facturers are satisfied with this measure OF protec-
tion-that tired of having their peculiar Interests
fembarked in political contests, resulting at one
time n an excess of duties which temps to an un-
due and ruinous increase of capital In their busl.
ness, and at others, under the deep and excited
| feelings which perpetual controversy engenders,
in sudden and great reductions equally injurious
that, conscious of the extent to which, for more
than quarter off century, they have eHgrossed
the time and attention of the national Legislature,
and of the people, and Of the millions upon mll-
lions which have during that tinre been collected
from the latter, avowcdfy TO facilitate and give
special advantages to the particular pursuit IN
which they are engaged, not only to the exclusion
Of but at the immediate cost of others--and SEN
sibe, as the most observing amongst them must
be- that the period has passed away when tariff
designed for protection can be kept up IN this
country, without doing more injury to every inter-
est, by the convulsions and revulsions which it
cannot fail to produce in public opinion, that 1t
can confer benefit on theirs-they would them
selves prefer that the protection secured to them
! by the Legislation of Congress- should be confin-
ed to that which is incidentally derived from
revenue tariff So far as certainty in their con-
dition matter of inestinable importance, IS con-
cerned, it is the only course by which even an ap-
proach to its accomplishment can be hoped for
To all present appearances, the acquiescence IN
tariff for revenue, now general, may, In the abb
sence of special excitement endure for period as
! long as is commonly embraced in calculations of
business. 1t cannot, however, have escaped the
attention Of the manufacturers, that although no
State or district of country may yet have taken
ground against this mode of raising revenue for
the support of Government, there are not wanting
thousands Of vigorous nellects, in every section
of our extended. country, who, penetrated by
deep sense of the inequality and consequent injus
ce of its operation, are applying all the energies
of their minds to the overthrow OF the system II
self They cannot be ignorant, either, OF the fact
that prejudice against direct taxation, sPrmging
in some degree at least from supposed abuse Of
the power in times past, may yield to time and re-
Election, or may be supplanted by new and strong
er antipathy And what could be more likely 10
awaken popular aversion, than the sight OF great
and afluent interest in the country, standing out
amid the general gloom, pertInacfousy exertng
its influence IN the councils of the nation, not only
to save itself from the msfortunes which had over
taken all other classes, but to secure Its OWE ag
grandizement by new and unjust impositions on a
community already borne to the earth by the adj
verse course of events. individuals and their
families nav be land in other countries are) per-
manently bIeted on the public cofersi but all ex-
perience has shown that with us at least, IT IS not
in the power Of the Government to secure perma
nent advantages to the business pursuits OF one
class over those of all others. The very patron
age which is thus unduly received, has tenden-
cy to relax the exertions, and dissipate the pru
dence of its recipients and if the spirit of monopo
iy is not in this way defeated, it is to be brot
down. in the end, by the controlling power of an
excited and enlightened public sentiment. do
therefore, sincerely hope that the disposition which
is attributed to portion at least of the fnanufac
turing interest does in fact exist, and that will
soon become general. But whether it be so or
not the principle advanced by your convention is
without doubt the true one for our future govern
ment. -- ,--- |
When the convention speak of discriminat-
ing tariff for revenue, understand them as refer
ring TO determinations below the maximum rate
of duties upon imported articles, not designed TO |
increase the protection already afforded to domes.
tic manufacturers, but to carry out views of poll
CIV different in their character, and which may !
properly be embraced in such measure
Of the constitutional power to make dIscrimina-
tions, have no doubt: Equally clear it is that
the practice Of making them has existed from the |
commencement of the Government, and consti-
tutes feature in every principal tariff bill which
is to be found upon our statute book They are
indeed indispensable to the successful operation of
every revenue BILL whether the designb be to guard
against smuggling on the one hand, where the ma
ture of the article is such as to afford facilities for
that practice, the other TO prevent loss to the
treasury by the imposition of duties higher than
the value of the article will bear, and thus prohib-
ting its introduction into the country. If it be at
any time deemed necessary, or conducive to the
safety of the country, to encourage the manufac-
ture at home the articles necessary TO It's defence
in war, nothing can be more proper than to do SO
by discrimination in favor of their domestic |
manufacture, inasmuch as the object in view is to
promote the safety of all at the expense of ALL
Determinations have constantly been made in
favor of articles imported for the use of phiIoso-
phical literary societies, for the encouragement
of the fine arts, or for the use of seminaries of
learning, specimens in natural history, animals
imported to breed, &c, &c, &1c.-all founded on
the same principle, respect to the universally of